Buyer

Please see Special Instructions for more details.

The hiring committee will determine if interviews will be conducted in person at the College or via Zoom. Travel expenses are not reimbursed by the College. If a second\-level interview is required, second\-level travel reimbursement is only available for eligible candidates. HR will notify those who are eligible when second\-level interviews are scheduled.

Posting Details

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Position Information

Position Title Buyer

Department Purchasing

Primary Location San Marcos Campus

Location Details

• Palomar College believes a healthy work\-life balance can improve the physical, emotional, and mental health of our employees. In support of this belief, the District offers the opportunity to work remotely for certain positions, depending on the operational needs of the District and the provisions of the Remote Work Policy. Probationary employees are not eligible to work remotely unless approved by the Assistant Superintendent/Vice President, Human Resource Services. No employee is guaranteed the right to work remotely. No employee shall be authorized to work remotely 100% of the time unless approved by the Assistant Superintendent/Vice President, Human Resource Services.
• Palomar has multiple campus locations (San Marcos, Escondido, Rancho Bernardo and Fallbrook); training may occur at any of these locations and the work location is subject to change depending on future department needs.
• Potential future vacancies may include other District departments, locations, and/or work schedules (i.e. days, evenings or nights).

Full or Part Time Full\-Time

Category Classified

Hours per week 40

Number of Months 12 month

Work Schedule

• Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Occasional night and weekend hours may be required due to department needs.

Grade 24

Salary/Wage

$5,455\.65 (negotiable)

Salary/Wage Frequency Monthly

Benefits

In addition to a competitive compensation structure, Palomar College also offers an extremely generous benefits package.

• Insurance fully paid for employees and their eligible dependents: four medical plans, dental HMO, and the vision plan (additional plans are available that require employee buy up/monthly contribution)
• Vacation, sick leave and 25 paid holidays
• $80,000 employee term life/accident insurance policy (additional buy up options available)
• Employee long\-term care insurance
• Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) – Confidential free counseling, financial, legal, personal and professional development resources for all members of your household
• Additional buy up options available for other voluntary insurance benefits
• Enrollment in CalPERS (California Public Employees Retirement System)

The estimated maximum value of this employer\-paid benefits package is approximately $31,245\.84 annually.

Primary Function

Performs varied and complex specialized and technical purchasing responsibilities for a variety of materials, supplies, services and equipment in accordance with established standards, policies and all applicable legal requirements; oversees the administration of all maintenance, service and other yearly agreements; provides customer\-responsive, cost\-effective and high\-quality purchasing services for the District.

Minimum Qualifications

To be eligible for this position, you must meet and provide evidence of the following minimum qualifications:

* Experience: Three years of purchasing experience.

Note: For work experience, a “year” is defined as equivalent to 40 hours per week for 12 months.*

AND

* Education: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade.

Transcripts must be included to receive credit for education and/or to substitute education in lieu of experience (i.e. Bachelor’s degree \= 4 years of experience). Click here for Guidelines for Equivalency for Classified Positions.

Only coursework completed at, and degrees awarded by, accredited institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education will be considered as satisfying the minimum qualifications. Coursework and degrees that are completed outside of the United States are required to have transcripts evaluated (evaluation to U.S. equivalency and a course by course analysis) by an appropriate U.S. credentials evaluation service. For a list of credentials evaluation agencies accepted by Palomar College, visit the National Association of Credentials Evaluation Services (NACES) website at https://www.naces.org/index, or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE) website at http://aice\-eval.org/.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Antiracism (DEIAA) Statement

Palomar College serves over 30,000 students from a variety of backgrounds and we are proud to be a Hispanic Serving Institution. Our student body is rich in its diversity. Click here to see a quick overview of our student demographics on our recent Student Fact Sheet.

Palomar College is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and antiracism (DEIAA). We are dedicated to empowering students to succeed and are guided by our core values; some of which are the following:

• Access – We make education possible for everyone.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – We recognize and respect diversity, seek to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, and strive to address inequities.

