Purchasing Support Tech. (Administrative Support Technician III) - County Administration, Purchasing

Howard County:

Conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington Howard County offers the charm of a historic past mixed with the excitement of a cosmopolitan community.

Howard County Government:

Howard County Government is a leader in innovation best practices and sustainability. It is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the 2024 Howard County Government received a record-breaking 83 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) the most awards in the state of Maryland and the fifth highest in the nation as compared to more than 3000 counties. NACo Achievement Awards are the premier national honor to recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new services for county residents improve existing programs upgrade working conditions and enhance citizen participation and public policy making.

What are we looking for

We are looking for outstanding individuals to join our team and contribute to excellence in Howard County operations.

What youll like most about working at Howard County Government:

• We are committed to workplace excellence in every area of County government.
• We have a highly talented diverse and inclusive workplace. Your input will not only be heard but it will be encouraged!
• We offer competitive compensation and great benefits including medical retirement and wellness programs.
• As a member of the Howard County Government team youll be helping drive our culture and directly impact what makes us an amazing place to work.

Include the following. Other related duties may be assigned.

Works and cooperates with co-workers and supervisors at all levels.

Learns and performs all essential job functions accurately.

Processes and sends purchase orders and contracts to vendors. May prepare solicitation documents for public posting.

Reviews proofreads and edits a variety of technical documents including solicitations and legal agreements to ensure consistency proper formatting and correct spelling.

Enters stores updates complex reports and retrieves data using Microsoft Excel Microsoft Word Adobe Pro and an ERP system.

Manages document and process workflow for the office; tracking documents and forms received from internal departments ensuring information flow appropriate review prompt delivery to vendor and proper filing.

Composes email notifications regarding solicitations and outgoing purchase order and contracts to external and internal customers

Creates and maintains complex paper and electronic filing systems.

Answers phone and in-person inquiries concerning the functions of the Office; deals with the public and with County officials and employees. Performs public relations duties giving information receiving instructions and information and maintaining harmonious relations.

Maintains external and internal websites including posting of solicitations results and current contracts lists.

Assists Buyers in hosting pre-bid and pre-proposal conferences by registering participants if necessary managing the sign-in process and taking minutes. Assists Buyers in bid openings and prepares tabulation sheets.

May have responsibility for maintaining stock of office supplies and re-ordering as necessary. Sorts and distributes incoming mail and packages.

Researches and summarizes information from a variety of sources working independently compiles statistics and reports.

Uses a computer to enter store and retrieve data.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

High School Diploma or GED and four (4) years related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.

PREFERRED EDUCATION KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Experience with windows-based applications/programs with emphasis on Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.

Formal training or experience in personal computer word processing spreadsheet and database management software.

Ability to write compose punctuate edit written material.

Ability to interact with the public in a pleasant way and handle multiple tasks at the same time.

Must be able to maintain confidentiality.

Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Strong knowledge of grammatical construction techniques.

Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suites - (Outlook Word Excel and PowerPoint) software and ability to work within standard database programs.

Excellent organizational skills the ability to establish priorities be adaptable and multi-task oriented.

A high degree of accuracy and the ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment and handle multiple tasks at the same time is required.

A high level of skill advanced technical knowledge with Adobe Product suite and database management.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job the employee is frequently required to sit; use hands to finger handle or feel; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand walk and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.

LANGUAGE SKILLS MATHEMATICAL SKILLS AND REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules operating and maintenance instructions and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts interest commissions proportions percentages area circumference and volume.

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written oral or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

TO APPLY:You must complete an employment application online to be considered for this recruitment. Resumes cannot be substituted for completion of the job application work history. No paper applications will be accepted.

Selected candidates may be subject to drug screening background screening and reference checks.

At time of application please submit a copy of any college degree coursework licenses or certifications that you have referenced on your who have education obtained outside of the U.S. may need to provide proof of the equivalent U.S. education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service such as the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services () or World Education Services: International Credential Evaluation ( County Government is not sponsoring employees in application of the H-1B Visa or providing an extension of an existing H-1B Visa. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

Howard Countyis an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and we are committed to a workplace that values diversity equity and inclusion. The County prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color religion age sex ancestry creed national origin disability status genetics marital statusmilitary service sexual orientation gender identity/expression or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local laws. Applicants requiring accommodations during the hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources directly at .Requests for accommodations should not be attached to the application.