Assistant - Purchasing

About Us We are Harper College…the college in your community. The College was established by referendum in 1965 and opened September 1967. It is named for Dr. William Rainey Harper, a pioneer in the junior college movement in the United States and the first president of the University of Chicago. Harper College is now one of the nation’s premier community colleges and one of the largest, serving approximately 29,000 students annually in Chicago’s northwest suburbs. The College’s academic programs prepare students for rewarding careers and for transfer to four-year universities. Harper offers associate degree and certification programs, advanced career programs, workforce training, professional development, continuing education classes, accelerated degree options for adults and developmental education programs. At Harper College, we are committed to fair and equitable compensation for all employees. In compliance with Illinois state law, we prioritize transparency in salary information. Our salary ranges reflect our dedication to attracting and retaining top talent while ensuring equitable pay practices.We encourage open discussions about compensation and invite you to reach out with any questions you may have regarding salary details. Harper College typically offers compensation up to the median market rate for this position. We aim to ensure our pay is competitive while aligning with both the role's requirements and the candidate's experience. To review all benefit information visit us at: https://www.harpercollege.edu/about/directory/hr/index.php Qualifications Education: Associate’s degree required or equivalent combination of training and experience required to perform the essential functions of the position. CPPB certification preferred. Minimum keyboarding of 65 wpm. Experience: 3 years experience as Purchasing Assistant (Public Purchasing Preferred). 1 year experience with an ERP system (Oracle Preferred). Proficient with Miscrosoft Office Suite including Microsoft Word, Excel and Access Database. About the Team ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Financial Services, under the direction of the Controller, encompasses the business side of running the College. Responsibilities Characteristic Duties: Performs procurement functions involving receiving, reviewing and processing purchase requisitions; processing and preparing purchase orders and associated change orders approving purchase orders within authorized dollar thresholds Verifies purchasing requisitions following purchasing guidelines, Board of Trustees policies, and applicable local and state statutes Collaborates with Accounts Payable to resolve discrepancies with invoices and purchase orders to ensure timely payment of invoice Assists departments with placing orders, and expedites orders when necessary. Witnesses and records bids and request for proposals as needed. Identifies potential cost savings and makes recommended changes to the Purchasing Manager. Solicits and evaluates request for quotations for the purchase of supplies, equipment and materials upon request. Conducts informal bid openings, analyzes proposals for specification compliance and makes recommendations for award Analyzes consortium contracts to ensure the College’s use of cooperative contracts are maximized. Prepares various reports relative to the purchasing function Opens, sorts, screens and routes incoming mail. Answers telephones; screens and channels calls; takes and distributes messages. Provides information and refers callers to appropriate resources as needed. Maintains all Purchasing files, including purchase orders, bid, documents, correspondence and other files. Maintains inventory of and orders all office supplies and forms. Schedules appointments for the Purchasing Manager and maintains appointment calendar. Monitors department budget records and assists with preparation of annual budget. Maintains the bidder’s list database in Microsoft Access Reconciles the monthly credit card expense statement for the Harper credit card supports the management of the credit card program Assists with the maintenance of Purchasing’s internal and external web pages Prepares monthly consortium Board exhibit and annual disposal of surplus property Board exhibit. Proofreads Board exhibits for Purchasing. Performs related duties as assigned.