State of Maryland

A Buyer III, Purchasing Bureau Printing is the full performance level of technical proficiency in the field of professional governmental purchasing.  Employees in this classification are assigned to a purchasing team and are responsible for the purchase of the more complex and technical supplies, materials and equipment in a group of commodities for the use of State agencies.  Employees in this classification locate and determine the 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 offerings for compliance with State specifications on commodities within the assigned group.  Employees in this classification must have expert knowledge of, and be able to apply, established competitive bid purchasing techniques and procedures.  Employees in this classification must be knowledgeable about trends, supply availability and changing market conditions of commodities within an assigned commodity group and be able to apply and instruct others in the application of that knowledge to procurement activities.  Employees in this classification have responsibility for the economical purchase of suitable products for State agencies; develop or modify complex and technical product specifications to meet specific needs of agencies; provide technical advice regarding specifications, standards, standard packaging product suitability; recommend alternatives of equal level to the using agencies.  Employees in this classification have the authority, as determined from time to time, to contract for assigned commodities at a specific dollar value.  Employees in this classification do not supervise.

Employees in this classification receives general supervision from a Buyer IV and or the Supervisor of the Purchasing Bureau.  Work effectiveness is determined by: review of quality of requests for quotations; degree of competition obtained; value of price 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. The Buyer III, Purchasing Bureau is differentiated from the Buyer IV, Purchasing Bureau in that the Buyer IV, Purchasing Bureau has supervisory responsibility for lower-level Buyers, Purchasing Bureau.  

Purchases letter press and offset printing and steel die engraving for State agencies;

Prepares specifications for continuous forms, book publications, specialized printing such as tickets, title forms and other printed materials;

Determines trim size, size and style of type, type page measure, kind of paper, type of binding, type and kind of screen for engraving, line cuts and other specifications related to the purchase of printed materials;

Designs printed publications, forms and reports;

Reviews and analyzes requisitions;

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

Advises management of need for standardization of specific items and carries out standardization efforts;

Establishes and maintains essential records and files;

Establishes and maintains a list of active suppliers within an assigned commodity group and develops new sources of supplies;

Provides technical guidance to State agencies on special assignments;

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

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

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

Visits State agencies to acquire understanding of the needs for commodities and offers solutions or alternatives;

Advises State agencies on product suitability and availability;

Visits vendors to obtain new ideas and increased knowledge of commodities;

Prepares documentation and justification of bidding for audit purposes;

Assists in developing, revising and implementing uniform purchasing methods for an assigned area;

Performs market research, value analyzes and life cycle costing as assigned;

Prepares special reports as assigned;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of letterpress and offset printing methods and procedures;

Knowledge of market value and sources of supply of various types of printing and reproduction supplies and equipment;

Knowledge, at the expert level of proficiency, of the principles of competitive bid purchasing and purchasing methods and procedures;

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

Knowledge of techniques of preparing specifications;

Knowledge of techniques of life cycle costing and value analysis;

Ability to comprehend and apply laws, regulations and policies governing State purchasing procedures;

Ability to prepare and interpret complex and technical product specifications and standards;

Ability to determine product suitability; Ability to maintain effective relations with suppliers and State agency personnel;

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

Ability to study and understand market trends and product developments;

Ability to provide guidance to other buyers.

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

Experience: Four years of experience in printing operations such as letter press and offset lithography.  Two years of this experience must have included experience in layout, cost estimates and   purchasing printing materials.

Note: Candidates may substitute additional education at an accredited college or university at the rate of 30 credit hours for up to one year of the required general 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.