Walla Walla Community College (WWCC) is seeking applicants for a Purchasing Manager position at the Walla Walla campus.

At Walla Walla Community College, we inspire all students to discover their potential and achieve their goals by providing relevant, equitable, and innovative learning opportunities and services. We have identified three core themes that describe the fundamental aspects of the College's mission by translating it into practice: Student Success, Strong Communities, and Resource Stewardship. As an organization, we value learning opportunities, a sense of community, diversity, health and humor, excellence, integrity, teamwork, innovation, personal and professional growth, and sustainability.

General Description:

The Purchasing Manager is a supervisory position that has primary responsibility for college purchasing of supplies, materials, equipment and most contractual services used by the college and has authority to select vendors, award bids, and negotiate contracts consistent with college policies and state and federal regulations. This administrative professional exempt position reports to the VP of Administrative Services.

Essential Functions:

• Manage college purchasing activities consistent with the college’s mission, strategic plan, core themes, goals and initiatives, and policies and procedures.
• Direct the procurement of supplies, furnishings, equipment and services in a timely and cost-effective manner; coordinate purchase and delivery for furnishings, and equipment with project manager for capital projects; maintain appropriate vendor files, purchase documentation and information.
• Develop and write formal bid and quote specifications, research and solicit diverse competition, prepare advertisements in accordance with statutory and advertisement regulatory requirement, conduct public bid openings, and evaluate offers.
• Approve and issue purchase orders and contracts in accordance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations.
• Provide guidance and assistance to college departments and staff on purchasing related issues and processes including purchasing activities
• Ensure compliance with college expense coding and categorization
• Develop and write purchasing procedures and guidelines for management review
• Manage vendor relationships and assist in building effective partnerships; serve as primary point of contact for vendors.
• Administer the procedures for the management of surplus assets in compliance with state and college regulations.
• Coordinate purchasing related activities with college shipping and receiving, inventory, and accounts payable, to ensure efficient and effective operations.
• Manage college mail services and maintain knowledge of mailing rules and processes such as first-class mail, bulk mail, and business reply mail and coordinate campus mail processes.
• Oversee the procurement of the college’s contracted leased or purchased copier and printing equipment and services; monitor contractor relationship in support of service provisions.
• Assist with analysis of college property leases to make recommendations to management
• Supervise, train, and evaluate assigned staff; develop, support and monitor annual growth/professional development plans.
• Represent the college at professional and community organizations such as the Purchasing Affairs Council; participate in college system professional conferences and in-service activities.
• Maintain working knowledge of all applicable state laws, rules and regulations for purchasing related activities.
• Assist supervisor and other college administrators as necessary.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Vice President of Administrative Services

• Knowledge of state purchasing and competitive bid requirements, business management, purchasing, and contracting practices.
• Ability to provide leadership in accordance with the mission, vision, values and goals of WWCC.
• Conducts oneself with ethical integrity by earning others trust and respect through consistent honesty and professionalism in all interactions.
• Ability to interpret and ensure compliance with applicable codes, rules and regulations.
• Knowledge of purchasing, receiving, inventory and mail systems with skills in computerized systems.
• Knowledge and ability to create, review and change contracts.
• Ability to analyze contracts/operations and develop monitoring programs to support ongoing quality improvement initiatives.
• Effective time management and prioritization skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to analyze and explain complex purchasing, bid and contracting requirements to non-financial managers.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to ensure the ability to work effectively with diverse internal and external constituencies.
• Ability to supervise employees

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Procurement, Logistics, Supply Management or related field and three years of related experience. Professional experience may be substituted for education at the discretion of the college.
• Proficient knowledge and use in Microsoft Office programs and manual or computerized purchasing systems.
• Demonstrated good communication and organizational skills.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Experience as a buyer/purchasing agent with increasing responsibility having managed individual purchases in excess of $500,000.
• Successful supervisory experience.
• Experience in procurement in State of Washington Higher Education or public agency.
• Certified Purchasing Manager designation.
• Experience with PeopleSoft ERP

This is a full-time exempt position. Persons hired must be able to provide acceptable documentation of lawful authorization to work in the United States within three (3) days of employment. Official college transcripts required at time of hire. Candidates may be subject to a criminal history background check as a condition of employment. Information from the background check may not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant’s suitability and competence to perform in the position. The college is a tobacco free institution.

Work is performed almost exclusively indoors in an office environment. Exposure to hazards is limited to those commonly found in office environments. This contract position work schedule will typically be Monday through Friday 8-hours each day. During the summer, work schedule is Monday through Thursday 10-hours each day. Occasional nights and weekends. Occasional overnight travel.

Compensation:

Annual salary range: $74,000-78,000. The college has an excellent benefit program including paid sick leave; paid vacation leave; medical, dental, life, and long-term disability insurance; retirement and two optional deferred compensation programs. All full-time employees will automatically have 3% of taxable income deferred into the State of Washington Deferred Compensation Program (DCP). All administrative exempt staff set aside 1% of their gross salary in a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) (VEBA). All exempt employees are required to participate in this program. Walla Walla Community College requires all employees to participate in direct deposit for payment of salary.

This position will remain open until filled. To be included in the initial screening, applications should be received by October 17, 2022. To qualify for consideration, applicants must meet required qualifications and competencies and submit a complete application packet, which includes the following:

• Online NEOGOV application.
• Cover letter (In the cover letter, please describe how you meet the qualifications and competencies for the position)
• Resume
• Names and contact information for three professional references
• Unofficial transcripts for application purposes; official transcripts are required prior to an official start date.

WWCC also reserves the right to not fill this position, reject all applicants, reopen the position, or make a direct appointment. Applications received during this recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies at the College's discretion.

If you have difficulty logging into your account, attaching documents, submitting your application, etc., please call NEOGOV Applicant Support at 1-855-524-5627.

Walla Walla Community College is committed to provide equal opportunity and nondiscrimination for all educational and employment applicants as well as for its students and employed staff, without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, including gender expression/identity, marital status, age (over 40), the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, the use of trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability, or status as a Vietnam and/or disabled veteran, National Guard member or reservist in accordance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Federal Rehabilitation of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and any other applicable Federal and Washington State laws against discrimination. To qualify for veteran's preference, you must attach a copy of your DD214 or NGB 22. The Human Resources Office is accessible to persons with disabilities. If you need accommodation in the application/ employment process, please call (509) 527-4323 - TDD (509) 527-4412.