Buyer I

The Position

Bargaining Unit: Local 21 - Non-Supervisory Management

Why join the Health Services Department?

Contra Costa County was incorporated in 1850 as one of the original 27 counties of the State of California. It is one of nine counties in the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area and covers approximately 733 square miles extending from the northeastern shore of San Francisco Bay easterly about 50 miles to San Joaquin County. The County has one of the State’s most heterogeneous populations, rich in ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity. With a current population of more than 1.1 million, Contra Costa County is the ninth most populous county in California.

The Contra Costa Health Services - Department of Public Health is offering a unique role as Buyer I in the Department's Purchasing and Contracts team. This role will support Programs within the Department by establishing and maintaining purchase orders and service contracts. This position will be centrally based in Concord.

Contra Costa Health's Public Health division promotes and protects the health and well-being of the individual, family, and community in Contra Costa County, with special attention to communities and populations most at risk for poor health outcomes.

We are looking for someone who is:

• Precise: Meticulously attends to details.
• Flexible: Adapts adeptly to changing priorities.
• Collaborative: Openly and effectively collaborates with the team.
• Proactive: Takes initiative.
• Resilient: Maintains composure when facing challenges or delays.

• Establishing and maintaining Blanket Purchase Orders for Programs within Public Health.
• Creating One-time Purchase Orders for larger purchases or purchases of program incentives.
• Partnering with Public Health Program staff to understand and support their procurement needs.
• Assisting program staff as necessary with service contract origination and renewal activities.
• Maintaining a portfolio of Contracts that support Department-wide efforts.
• Tracking and reporting expiration dates for Purchase Orders, Contracts, and related documentation.
• Learning and understanding other roles within the Public Health Purchasing team.

• Public Service Impact: You will play a key role in assisting Public Health in providing community services.
• Collaborative Environment: You will work with a supportive team that values knowledge-sharing.
• Skill Growth: You will have opportunities for continuous learning and professional development.
  

• Working within County process workflows.
• There is some degree of uncertainty when new funding or operational ideas are involved.
• Patience when dealing with delays.

• Delivering Results: Meeting organizational goals and customer expectations and making decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks
• Professional Integrity & Ethics: Displaying honesty, adherence to principles, and personal accountability
• Attention to Detail: Focusing on the details of work content, work steps, and final work products
• Establishing Credibility: Doing what he/she commits to doing and respecting the confidentiality of information and concerns shared by others
• Critical Thinking: Analytically and logically evaluating information, propositions, and claims
• Fact Finding: Obtaining facts and data pertaining to an issue or question
• Analyzing & Interpreting Data: Drawing meaning and conclusions from quantitative or qualitative data
• Building & Maintaining Relationships: Establishing rapport and maintaining mutually productive relationships
• Decision Making: Choosing optimal courses of action in a timely manner
• Using Technology: Working with electronic hardware and software applications
• Innovative Problem Solving: Identifying and analyzing problems in order to propose new ways to do business
• Customer Focus: Attending to the needs and expectations of customers
• Oral Communication: Engaging effectively in dialogue
• Writing: Communicating effectively in writing
• Negotiating: Reaching mutually satisfying agreements and compromise
• Legal & Regulatory Navigation: Understanding, interpreting, and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations
• Mathematical Facility: Performing computations and solving mathematical problems

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in business administration, public administration or a closely related field.

Experience: One (1) year of full-time, or its equivalent, technical purchasing experience buying a variety of materials, supplies and equipment in a central purchasing, or a materials management department.

Substitution: Additional qualifying experience of the type noted above may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis up to a maximum of four years.

Selection Process

• Application Filing and Evaluation: Applications will be evaluated to determine which candidates will move forward in the next phase of the recruitment process.
• Multiple Choice Exam: Candidates who clearly demonstrate that they possess the minimum qualifications will be invited to participate in an online test. The assessment will measure candidates' competencies that may include but are not limited to: Oral Communication, Delivering Results, Professional Integrity & Ethics, Building & Maintaining Relationships, Decision Making, and Innovative Problem Solving. Candidates must receive a score of at least 70%, which may be an adjusted score, in order to be ranked on the employment list. (Weighted 100%)
• Departmental Hiring Interview: To be scheduled once the eligible list is established