St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners is seeking an experienced public procurement professional to join the Purchasing Department as a Purchasing Manager in beautiful St. Augustine, Florida.

St. Johns County residents enjoy a healthy quality of life with many perks including one of the top rated public school systems in the State of Florida, miles of beach shoreline, peaceful estuary scenery of the St. Johns River, long established agriculture and equestrian scene, and the nation’s oldest city, historic St. Augustine. In 2019 St. Johns County was ranked the 10th fastest growing county in the United States showcasing that there is truly something for everyone in St. Johns County!

The St. Johns County Purchasing Department is responsible for management and facilitation of procurement and contracting for goods, services, and construction for the Board of County Commissioners. With three (3) teams of Procurement Coordinators, the Purchasing Department needs a dynamic professional with experience managing people, processes, and compliance to help lead us into the future. The Purchasing Department facilitates procurement and contract management for many County Departments, including Public Works, Utilities, Facilities Management, Recreation, Disaster Recovery, Health & Human Services, IT, and others. The procurement and contracting functions are governed by Florida Statutes, SJC Ordinance #22-2022, the SJC Purchasing Policy, and all other applicable rules, laws, codes, ordinances, and regulations. Our department works with the County Departments in order to appropriately facilitate a transparent, fair, competitive and compliant process related to the County spend of taxpayer dollars.

The ideal candidate for this Purchasing Manager position comes with experience in strategic leadership of people while upholding the requirements of transparency, compliance and fairness throughout the procurement and contracting process. We’re looking for a candidate who can strike the appropriate balance between meeting needs and objectives in accordance with regulation and finding the best solution for the individuals and the agency in each circumstance.

Additionally, the ideal Purchasing Manager candidate must demonstrate an aptitude for a full and varied workload, must be well suited for navigating various deadlines, timeframes and progress levels for tasks and assignments, and must foster a collaborative and coordinated process with our User Departments. Some of the specific job duties include but are not limited to:

• Assists with formulation, implementation, and administration of the County’s purchasing policy.
• Cultivate staff with appropriate technical, task-based information and understanding, along with contextual application of policies and procedures.
• Work with Department Heads and Project Managers to ensure compliance and a fair and open competitive process.
• Provide guidance to staff, and/or take the lead in negotiating agreements with vendors for the provision of goods, services, and construction. Coordinates with Office of County Attorney, Risk Management, Administration, and User Departments to ensure final, approved contracts are appropriate to serve needs of the County.
• Conduct ongoing review of system and processes to address issues and to provide recommendations for adaptations as appropriate in accordance with shifting needs, best practices, and evolving regulations.
• Develop and deliver ongoing training to staff to ensure comprehension and revisiting when needed to accommodate changes to requirement and to address errors or inconsistencies in their application. 

Candidates for the Purchasing Manager are encouraged to apply if they meet the following minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in Public Administration, Public Procurement or a related course of study to the occupational field.
• Experience sufficient to thoroughly understand the diverse objectives and functions of the subunits in the division in order to direct and coordinate work within the division, usually interpreted to require five to seven years of progressively responsible experience, including at least five years in a supervisory or lead role.
• Ability to be bonded.
• Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) certification through UPPCC or obtain certification within 12 months of employment. 
• If an incumbent possesses and maintains certification as Certified Public Procurement Officer while assigned to this position, may be placed at Pay Grade 23.
• Must possess and maintain a valid Florida driver’s license and any other endorsements necessary to legally operate vehicles used while assigned to this position.
• Must possess good interpersonal and communication skills in order to serve others.
• Must be able to comprehend, speak and write the English language.
• Must be able to operate a computer and job-related software programs.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: 

Candidates may apply through St. Johns County’s Online Application System: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sjcfl

Applications must be submitted through St. Johns County’s Online Application System in order to be considered. Paper documents, emailed resumes or otherwise are not accepted in lieu of an application. All applications must be submitted before the advertised closing date.

St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners is a drug free workplace and equal opportunity employer.

All employment actions are taken without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, handicap, disability, marital status, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information.