Assistant Purchasing Agent

$54,860 - $548,360/Yr

State of New York - Albany, NY

Full-time - Mid Level

Albany, NY

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support

About the position

The Assistant Purchasing Agent position is a permanent, full-time role within the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, specifically under the Budget and Finance department. This position is crucial for overseeing the agency's purchasing program, which involves the procurement of a wide range of supplies, materials, equipment, and services necessary for various departments and directorates. The incumbent will work under the direction of the Director of Management and Budget and other supervisory personnel, ensuring that all purchasing activities comply with state contracts and regulations set forth by the Department of Law, Office of General Services, and the Office of the State Comptroller. Additionally, the role requires adherence to National Guard Bureau rules when applicable. The responsibilities of the Assistant Purchasing Agent extend to supporting State Active Duty military missions, which may include coordinating and purchasing accommodations, meals, vehicle rentals, and travel arrangements for service members. The position demands a thorough understanding of statutory, agency, and labor contract requirements, as well as the ability to manage purchasing processes effectively. The incumbent will be responsible for receiving and processing requests from various agency program departments, ensuring proper vendor selection, preparing and processing purchase orders, and managing bid proposals and contracts. Moreover, the Assistant Purchasing Agent will maintain meticulous records, handle complaints regarding purchases, and provide technical guidance to staff. The role also involves periodic travel for training and other duties, as well as the potential for overtime, particularly during state military emergency responses. The position requires strong organizational skills, the ability to work in a fast-paced environment, and effective communication skills to interact with various stakeholders, including federal and state personnel.

Responsibilities

• Receives, reviews and processes requests from agency program departments for the purchasing and or contracting of all types of goods and services.
• Ensures proper vendor selection procedures are applied during review and processing.
• Ensures funds are available for purchases.
• Prepares and processes purchase orders in accordance with requirements.
• Prepares bid proposals and specifications for items to be placed under contract.
• Reviews bids for accuracy and completeness and awards or recommends award of contract based on requirements.
• Processes contracts according to rules and regulations and prepares correspondence accompanying award correspondence.
• Follows up on complaints concerning purchases and requisitions.
• Prepares and processes documents and maintains office files and inventory records.
• Plans, schedules and assigns tasks, provides technical guidance and direction and reviews work in progress and upon completion to ensure compliance with guidelines, policy and procedures.
• Ensures goods and services are acquired in accordance with agency requirements for emergency purchasing, maintains meticulous records, and performs reconciliation of records at completion.
• Provides emergency purchase information necessary to complete funding reimbursement requests after emergency activations of New York Military Forces.
• Assists staff when problems arise, interprets procedures and policy, and resolves work problems with staff.
• Successfully completes training for any required state and federal specific software and data systems such as SFS and SLMS.
• Attends and completes training as required.
• May perform supervisory duties.
• Performs other job duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Satisfactory completion of five (5) full-time years of permanent service in a state position allocated to Salary Grade 9 or higher in which primary duties include accounting, purchasing, bookkeeping, finance, or similar duties and responsibilities.
• An Associate's degree in a finance or accounting related field and a minimum of three (3) years of full-time experience in which 50% or more of your time must have included accounting, purchasing, bookkeeping, finance, tabulations and calculations, preparing specifications and reviewing bid proposals, or similar duties and responsibilities and one (1) year of supervisory experience.
• A Bachelor's degree in a finance or accounting related field and a minimum of one (1) year of full-time experience in which 50% or more of your time must have included accounting, purchasing, bookkeeping, finance, tabulations and calculations, preparing specifications and reviewing bid proposals, or similar duties and responsibilities and one (1) year of supervisory experience.
• Must be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or GED.
• Must be able to read and write in English.
• Must be familiar with and be able to independently use commonly utilized software programs such as Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Required to have or successfully complete within 90 days of receiving computer access, all SFS, SLMS and other computer training as related to position duties.
• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license to operate a motor vehicle in the State of New York.
• Must obtain and maintain a favorable background investigation, and have an appropriate clearance to allow access to computer networks and restricted areas.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience working with SFS.
• Working knowledge of agency and Division of the Budget (DOB) guidelines, procedures and policies governing the budget process.
• Working knowledge of Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) rules and regulations governing the maintenance of fiscal records.
• Knowledge of federal and state budgetary and purchasing procedures.
• Familiarity with general state and or federal operational policies and procedures.
• Supervisory experience.