As a Principal Buyer (District Temporary) you will independently develop, prepare, coordinate, publish, and manage complex solicitations for Information Technology (IT) related goods and services procurements.

This position will be responsible with assisting and guiding internal customers with developing IT specifications, scopes of work, act as a lead in negotiating IT supplier contracts and assist and guide with vendor performance and maintain liaison relationships. As the Principal Buyer and under the direction of higher-level management, you will provide training and guidance to team members and internal customers on procurement techniques, policies, and procedures.  You will oversee, monitor, and review large and complex IT related solicitations performed by other procurement team members, and conduct market research conditions and trends related to IT goods and services, supplier sourcing and purchasing methods.

The Principal Buyer will primarily focus on IT procurements and will develop, coordinate, and lead multi-jurisdictional cooperative procurements; evaluate and recommend utilization of cooperative agreements and sole source procurements.  You will assist the Procurement Team Manager with identifying, recommending, and implementing efficiencies and review various management reports for Legal, Audit, and other departments.

This job announcement has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work being performed by employees in this classification / job. To view the full job description click here: Principal Buyer  

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and six years of increasingly responsible experience, of which two years must have been at the Senior Buyer level.

Increasingly responsible experience is defined as: Work experience as a buyer, preferably for a public agency, conducing competitive bids and proposals, managing, negotiating, and executing large and complex IT procurements and agreements; to include experience procuring and executing cloud solutions; SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, Cloud Subscription/Hosting.

CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSES, AND REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

License(s): Valid California Class C Driver’s License or equivalent (required at time of application) that allows you to drive during your employment.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

• Public procurement /government procurement
• Proficient with independently leading, managing, and executing complex public bidding methodologies (requests for bids, proposals, and qualifications) and contracts for IT-related goods and services
• Proficient in executing cloud-based agreements and experience with reviewing and negotiating related terms and conditions
• Experience with automated procurement or ERP systems (Oracle most desirable)
• Experience with automated bidding systems (PlanetBids most desirable)
• Experience with Microsoft Office applications
• Experience with researching and applying applicable government procurement and California public contracting laws and regulations, including public works and prevailing wage
• Experience assisting in developing and implementing policies, procedures, and practices related to public procurement in a large-scale operation, including minor IT public works projects

CLOSING

Benefits: 

• Competitive compensation 
• Excellent medical, dental, life, vision plans. 
• Deferred compensation in the form of a 401(k) plan (with matching contribution) and a 457 plan. 
• Retirement benefits under the California Public Employees' Retirement System 
• Tuition reimbursement 
• Training and advancement opportunities 
• Excellent working environment 
• On-site fitness center
• Hub of public transportation: rail, subway, buses, and taxis
• Public transportation reimbursements 

For more information on MWD benefits, please use the following link: Benefits District Temporary Employees (Represented)

ABOUT MWD

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a consortium of 26 cities and water districts that provides drinking water to nearly 19 million people in Southern California. Metropolitan’s mission is to provide its service area with adequate and reliable supplies of high quality water to meet current and future needs in an environmentally and economically responsible way. Metropolitan’s facilities include the 242-mile Colorado River Aqueduct, five water treatment plants with a combined capacity of 2.3 billion gallons per day, nine surface water reservoirs, 830 miles of pipeline, and 15 hydroelectric power plants.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Qualified individuals with disabilities, who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process, please call (213) 217-7738 or email jobs@mwdh2o.com.

MWD is a Federal and State EO employer – Veterans/Disabled and other protected categories.

Application Filing Period: Closes at 4:30 pm PT on the date stated in the job. However it may close prior to the filing end date if sufficient applications have been received. If sufficient applications have not been received, then the filing period end date may be extended.

Sponsorship: Applicants for employment with The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States (i.e., H1-B or other employment-based immigration case).