Job percentage: 50%

Nature of the work

The principal and customary work of an employee in this class of employment consists in buying goods required by the school board according to established practices.

Characteristic functions

• Keep up-to-date price lists and catalogues and identify potential suppliers.
• Analyze purchase orders for goods, services or rentals, obtain information from users and request pricing and bids; if necessary, participate in the opening of bids. Ensure that the bids correspond to the requirements and determines which is the most advantageous for the school board, taking into consideration the availability of supplies, price, quality, guarantee, delivery date and location, after-sales service and, if necessary, taxes, discounts and customs charges.
• If necessary, work with other staff to prepare and monitor the budget of a unit or department. Discuss prices and conditions of purchase with suppliers when the purchasing process does not include bids.
• Meet with sales representatives, monitors price trends, checks packing slips and, if necessary, invoice and follow up with suppliers when goods are not delivered within the prescribed time or if the product does not conform to the specifications or to follow up on user complaints. Use a computer and the various software required to perform their duties related to word processing, database entry, spreadsheets and in-house programs; conduct research on the Internet; use e-mail; enter data, prepare and print tables and reports. May be required to help, on occasion, colleagues with the common software and programs used.
• Make suggestions and recommendations designed to improve the operations for which they are responsible; participate in committee meetings.
• May be required to train new buyers as well as to coordinate the work of support staff.
• If need be, perform any other related duty.

Required qualifications

Schooling and experience

• Hold a Diploma of Vocational Studies (DVS) in a specialty appropriate for the class of employment, a Secondary School Diploma or a diploma or an attestation of studies recognized as equivalent by the competent authority and have six (6) years of pertinent experience.

Other requirements

Have a thorough knowledge of office automation.