Purchasing Agent

Located 45 minutes from the Nation’s Capital, nestled in a history-rich community of southern Maryland, The College of Southern Maryland
(CSM) has been twice named in the top 150 community colleges by the Aspen Institute with academic programs in over 100 disciplines. CSM is
among America’s top 100 producers of Minority associate degrees in twenty categories, according to Diverse Issues in Higher Education.
CSM offers excellent health insurance benefits; State Retirement Pension plan; wellness programs; Code Green early closure Fridays in the
summer; college closure for spring break and several major holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year; and for several days
in March for Spring Break. We are an innovative institution committed to student success and well known for our flexibility to meet student
and community needs.The Purchasing Agent performs professional procurement work involving the acquisition of goods, services,
materials, and equipment in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and organizational policies and procedures. Working within
established guidelines and approval thresholds, this position is responsible for reviewing requisitions, determining appropriate procurement
methods, preparing and issuing purchase orders, obtaining competitive documentation, and maintaining accurate procurement
records.

Additionally, the Purchasing Agent serves as a key liaison between internal departments and external vendors to ensure
timely delivery, resolve discrepancies, maintain accurate vendor records, and support procurement systems. The role provides technical
guidance, supports cost-savings and efficiency initiatives, and ensures compliance with procurement regulations, internal controls, and
audit requirements.

Reports to: Purchasing Manager

The hiring salary for this position will be from the
min to mid-point of the salary range advertised. This position is open until
filled.

Examples of Duties:

60% Purchasing Processing and
Execution

• Execute a wide range of standard, non-standard, routine, and emergency purchases in accordance with established procurement
  policies and procedures.
• Review, prioritize, and analyze purchase requests to ensure completeness, compliance, and selection of the
  appropriate procurement method.
• Conduct market research, analyze commodities and pricing trends, identify cost-saving
  opportunities, and recommend sourcing strategies.
• Prepare, issue, and manage purchase orders (POs), blanket purchase orders (BPOs),
  and P-Card transactions within established thresholds and Purchasing Manager oversight.
• Process modifications, cancellations, and
  updates to purchase orders and BPOs, including encumbrance verification and financial system updates.
• Research and evaluate
  cooperative and piggyback contract opportunities to maximize value and efficiency.
• Resolve routine procurement issues, including
  delivery delays and discrepancies, and escalate complex or high-risk matters to the Purchasing Manager as appropriate.
• Maintain
  purchasing records and related documentation within procurement and financial systems (e.g., Colleague).
• Facilitate alternative
  purchasing solutions when credit application requirements present barriers.
• Monitor and manage the Purchasing email account and
  related document repositories (e.g., Perceptive Content).
• Assist with managing online business accounts (e.g., Lowe’s, Amazon
  Business, Staples Advantage), including user administration and issue resolution.
• Support fiscal year-end closeout processes,
  including reporting and documentation requirements.
• Maintain confidential procurement files, quotes, correspondence, and system
  records in compliance with regulatory, audit, and organizational standards.

25% Vendor and Customer Relations

• Serve as a
  primary liaison between vendors and internal departments to address and resolve purchasing-related inquiries and issues.
• Assist
  with vendor onboarding, compliance documentation, and ongoing vendor maintenance activities.
• Educate prospective and existing
  businesses on purchasing requirements and processes for doing business with the College.
• Provide technical guidance and
  customer-focused support to internal stakeholders and vendors regarding purchasing policies, rules, and best practices.

15% System
and Reporting Responsibilities

• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, local, higher-education, and internal procurement
  policies and procedures.
• Monitor adherence to purchasing regulations and internal controls to support a fair, open, transparent,
  and competitive procurement environment.
• Prepare documentation in support of internal and external audits and assist with
  implementing corrective action plans.
• Maintain purchasing records in accordance with established record-retention schedules.
• Safeguard the confidentiality of sensitive and non-public information.
• Generate and analyze purchasing system reports;
  monitor open purchase orders and blanket purchase orders; and develop queries using available reporting tools.
• Support
  implementation of system upgrades, enhancements, or new releases of purchasing-related software.

Additional Duties

• Perform
  other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Required Education and Experience:

• Associate’s
  degree in business, finance, administration, or a related field, and at least one year of public purchasing or related experience; or an
  equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word,
  PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• One year of experience in purchasing or procurement.
• One year of experience working with an integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, preferably Colleague.
• One
  year of experience in higher education or a related institutional environment.
• Certification such as Certified Public Purchasing
  Buyer (CPPB) or another relevant procurement credential.
• Demonstrated interpersonal, and communication skills, including strong
  writing, editing, analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and decision-making abilities.

Licenses, Certifications, or
Additional Requirements:

• Financial disclosure may be required for this position.

Supplemental
Information:

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong organizational and analytical skills with the ability to
  manage multiple tasks and projects, interpret complex information, and develop effective, practical solutions.
• Effective verbal and
  written communication skills, including the ability to facilitate meetings and training sessions, speak comfortably in group settings, and
  deliver clear, professional presentations.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills with the ability to work collaboratively and maintain
  effective working relationships with coworkers, vendors, and internal stakeholders.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities,
  adapt to shifting deadlines, and maintain accuracy and attention to detail in a fast-paced environment.
• Customer service and public
  relations skills, with an emphasis on professionalism, responsiveness, and issue resolution.
• Experience with online and
  computerized data processing, including entering, maintaining, and retrieving information from electronic systems.

PHYSICAL
DEMANDS
The work is mostly sedentary work which requires exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force
frequently or constantly.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work is performed in a relatively safe, and secure work
environment.

General Employment Information

The College of Southern Maryland is an Equal Opportunity
Employer.

Background Checks

The College of Southern Maryland conducts background checks in order to ensure
the safety and well-being of the College’s staff and students. The final candidate for this position will be subject to the following
background checks: Criminal History Check and Sex Offender Registry Check.

Conflict of Interest policy

No
College of Southern Maryland employee shall engage in or have a financial interest, directly or indirectly, in any activity that conflicts
or raises a reasonable question of conflict with his or her duties and responsibilities. CSM Employees shall not at any time engage in any
outside employment or independent consulting that would adversely affect their employment status or performance as employees at the college,
create a conflict of interest, or, with the exception of constitutionally protected activities, would compromise or embarrass the college,
or adversely affect professional standing. Any full-time college employee who also holds a full-time position or its equivalent in
consulting elsewhere (whether permanent or seasonal) will be deemed to have a conflict of interest and will be asked to resign from one of
the full-time positions. Full-time employees must promptly disclose in writing, on a form available from the Human Resources Office, to the
college all other full-time employment or its equivalent in independent consulting.

Employment Frequently Asked
Questions

Click here to find our frequently asked questions:https://www.csmd.edu/employment/frequently-asked-questions/index.html

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