Senior Procurement Specialist

The City of Kirkland is seeking to hire a Senior Procurement Specialist in our Finance and Administration Department!

Why Work for Kirkland?
Ranked as one of the most livable cities in America, Kirkland is an attractive and inviting place to live, work, and visit. We have big city vision while maintaining a small-town, community feel. If you are a candidate with the desire to join an organization looking to innovate into the future, the City of Kirkland is the place for you!

If you ask our employees why they love where they work, they'll tell you about the great people, work environment, supportive management and City Council, and fearless innovation.

We also invest in you!
Competitive Wages: We strive to maintain competitive compensation packages and work to provide wages that meet the knowledge, skills, and abilities of our employees.

Awesome Benefits: The City offers benefits that are unmatched by most other employers. Please click on the benefits tab above to view more details.

Childcare Programs: To help address the challenge of finding reliable childcare, the City of Kirkland has reserved spots for City employees at local and regional service providers, available at a discount. New employees gain access to Kirkland's reserved spots as soon as they start employment. Learn more!

Training and Career Development: The City of Kirkland believes in developing its employees. You will have access to training opportunities designed for career development and advancement based on your position, skills, and interests.

Job Summary

• Ensures compliance with state and local regulations for purchasing goods and services.
• Oversees the bid and purchasing processes. Coordinates formal bids and requests for proposals by placing ads in legal publications, reviewing bid specifications, establishing escrow accounts, securing appropriate signatures on purchasing documents and distributing final contract documents. Schedules bid openings and assists in bid announcements and disposition of bid bonds and security deposits. Provides technical assistance to departments with bid and request for proposal processes.
• Coordinates the activities of the purchasing section, including development of annual goals and objectives, development and monitoring of purchasing budget, and maintenance of purchasing records. Maintains and reports statistics for purchasing activities. Develops and maintains purchasing desk procedures.
• Develops and maintains purchasing guidelines and provides training to department staff on City purchasing practices. Recommends and drafts modifications of purchasing policy and the purchasing ordinance for review by the Director of Finance & Administration.
• Researches product requirements and conducts vendor interviews to ensure quality control and cost effective purchases. Communicates and corresponds with vendors and participates in vendor negotiations to settle disputes or make corrections.
• Procures capital equipment, architectural and engineering services, and public works projects.
• Coordinates with requestors to define scope of project and develops evaluation criteria.
• Develops procurement and negotiation strategies, targets and objectives with management to ensure effectiveness and efficiency in the procurement process; negotiates terms, pricing, price re-determinations and performance of suppliers' contracts
• Negotiates and manages various city-wide contracts as requested.
• Oversees the maintenance and security of the automated purchasing system files. Ensures modules are operating properly with effective controls. Coordinates purchasing systems to Accounts Payable, Fixed Assets, and other related modules. Monitors purchases made through the automated purchasing system and purchasing card system to ensure compliance with the requirements set forth in KMC 3.85. Develops and delivers training to users on purchasing modules
• Administers city-wide purchasing card program.
• Identifies potential risk areas and develops solutions for risk mitigation. Facilitates collaborative relationships to mitigate negative legal and business exposure. Implements negotiated contractual terms and conditions for contracts that clearly define technical specifications and requirements.
• Participates in intergovernmental procurement projects and may serve as a team lead on selected projects.
• Manages special projects as assigned, which may require development of cost estimates, development of criteria for selection of outside consultants, processing and expediting materials orders and coordination of project implementation.
• Fosters a positive and supportive work environment; promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace, contributing to an environment of respectful living and working in a multicultural society.

• Checks purchase orders for correct pricing upon request.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Performs functions as assigned in the City's emergency response plan in the event of an emergency.

• Knowledge of sound purchasing principles and practices.
• Knowledge of automated purchasing system environment including online requisition, approvals, and ordering via email and internet, spreadsheets, report writing, budget development and analysis.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing through memoranda and other correspondence; ability to communicate purchasing policy and procedures to a variety of staff.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with departments, vendors, subordinate staff, and the public.
• Ability to negotiate effectively with vendors to settle disputes or make corrections relative to the product quality.
• Basic knowledge of City government operations and ability to interpret pertinent laws and regulations.
• Knowledge of basic managerial principals including development of goals, translation into a work program, development of budgets. Ability to plan, implement and evaluate work programs.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in business administration or closely related field.
• Experience: 5 years' experience in purchasing, preferably in the public sector.
• Or: In place of the above requirements, the incumbent may possess any combination of relevant education and experience which would demonstrate the individual's knowledge, skill, and ability to proficiently perform the essential duties and responsibilities listed above.

• Preferred certification one of the following: Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB), Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO), or Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.).
• Public sector experience preferred.

Physical Demands and Working Environment:
Work is predominately performed indoors in an office environment but will include outdoor field visits with suppliers. Work requires movement to other locations for meetings. The work requires sitting, talking and hearing; frequently requires the use of hands-and-fingers, handling writing instruments, computers and office supplies which require repetitive arm wrist and hand movement. Occasionally, requires standing and reaching with arms and hands, climbing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, bending or crawling. May require occasional lifting not exceeding 30 pounds.

Selection Process

Position requires a resume and cover letter for consideration of application. Please note how you meet minimum qualifications within the cover letter. Applicants who are selected for next steps in the hiring process will be invited by phone or e-mail. Candidates are encouraged to apply at the earliest possible date as screening, interviewing, and hiring decisions will be made through the recruitment period, until such time as the vacancy is filled.

The City of Kirkland is a welcoming community where every person can thrive and grow. We value diversity, inclusion, belonging, and work together to support our community. We do this by solving problems, focusing on the customer, and respecting all people who come into the City whether to visit, live, or work. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we are committed to creating a workforce that does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, color, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, marital status, genetic information, veteran status, disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. We encourage qualified applicants of all backgrounds and identities to apply to our job postings. Persons with a disability who need reasonable accommodations in the application or testing process, or those needing this announcement in an alternative format, may call 425-587-3210 or Telecommunications Device for the Deaf 711.