Job Posting: Buyer - I - Placer County

Introduction

Living in Placer County from Placer County Video Portal

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.

POSITION INFORMATION

The Procurement Services Division of the County Executive Office is currently accepting applications for Buyer - I and Buyer - II. This position is responsible for the purchase of materials, supplies, equipment, and services for use by County departments through the use of formal or informal solicitations, and other related purchasing functions.

The ideal candidate should possess strong analytical skills and an awareness or knowledge of fundamental purchasing requirements, ideally for a governmental entity. 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 and supplemental questionnaires for each recruitment:

Buyer - I #2025-14755-01
Buyer - II #2025-14757-01

The eligible lists established as a result of these recruitments may be used to fill future vacancies as they arise, subject to position-specific requirements.

BENEFITS

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 Placer Public Employees Organization (PPEO) benefits.

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

DEFINITION

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.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This is the entry level class in the Buyer series. This class is distinguished from the journey level by the performance of the more routine tasks and duties assigned to positions within this series. Employees at this level are not expected to perform with the same independence of direction and judgment on matters allocated to the journey level. Since this class is typically used as a training class, employees may have only limited or no directly related work experience. Employees work under immediate supervision while learning job tasks.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Receives general supervision from higher-level professional staff.

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES

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.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work is typically performed in an indoor office and/or warehouse environment with controlled temperature conditions. Position may require travel to and from other locations in a variety of outdoor weather conditions and lifting various materials and supplies.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

It is the responsibility of applicants to identify in their application materials how they meet the minimum qualifications listed below.

Experience and Training

Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience: One year of purchasing experience is desirable.

Training: Equivalent to an associate’s degree from an accredited college with major course work in business administration, public administration, economics, or a related field.

Required License or Certificate:

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.

NOTE: Relevant, equivalent experience (performing the same or similar job requiring similar knowledge, skills, and abilities) may be substituted for the required education as determined by the Human Resources Department.

NOTE: Applicants receiving their degree outside the United States must submit proof of accreditation by a recognized evaluation agency.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

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.

Ability to:

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.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

Written Examination (100%)

After the posted filing deadline, qualified candidates will receive a notification via email when the examination is available. The online examination may include multiple choice, true/false, fill-in, matching, and/or essay type questions directly related to the required knowledge and abilities for this classification.

Note: Candidates will have approximately three (3) calendar days from the date of notification to complete the online examination. Only one attempt will be permitted.

The online written examination is tentatively scheduled for the week of August 11, 2025.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT

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 credit check, 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.

SUBSTITUTE LISTS

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.

EMPLOYEES OF OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES

Placer County offers an expedited process for qualifying certain applicants for interviews. Candidates currently employed, or employed within the last year, by a public agency operating under a personnel civil service or merit system may be eligible to be placed on a Public Agency Eligible List and certified as eligible for appointment to a similar job assignment without going through the examination process. For more information on the Public Agency Eligible List, to download forms, or to apply, please click here.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Placer County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an active nondiscrimination program. It is the stated policy of Placer County that unlawful 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 the following characteristics: gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, race (including traits associated with race, which include, but are not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), color, ancestry, religion (including creed and belief), national origin, citizenship, primary language, immigration status, physical disability (Including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics/information), age (40 or over), marital status, military and/or veteran status, sex (including parental status, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), reproductive health decision making, the person’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace, political orientation, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law or any combination of two or more characteristics stated herein. 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.

Conclusion

For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Andrea Marthaler, Administrative Technician, at amarthaler@placer.ca.gov or (530) 886-4664.