Purchasing Specialist

Join one of the Inland Empire's top places to work in this exceptional career opportunity!

At Western Municipal Water District ("Western Water") our vision is to integrate the best-in-business processes and business systems while developing a leading-edge workforce that continuously creates greater efficiency and value for our customers.

About Western Water

- Western Water is one of the largest public agencies in Riverside County providing water and sewer services to nearly one million people; and

- We see ourselves as more of a business than a bureaucracy; and

- We view our customers as an essential partner in ensuring long-term water security for our region; and

- Together, the Western Water team is focused on being the definitive leader in water and sewer services, upholding the highest level of stakeholder trust.

- Western Water was awarded the Top Workplace Award for 2023. The Top Workplace Award recognizes organizations that excel in creating a positive working environment for their employees. This award is based on employee feedback regarding various aspects like workplace culture, values, leadership, compensation, benefits, and work-life balance.

Western Water’s values include:

- Service Excellence

- Efficiency

- Water Supply Reliability

- Fiscal Responsibility and Value

- Public Trust, Accountability and Transparency

- Environmental Stewardship

- Employee Empowerment

- Innovation

Western Water is a dynamic, forward-thinking agency dedicated to delivering potable water, recycled water, and wastewater services to nearly one million customers across Riverside County. As one of the region's largest and most impactful utilities, we are committed to the highest standards of transparency, innovation, and environmental stewardship.

Our Finance Department plays a pivotal role in realizing Western Water's vision of being the definitive leader in our industry, upholding the public trust through exceptional performance and customer-centricity. Composed of highly talented professionals across three distinct sections (Purchasing and Contracts, Accounting and Reporting, and Budgeting), the department is responsible for overseeing fiscal management and adherence to monetary policies and providing expert guidance to support optimal decision-making across the enterprise.

THE POSITION

At Western Water, we're looking for more than a purchasing and contracts reviewer to fill this position. Western Water is looking for a seasoned professional in public purchasing and procurement, who can put innovative ideas into action while supporting the daily purchasing and contracts activities.

This position provides guidance and working knowledge for all purchasing activities in Western Water's decentralized purchasing environment; provides contractual guidance and administrative assistance to Western Water management and staff; ensures staff is compliant with Board-adopted procurement policies and procedures; leads part-time/temporary purchasing personnel as needed; fosters cooperative working relationships and communicates effectively orally and in writing with all Western Water departments and external parties; and performs related tasks as assigned.

Distinctive Attributes

This is the experienced journey-level class in Western Water's purchasing and contracts group. This single-position classification administers general purchasing activities and purchasing contracts for Western Water. This position is distinguished by the performance of the full range of duties assigned, working independently, applying well developed purchasing and contracts knowledge, and exercising excellent judgment and initiative. This position is fully aware of the operating procedures and policies of Western Water. Reviews and administers complex purchasing transactions for a wide range of materials, supplies, services, and equipment for Western Water's departments in accordance with agency standards, policies, and all applicable legal requirements. Analyzes quotes received and processes purchase orders to award supplier. The incumbent prepares draft contracts and agreements, reviews contract insurance requirements, reviews vendor insurance certificates, amendments and contract change orders and advises staff on contractual and project related issues. The incumbent is required to have a working knowledge of purchasing policies/procedures, accounts payable procedures, and vendor relations. Duties require incumbent to exercise judgment in selecting appropriate guidelines to follow.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate is an experienced purchasing and contracts professional with a proven track record of successful administration of purchasing and contract duties in a complex public utility environment. In addition to technical expertise, you bring exceptional emotional intelligence, communication skills, and a talent for building productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders both between departments within Western Water and throughout the many agencies that we work with and support.

Your collaborative mindset and commitment to transparency will be key to partnering effectively with the Purchasing and Contracts Manager and peer leaders across Western Water. You'll serve as a trusted advisor on critical purchasing and contract decisions and an ambassador for the department's priorities. Like the Purchasing and Contracts Manager, you believe in directly interacting with and mentoring staff and will be a visible presence for both your team and customers.

Personal Competencies/Characteristics

- A relationship-builder who is proactive in establishing and leveraging partnerships with key community stakeholders and other partner agencies.

- Open, approachable, and action-oriented; exercises good judgment; treats others with respect.

- Collaborative approach to working with others; able to bring people together and leverage common interests to perpetuate the goals of Western Water.

- Outstanding facilitation and communication skills.

- A self-starter who exhibits high initiative and a strong work ethic; embraces the opportunity to make a difference.