All positions require cultural competency which includes the sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, faculty, and staff.

Preferred Qualifications

• College\-level coursework in business administration, procurement or a related field from an accredited institution.
• Professional Designations/Certifications: Work towards, or completion of, a Certified Professional Supply Manager (CPSM) Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM), Certified Purchasing Professional (CPP) or other comparable designation.

Licenses and/or Certificates

N/A

Supervision Received and Exercised

Supervision Received From: Supervisor, Purchasing Services

Supervision Given: Direction and Guidance

Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Functions: Essential responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Receives, reviews and processes purchase requisitions for a broad array of materials, equipment, supplies and services for the District and for the North County Purchasing Consortium; verifies compliance with pertinent laws, regulations, codes, policies and standards; confers with administration and departments to obtain all necessary information; resolves questions regarding requirements and specifications; reviews information to ensure it is complete, accurate and order parameters are clear and understood; negotiates, administers, amends, extends and terminates a variety of agreements; researches, reviews and prepares reports on a variety of purchasing activities; maintains detailed and comprehensive purchasing records and files.
• Negotiates purchases and prices with vendors following established guidelines; obtains informal written and verbal quotes; prepares agreements and contracts for special purchases; determines appropriate quantity and timing of purchases to obtain appropriate discounts; drafts purchase orders and agreement terms and conditions and interacts with appropriate administrators and District departments to ensure District needs are met and to ensure legality, accuracy and completeness; obtains appropriate approval signatures for purchase orders and contracts.
• Assists in planning and organizing bidding and contracting activities including development, ensuring that all applicable legal and contractual provisions are included; works with requestors to draft highly technical and specialized proposal specifications; coordinates the processing of public notices; conducts bid openings; analyzes and evaluates responses according to conformance with requirements; verifies licensing and references; in accordance with applicable laws, policies and procedures, recommends awarding of purchase orders to appropriate bids that ensure maximum cost effectiveness and minimal legal liability to the District.
• Works with warehouse staff to monitor vendor delivery dates, identifies past due dates and contacts vendors to develop a course of action to expedite orders; works with Accounts Payable to ensure timely payment of invoices of receipt of goods and investigates and resolves problems, inquiries and discrepancies.
• Represents department in interactions with customers, administration, other District personnel, legal counsel, vendors and outside government agencies on procurement matters and legal requirements; regularly confers with District employees and committees regarding needs; provides technical expertise and guidance on standardization of products; responds to, investigates and resolves customer or other procurement\-related inquiries; may assist Accounts Payable with invoice discrepancies; interprets and explains applicable laws, regulations, codes and policies; confers with peers in other governmental agencies on county purchase agreements, surplus materials, specifications, manufacturing and pricing.
• Establishes, develops and maintains positive supplier relationships; when appropriate, meets with vendors regarding new products and services; studies comparative costs and evaluates quality and suitability of products or services; estimates costs for fund encumbrance; recommends methods of procurement consistent with District policies and standards; educates vendors regarding purchasing policies and procedures; identifies problems and issues, such as poor product quality and quantity shortages; notifies appropriate District departments of delays or supply issues; communicates with vendors and follows through to ensure problems are resolved.
• Oversees administration of all maintenance, services, software and other related yearly agreements.
• Researches, reviews and prepares reports on a variety of purchasing activities; maintains detailed and comprehensive purchasing records and files.
• Reviews requisitions for correct account numbers and pricing.
• Assists with oversight, administration and compliance of District issued credit cards.

