Buyer - II

Placer County is comprised of over 1,400 square miles of beautiful and diverse geography, ranging from the residential and commercial areas of South Placer, through the historic foothill areas of Auburn, Foresthill, and Colfax, and to the County's jewel of the North Lake Tahoe basin. Placer is a great place to live, work, play, and learn! For more information about Placer County, please visit www.placer.ca.gov.

Placer County is currently accepting applications for Buyer I and Buyer II. Each level in this job series has different minimum qualifications. To participate in the recruitment at the I level, II level, or both levels, you must complete and submit separate applications for each recruitment:

Buyer I             #2021-14755-01

Buyer II            #2021-14757-01

Placer County offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees. The following information represents benefits currently available to permanent Placer County employees and may be subject to change. Applicants should inquire as to the most current benefit package during hiring interviews or by contacting the Human Resources Department.

Click here to view General benefits

For more information regarding the benefits Placer County has to offer, please visit Placer County's Human Resources website.

To purchase, or negotiate to purchase, materials, supplies, equipment, and services for use by County departments; to consult with departments in assessing requirements and developing specifications for the procurement of goods and services; and to prepare and conduct formal and informal competitive solicitations.

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Analyze, evaluate, and make recommendations for solicitation awards for the purchase of goods and services utilized by County departments.
• Conduct formal solicitations and prepare specifications for acquisition of a wide variety of goods and services utilized by County departments.
• Conduct informal solicitations by telephone, letter, personal contact, computerized system, or any other manner appropriate for acquisition of goods and services utilized by County departments.
• Maintain a variety of records relating to the purchasing function; prepare reports and correspondence.
• Provide liaison assistance between County departments and vendors.
• Negotiate and administer contracts to ensure that goods and services are delivered consistent with contract and bid specifications.
• Conduct research on market conditions, product developments, and relative merits of individual products and vendors.
• Assist County departments in assessing their needs; advise departments on quantities to be purchased to obtain better prices; provide information on how to prepare specifications for purchases and requisition procedures.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with coworkers, other County employees, and the public using principles of good customer service.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

• May need to possess a valid driver's license as required by the position. Proof of adequate vehicle insurance and medical clearance may also be required.
• Possession of or ability to obtain the Certified Professional Public Buyer or equivalent certification is desirable.

• Purchasing principles and practices.
• Techniques of organization and planning.
• Basic record keeping, statistics, and data processing principles, including the use of common spreadsheet and word processing software used on personal computers.
• Pertinent local, state, and federal laws, ordinances, and rules applicable to public procurement.
• Solicitation methods  for the purchase of goods and services.
• Characteristics of materials, supplies, equipment, and contracted services used by large public agencies.
• Statistical methods, analyses, and the use of statistics in reports.

• On a continuous basis, know and understand all aspects of the job; intermittently analyze work papers, reports, and special projects; identify and interpret technical and numerical information; observe and solve problems relating to operational and technical policy and procedures.
• On a continuous basis, sit at a desk for long periods of time; intermittently twist to reach equipment surrounding desk; perform simple grasping and fine manipulation; use telephone and write or use a keyboard to communicate through written means; lift heavy weight.
• Keep abreast of market conditions, product developments, and the relative merits of individual vendors.
• Learn the methods of purchasing by specifications and competitive bidding.
• Learn to use specialized financial, procurement, and data management software utilized within County departments.
• Learn pertinent local, state, and federal laws, ordinances, and rules applicable to public procurement.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.

Training & Experience Rating (100%)

Based upon responses to the supplemental questionnaire, the applicant’s education, training, and experience will be evaluated using a pre-determined formula. Scores from this evaluation will determine applicant ranking and placement on the eligible list.

Prior to the date of hire, applicants must undergo a fingerprint test by the Department of Justice, pass a medical examination (which may include a drug screening and possibly a psychological evaluation), sign a constitutional oath, and submit proof of U.S. citizenship or legal right to remain and work in the U.S.  For some positions, applicants may also be required to submit proof of age, undergo a background investigation (which may include a voice stress analysis and/or a polygraph), and/or be bonded. Additionally, positions in law enforcement classifications and those supporting law enforcement functions will be required to complete a conviction history questionnaire prior to or during the interview process. Applicants for positions with access to Medi-Cal billing software or who are licensed providers must clear the Federal Exclusion List, credentialing, and social security verification. Failure to clear these requirements may result in an employment offer being withdrawn.

The eligible list resulting from this recruitment may be certified as a substitute list for a substantially similar classification.  For this purpose, a substantially similar classification is one at a lower level in the same classification (example: entry level vs. journey level) and/or a similar classification (similar work performed, similar training and experience qualifications required). If you are contacted for an interview by a County department, you will be informed of the classification and other relevant information. If you choose not to interview for a substantially similar classification, you will remain on the eligible list for which you originally applied.

Thank you for your interest in employment with Placer County. Placer County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an active nondiscrimination program. It is the stated policy of Placer County that harassment, discrimination, and retaliation are prohibited and that all employees, applicants, agents, contractors, and interns/volunteers shall receive equal consideration and treatment. All terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, transfer, and promotion will be based on the qualifications of the individual for the positions being filled regardless of gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, physical disability (including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition (cancer or genetic characteristics/information), age (40 or over), marital status, military and/or veteran status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. Please contact the Human Resources Department at least 5 working days before a scheduled examination if you require accommodation in the examination process. Medical disability verification may be required prior to accommodation.

Tentative Recruitment Timeline:

5/17/21 - Minimum Qualifications Screening

5/24/21 - Training & Experience Exam Scoring

5/31/21 - Eligible List Established