This position reports to the Purchasing and Contracts Manager and may receive direction from the Finance Director.

District employees are expected to work overtime, weekends, evenings and holidays as required to accommodate Western Water's needs, in addition to responding as a Disaster Emergency Service Worker.The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to this classification.

- Provides technical expertise and guidance to Western Water employees involving purchasing standards, procedures, issues, and trends; interprets and explains applicable laws, regulations, codes, and policies.

- Reviews electronic requisitions submitted to the purchasing department and tracks them through to completion.

- Ensures purchase orders are created and distributed to vendors and internally as appropriate.

- Maintains active vendor database within Western Water's computerized financial system.

- Works with user departments to create requests for proposals; reviews scopes of work with department project managers; and provides Purchasing assistance to user departments as needed.

- Prepares draft standard contract awarded to vendor;

- Maintains and updates a listing of all active Western Water purchasing contracts.

- Reviews and determines that vendor insurance coverages are current and meet or exceed agency requirements.

- Processes all purchase order revisions to ensure compliance with Western Water's purchasing policy.

- Ensures vendors engaged in Public Works projects are registered with the California Department of Industrial Relations.

- Completes and files the online Public Works Projects Registration Form (PWC-100) for all Public Works projects performed by Western Water.

- Prepares routine and complex correspondence on behalf of Western Water to vendors, consultants, and contractors regarding contractual and/or performance issues, letters of regret, and other documents.

- Interfaces with vendors to expedite timely completion of contract agreements.

- Prepares purchase orders in purchasing system. Issues and tracks purchase orders to completion. User departments will submit requisitions to the Purchasing Specialist through the Infor cloud-based procurement module. Incumbent will review and release for electronic approvals.

- Reviews general ledger account coding and consults with accounting as needed.

- Ensures product or service descriptions on purchase orders are accurate, clear and precise. Verifies that supporting documentation (i.e. quotes or proposals) is provided and supports the request.

- Manages the user department preparation of requisitions for annual (blanket) purchase orders.

- Maintains good working relationships with vendors.

- Initiates and responds to inquiries from Western Water personnel and vendors regarding procurement policies and procedures related to purchase orders; provides technical support, instruction, and assistance with Western Water's electronic purchasing system as needed.

- Ensures vendor insurance documents are scanned and uploaded to the Western Water's insurance compliance system.

- Prepares purchasing contracts for those situations where a contract is required by Western Water Purchasing policy. Ensures all signatures are obtained and follows up when documents are not returned timely.

- Performs various administrative duties for the department including: word processing, filing, scheduling meetings, scanning and photocopying documents, and processing mail.

Job Title

Education Experience

Purchasing Specialist~ Equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree in business or public administration, finance, accounting, or a related field.

- Five (5) years of highly responsible experience in a Purchasing department, preferable for a public agency or Water District, including experience with vendor setup, purchase order processing, Public Works and Prevailing Wage rules and regulations, implementing program improvements and ensuring regulatory compliance.

- Proficiency using financial software, procurement software such as Planet Bids, Microsoft Office suite including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Required License / Certification

Desirable Licenses/Certifications

CA Class C Driver's License

A complete Job Description can be found at Class Specifications | Sorted by ClassTitle ascending | . (governmentjobs.com)

PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

The characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical:

Employees are regularly required to use repetitive motion for keyboard use and writing; frequently grasp, reach overhead, hold and reach; sit for long periods of time; occasionally walk, use staircases, stand, kneel, stoop and bend; occasionally lift and carry up to 25 pounds or 60 pounds with assistance; constantly use overall vision; and frequently hear and talk, in person and on the phone.

Mental:

Employees should possess the ability to speak, read, and write English, in addition to exercising math and computer aptitude as required. Employees work under pressure with frequent interruptions while communicating and interacting with a variety of District personnel, the public, and others encountered in the course of work. The ability to explain, interpret, and apply related rules, regulations, policies and procedures; and work on multiple concurrent assignments, often within tight timeframes using good business judgment is necessary.

Environmental:

Employees primarily work in a temperature controlled office environment subject to typical office noise and settings. Incumbents are expected to use principles of effective safety practices including the use of equipment in a proper and safe manner, use of preventative personal ergonomic techniques, and maintaining safe personal and common workspaces.

Western is a tobacco free campus prohibiting smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and unregulated nicotine products in any District vehicle and building, which includes any building owned and occupied, or leased and occupied, by the District, including, Headquarters, the Operations Center, and any remote facilities owned, leased and/or operated by the District.