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Job Description
As a Principal Buyer you will independently develop, coordinate, publish, and manage complex solicitations (i.e. Requests for Bids, Requests for Proposals, Requests for Qualifications) for general goods and services procurements; assist and guide internal customers with developing specifications and scopes of work; act as the lead in negotiating supplier contracts, which may include coordinating member agency activities; assist and guide with vendor performance and maintain liaison relationships; provide training and guidance to internal customers on procurement policies and procedures; oversee, monitor and review large and complex solicitations performed by other procurement team members; and conduct market research conditions and trends related to goods and services, supplier sourcing and purchasing methods.
You will also provide regular training and guidance to other procurement team members under the direction of higher-level management on various public procurement techniques and processes; develop, coordinate, and lead multi-jurisdictional cooperative procurements; evaluate and recommend utilization of cooperative agreements and sole source procurements; travel to Metropolitan facilities and various other sites to support and promote Procurement’s objectives and vision; assist Procurement Team Manager with identifying, recommending, and implementing efficiencies to streamline and automate procurement operating policies and procedures; will prepare and review various management reports for Legal, Audit, and other departments.
Schedule: 44/36, Monday through Friday /Every other Friday off. Monday through Thursday 9 hours per day, 8 hours per day every other Friday.
Hybrid: Metropolitan’s current practice in this position is a hybrid work schedule. This typically includes two days a week in person and the other days remote. This is subject to change dependent on organizational needs. In addition, a telework policy is scheduled for negotiations and once completed and implemented, will provide final direction on the hybrid schedule.
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/purchaser negotiating and preparing complex procurement agreements including overseeing the competitive procurement processes including RFB; RFP, RFQ.
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
- Experience with automated procurement or ERP systems (Oracle most desirable)
- Experience with automated bidding systems (PlanetBids most desirable)
- Experience with Microsoft Office 360 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 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 Regular Full Time Employee (Represented)
ABOUT MWD
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a state-established cooperative that, along with its 26 cities and retail suppliers, provides water for 19 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.
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.
Metropolitan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected characteristic(s).
Application Filing Period: Closes at 4:30 pm PST on the date stated in the job announcement. 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.
Qualifying Experience: Your resume must at a minimum include the month and year you began and ended employment, name of the organization, your title, and a brief description of your experience. If your employment was part-time, make sure you identify it on your resume next to the month/year.
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).
Closing Date/Time: September 1, 2025 @ 4:30 p.m. PST -
ABOUT THE COMPANY
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Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Show moreThe Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a consortium of 26 cities and water districts that provides drinking water to nearly 18 million people in parts of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.
The mission of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is to provide its service area with adequate and reliable supplies of high-quality water to meet present and future needs in an environmentally and economically responsible way.
Metropolitan currently delivers an average of 1.7 billion gallons of water per day to a 5,200-square-mile service area.
Join our Team
Metropolitan values both fresh voices and the different perspectives that experience brings. We seek out the best, those who bring unique and varied qualities to an organization whose employees reflect the diverse communities we serve across Southern California. And we want colleagues who embrace innovation, equity and a shared greater purpose to the region. We are a public agency and the people who work with us are devoted to public service.
We were built to last and to lead. We are an agency deep in history and experience. We are part of the very fabric of Southern California, having been formed in 1928 by the state Legislature to design, build and operate the Colorado River Aqueduct to bring water to a growing population. Today, our role is much greater than the infrastructure we built and maintain. We are here to ensure reliable and safe water supplies for 19 million people across five Southland counties, operating in an environmentally and economically sound manner.
If you’re already in the workforce and considering Metropolitan as a work option, begin your journey here to learn more. For those still in school or just entering the workforce, scroll down to the section Creating the Next Generation of Workers for the Water Industry to learn about our internship and apprenticeship programs as well as other educational resources to help prepare you for a career in the water industry.
What We Offer
When you come to work at Metropolitan, you don’t come just for a job; you come for a career. We want to support your career pathway along with your well-being. One way to do that is to offer very competitive salaries and excellent benefits. We also provide top-notch health and insurance options, as well as retirement benefits.
Our benefits package is above industry standards. Metropolitan contracts with CalPERS, the California Public Employee Retirement System, to provide a wide choice of medical coverages to both active employees and qualified retirees.
As a regular full-time; regular part-time union represented employee will be eligible for excellent benefits.
Also available to Metropolitan employees through CalPERS are pension and survivor benefits as well as deferred compensation benefits that include our 401(k) and 457(b) savings plans. Metropolitan matches 401(k) contributions to increase the amount of your annual savings toward retirement.
Dental coverage, through Delta Dental, is offered at no cost to regular full-time; regular part-time employees pay a pro-rated fee. Qualified dependents can be added to the dental plan at no extra cost. Metropolitan contracts with Vision Service Provider, or VSP, for vision coverage and covers the cost for regular full-time employees. Costs are prorated for regular part-time employees. Qualified dependents can be added for a flat monthly fee.
We have insurance programs covering life, long-term disability and accidental death and dismemberment. There are also some voluntary benefits to choose from. These include Flexible Spending Accounts for health and dependent care, long-term care and cancer coverage. You and your family members will also have access to our Employee Assistance Plan for confidential professional counseling and referral services at no cost. A Wellness Program offers certain reimbursements to employees based on work location and bargaining unit.
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