Marginal Functions:

• Attends a variety of meetings, training sessions and conferences as assigned.
• Creates and updates supplier accounts and collects taxpayer identification information and insurance documentation as required.
• Notifies vendors of District insurance and delivery requirements.
• Recommends changes to procurement procedures; assists in implementing new purchasing processes and creates documentation.
• Assists in training other staff on purchasing policies and procedures and the use of specialized software; advises staff on purchasing regulations.
• Performs related duties and responsibilities as required.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Principles, practices, rules and regulations related to public sector procurement, including competitive bidding procedures.
• Sources and types of products, commodities and services used by a community college district.
• Commodity pricing method.
• Types of supplies, materials, commodities and services commonly used by community colleges.
• Federal and state laws, codes and regulations and policies and practices pertinent to areas of responsibility.
• Principles and practices of public administration, including contracting, purchasing and maintenance of public records.
• Principles, practices and techniques of drafting and administering complex purchase contracts.
• Methods of conducting product and vendor research.
• Operations and functions of an enterprise financial system applicable to purchasing and accounts payable.
• Principles and practices of sound business communication.
• Modern office practices, procedures and equipment including computers and applicable software programs.

Skill in:

• Analyzing and evaluating bid proposals, purchase requisitions and other purchasing related documents.
• Communicating clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Providing work direction to lower\-level staff as needed.
• Understanding, interpreting, explaining and applying applicable laws, codes and ordinances.
• Analyzing problems, evaluating alternatives and developing sound, independent conclusions and recommendations in accordance with laws, regulations, rules and policies.
• Presenting technical information clearly, logically and persuasively.
• Organizing, setting priorities and exercising sound independent judgment within areas of responsibility.
• Operating a computer and standard business software.
• Making arithmetic calculations quickly and accurately.
• Exercising tact and diplomacy in dealing with sensitive and complex issues and situations.
• Efficiently conducting vendor and product research.
• Maintaining sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, age, cultural, physical or mental disability, medical condition, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, nationality, race, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, faculty, and staff.
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with others encountered in the course of work.

Working Conditions

Environmental Conditions: The employee works under typical office conditions, and the noise level is usually quiet to moderate.

Physical Conditions: Essential and marginal functions may require physical fitness requirements necessary to perform the job functions with or without accommodation, such as the ability to sit for long periods and repetitive use of hands for extensive use of keyboards.

Terms of Employment

• The person selected for hire will be required to complete the following pre\-employment requirements: live scan/fingerprinting, official transcript(s), and TB risk assessment. Other pre\-employment requirements may be required depending on the position (i.e. certifications or licenses; see applicable job posting section for details). Successful completion of all pre\-employment requirements is mandatory to be eligible for employment. These requirements are in accordance with the following Administrative Procedures and Board Policies:
AP 7120, AP 7125, AP 7126, AP 7127, AP 7330, BP 7330, AP 7336, AP 7337, and BP 7335.
• Full\-time, 40 hours per week, 12 months per year.
• This position also carries a probationary period of six months from the date of hire.

Posting Detail Information

Open Date 03/09/2026

Close Date 03/30/2026

Open Until Filled No

Posting Number P1032P

Additional Application Information

The hiring committee will determine if interviews will be conducted in person at the College or via Zoom. Travel expenses are not reimbursed by the College. If a second\-level interview is required, second\-level travel reimbursement is only available for eligible candidates. HR will notify those who are eligible when second\-level interviews are scheduled.

Supplemental Questions

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Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (\*).

\ How would you foster a culture of antiracism in your position at Palomar College?

(Open Ended Question)

\ How did you hear about this employment opportunity?

+ ACCCA.org

+ CalJOBS

+ CCC Registry

+ ChronicleVitae.com (Chronicle of Higher Education)

+ Colleague/Friend/Relative

+ CraigsList

+ DSPSjobs.com

+ EdJoin

+ Handshake

+ HigherEdJobs.com

+ Human Resources at Palomar College

+ Indeed.com

+ indian\-affairs.org

+ Job Fair

+ MilitaryJob.com

+ Other Source

+ Palomar College website

+ San Diego LGBT Job Board (http://www.gsdba.org/pages/Jobs)

+ SDBCjobs.com

+ Vista Chamber

• If other source, please specify.

(Open Ended Question)

Applicant Documents

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Required Documents

• Cover Letter
• Resume/CV

Optional Documents

• Supplemental Materials
• Supplemental Materials 2
• Supplemental Materials 3
• Transcript 1
• Transcript 2
• Transcript 3