Assistant Purchaser (1950) Citywide C00416

Under direct supervision Assistant Purchasers are responsible for performing professional duties in connection with the procurement of a variety of materials supplies and equipment in accordance with the San Francisco Controllers Office administrative codes. Assistant Purchasers are typically assigned duties of a well-defined nature and with increased experience are gradually assigned projects with a greater scope of responsibility. 

MAJOR IMPORTANT AND ESSENTIAL DUTIES

According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109 the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this class and are not intended to be an inclusive list.

1. Receives analyzes and edits requisitions for the purchase of materials supplies and equipment.

2. Confers with department personnel concerning the availability cost and use of commodities.

3. Analyzes quotations and determines the most suitable vendors.

4. Advises user departments and vendors regarding appropriate purchasing methods and procedures.

5. Investigates and resolves complaints related to receipt of goods and performance of services.

6. Maintains detailed purchasing records including commodity and service codes.

7. Assists senior staff on large purchasing projects.

8. Uses computerized systems to process purchase order research vendors and produce reports as required.

Qualifications :

Education: 
Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university

Substitution: 
Professional purchasing experience with responsibilities such as: identifying vendors and ascertaining quotes selecting a vendor based on a set of criteria identifying and negotiating terms and conditions and procuring goods and services may be substituted for the required degree on a year-for-year basis (up to a maximum of two (2) years). Thirty (30) semester units/forty-five (45) quarter units equal one (1) year.
 

Verification of Education and Experience:
Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Review SF Careers Employment Applications for considerations taken when reviewing applications.  

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required information on how to verify education requirements including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency can be found at Falsifying ones education training or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

 

Selection Procedure:
After application submission candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process which includes the following:
 

Assistant Purchaser Written Exam (Weight: 100%):
Candidates who meet the Minimum Qualifications will be invited to participate in the online Assistant Purchaser Written Exam. Candidates will be sent a web link via email that will allow them to take the online Assistant Purchaser Exam that is designed to measure knowledge skills and/or abilities in job-related areas which have been identified as critical for positions in the Assistant Purchaser classification.

This computer-administered test can be taken at home at a designated time and the location of ones convenience. Candidates must have access to a computer and reliable internet connection to participate in this exam.

Score Banking: Scores attained on the Assistant Purchaser Written Exam will be banked for three years starting from the date of the examination. This means that during this three-year time period candidates need not take this test again. Rather if another announcement you applied to and are deemed qualified for requires the Assistant Purchaser Written Exam and is held within one year of your Assistant Purchaser Written Exam date your score will be automatically applied to that announcement. However after one year a candidate has the option to either (a) apply their test score to the other announcement or (b) re-take the test. Re-testing is permitted no sooner than one year from the date of the test and only in association with a candidates eligibility for another announcement to which the candidate has applied and is deemed qualified. If a candidate opts to re-test the re-test score becomes the candidates official score since it is the most recent.

If a significant modification is made to this exam in the future the application of banked scores may no longer be such a rare circumstance candidates with banked scores would be required to re-take the exam sooner than the three-year period specified above should they apply to another job opportunity where the modified exam is used.

Eligible List/Score Report: A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established so applicants can view the ranks final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information including names of applicants on the eligible list shall not be made public unless required by law. However an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection upon request once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g. as a result of appeals) as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be 12 months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director. 

To find Departments which use this classification please see the citys Position Counts by Job Codes and Departments.

Additional Information :

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights:
Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement including requirements time periods and other particulars except when superseded by federal state or local laws rules or regulations. Note: The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 110.4.  Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the Department of Human Resources 1 S Van Ness Avenue 4th Floor San Francisco CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 5th business day following the issuance date of this examination announcement. Information concerning other Civil Service Commission Rules involving announcements applications and examination policies including applicant appeal rights can be found on the Civil Service Commission website at

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Where to Apply:

All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. Please visit to begin your application process.  

Computers are available for the public (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) to file online applications in the lobby of the Dept. of Human Resources at 1 South Van Ness Avenue 4th Floor and at the City Career Center at City Hall 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place Room 110. 

Ensure your application information is accurate as changes may not be possible after submission. Your first and last name must match your legal ID for verification and preferred names can be included in parentheses. Use your personal email address not a shared or work email to avoid unfixable issues. 

Applicants will receive a confirmation email from that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received. 

If you have any questions you may contact Jaclyn Lerch at . Recruitment ID: REF60225K.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex race age religion color national origin ancestry physical disability mental disability medical condition (associated with cancer a history of cancer or genetic characteristics) HIV/AIDS status genetic information marital status sexual orientation gender gender identity gender expression military and veteran status or other protected category under the law.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time