State of Maryland

A Buyer I, Purchasing Bureau is the entry level of work in the field of professional governmental purchasing.  Employees in this classification are assigned to a purchasing team and are responsible for the purchase of supplies, materials, and equipment for a group of commodities used by all State agencies.  Employees in this classification locate and determine sources of supply for a variety of materials within an assigned commodity group.  Employees in this classification analyze bid documents, drawings, and literature submitted by bidders in order to evaluate their offerings for compliance with State specifications on commodities within an assigned commodity group.  Employees in this classification must have a thorough knowledge of and be able to apply and establish competitive bid purchasing techniques and procedures.  Employees in this classification must be knowledgeable about trends, supply availability and changing market conditions of commodities within the assigned commodity group.  Employees in this classification develop or modify product specifications to meet specific needs of agencies and provides technical advice regarding specifications, standards, standard packaging, product suitability and alternatives to equal quality to using agencies.  Employees in this classification has responsibility for the economical purchase of suitable products for using State agencies.  Employees in this classification, as determined from time to time, have the authority to contract for assigned commodities at a specific dollar value. Employees in this classification do not supervise. 

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from a Buyer III, Purchasing Bureau, Buyer IV, Purchasing or Supervisor of the bureau.  Work effectiveness is determined by review of quality of requests for quotations, degree of competition obtained, value of prices offered in terms of functions to be performed and frequency of controversy due to inadequate specifications.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Buyer I, Purchasing Bureau, Buyer II, Purchasing Bureau and Buyer III, Purchasing Bureau are differentiated on the basis of the degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over the employees.  The Buyer I, Purchasing Bureau learns to perform duties under close supervision.  The Buyer II, Purchasing Bureau performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.  The Buyer III, Purchasing Bureau performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Reviews and analyzes requisitions;

Writes product specifications and standards to achieve maximum competition and to effect fair and equitable awards;

Establishes and maintains a list of active suppliers within an assigned commodity group;

Obtains bids and analyzes bid documents to make or recommend awards;

Keeps informed on the availability, quality, suitability and price of goods;

Develops new sources of supply;

Studies market trends, keeps abreast of new products and technological changes and advises management accordingly;

Maintains contact with and advises State agencies on product suitability and availability;

Prepares documentation and justification of bidding for audit purposes;

Does market research, value analyses and life cycle costing as assigned;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the elementary concepts of market value and sources of supply for a variety of supplies, materials, and equipment;

Knowledge of competitive bid purchasing principles, methods and procedures;

Ability to apply laws, regulations and policies governing the State Purchasing Bureau;

Ability to interpret narrative and technical product specifications and standards;

Ability to determine product suitability;

Ability to maintain effective and favorable relations with suppliers, State agencies’ personnel, Purchasing Bureau associates and subordinates;

Ability to prepare and maintain a variety of narrative and numerical administrative records and reports;

Ability to comprehend market trends and product developments and to apply that knowledge to procurement activities.

Education:   Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: One year of experience as a buyer performing work involving development of vendor source and the procurement of a variety of supplies, materials, equipment and services.

Note: Candidates may substitute additional education at an accredited college or university at the rate of 30 credit hours for the required experience.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit G, Engineering, Scientific and Administrative Professionals classes.  As provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime, as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions      Article, Section 8-305.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.   NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.