Position: Purchasing Clerk I

Position Summary:

Performs responsible clerical and typing work of a specialized nature. This class involves the performance of tasks related to the procurement of supplies and services. Employees in this class follow established procedures and policies but frequently exercise judgment and initiative in planning and carrying out details of the work. Work is performed under general supervision.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Prepares and arranges material for bid solicitations, contracts, and award letters; types these and a wide variety of other material in proper format from copy, rough draft, notes and general instructions;
• Prepares abstracts and bid tabulation summaries;
• Prepares advertisements for bids and forwards same to newspapers for timely publication;
• Processes requisitions and purchase orders; checks requisitions for contract items against contract to verify that a valid contract exists and that non-contract items are not included, as well as to verify correctness of contract number, vendor, delivery days, and unit price; corrects deficiencies or cancels requisitions;
• Follows up with school system personnel and vendors to resolve discrepancies or obtain necessary additional information;
• Maintains listings as assigned; uses and adapts form letters in preparing correspondence; varies details in preparing routine correspondence as required;
• Maintains required files and records related to purchasing activities;
• Answers telephone and furnishes information to callers;
• Operates office machines and equipment incidental to clerical and typing assignments; extends, totals, verifies, proofreads and distributes material as required;
• Receives all incoming calls and visitors to the department; and
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Good knowledge of office methods and procedures including the operation of various types of standard business machines;
• Ability to make arithmetical computations with speed and accuracy;
• Ability to maintain complex clerical records and to prepare reports from such records;
• Ability to type at the established rate of speed; and
• Ability to effectively deal with school system personnel, vendors, bidders and general public in answering questions.

Education and/or Experience Requirements:

Completion of a standard high school diploma or GED with some clerical and typing experience of a responsible nature; preferably supplemented by business school and office practice course work; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Certification:

None required.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

No direct supervisory responsibilities.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, talk, hear, walk, sit, and use fingers, tools or controls. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision such as to read handwritten or typed material, the ability to adjust focus, and depth perception. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may occasionally push or lift up to 25 lbs.

Working Environment:

The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job.

Additional Information:

None.