Purchasing Manager

Its a great time to join the City of Boulder!

Application Deadline:

August 14, 2025

Compensation Details:

Full Pay Range103,043.20 - 154,564.80Generally, the hiring range is from the minimum up to 80% of the range.This is a full-time salaried position.

Scheduled Weekly Hours:

40

Benefit Eligibility Group:

Non Union (30+ Hours)

Locate the Benefit Eligibility Group value on the Employee Benefit Eligibility document to identify the benefits offered for this job.

Job Description Summary:

Under minimal supervision, the Purchasing Manager is responsible for policy development, oversight and management of city solicitations, awards, and contracts to ensure sustainable, equitable, timely, comprehensive, compliant, and ethical procurement activity. This position provides leadership and guidance to the daily and strategic procurement activities of all City departments. The Purchasing Manager mentors a professional staff whose work directly impacts the solicitation and procure-to-pay process and promotes: Equitable contracting opportunities, especially for historically excluded vendors and businesses; Environmentally sustainable procurement activities; Transparency in decision-making; Stewardship of public money, and; Reduced contracting times. This position ensures highly complex purchasing functions are developed and implemented with initiative and integrity, aligned with the Citys Sustainability, Equity, and Resilience Framework. The Purchasing Manager collaborates with the Business Equity Program and Sustainability Program managers, and engages with Senior Leadership within the City, with interested party relationships and collaborates with the City Attorneys Office, City Project Managers and Purchasers, Department Leadership, and City Managers Office.
Please be sure to include a cover letter for consideration.

Equity & Belonging Commitment
The City is committed to advancing racial and social equity through its policies, practices, and partnerships. We strongly encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), women, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and members of other historically excluded groups. Diverse pathways to expertise are valued. While formal education or specific years of experience are listed as qualifications, an equivalent combination of relevant lived experience and skills will also be considered.

Sustainability Commitment
The city is committed to advancing a sustainable, thriving, and equitable community that benefits from and supports clean energy; preserves and responsibly uses the earths resources; and cares for ecosystems.

Job Description:

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

LEADING EMPLOYEES

• Recruits, develops, coaches, and manages performance of a diverse and professional procurement staff to ensure business processes are inclusive, efficient and reflect a high level of engagement and public service.
• Compiles, recommends and verifies awards to ensure they are ethical, transparent, socially and environmentally responsible, and promote inclusive economic participation in alignment with the citys Business Opportunity program while ensuring compliance with statutes, ordinances, and regulations for governmental purchases.
• Demonstrates leadership and courage by making or supporting decisions that reflect the citys mission and goals even when the decisions relating to awards, employee development, strategic initiatives, and business processes are unpopular.
• Is a subject matter expert on a variety of procurement related issues, including procurement practices, negotiation, contracting, market trends, and supply-chain impacts for all goods and services procured.
• Fosters a culture of belonging and continuous learning by modeling inclusive leadership and supporting professional development tied to procurement integrity and inclusive economic participation. Leads and demonstrates collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

PARTICIPATIVE MANAGEMENT

• Engages internal and external participants in identifying priorities and shaping department workplans and goals. Assesses, balances, and manages available resources to meet work plan goals.
• In partnership with Business Equity and Sustainability Program Managers, provides contractual and business support, risk assessment and equity-informed recommendations to purchasers, program managers, and senior leadership, while ensuring that procurement processes reduce barriers to participation for small, local, and minority-owned businesses and align with the citys sustainable purchasing policy.
• Collaborates with attorneys, purchasers, project managers, department leadership, and vendor partners to co-design procurement strategies that align with the citys sustainability, equity, and resilience goals, prioritizing community benefit, and promoting an inclusive economy. Effectively leads negotiations on purchases of goods and services.
• Builds and maintains public trust through transparent, ethical procurement practices, actively advancing stewardship of public funds in ways that are fiscally responsible, environmentally sustainable, and socially equitable.
• Utilizes software systems to manage procurement operations and improve visibility and accountability for equity and sustainability outcomes, including tracking diverse vendor participation and promoting data-informed decisions.
• In collaboration with the City Attorneys Office, responds to procurement-related records requests with timeliness and transparency, ensuring that responses uphold the publics right to information that reflect openness and equity in alignment with the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA).

STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE

• Develops a department budget to ensure organizational needs are met while maintaining fiscal responsibility. Provides input into other department and project budgets to identify future resource needs and potential constraints.
• Provides leadership in developing policies, procedures, and training to support citywide purchasing activities in alignment with the city's Sustainability Equity and Resilience Framework, Citywide Strategic Plan, and City Council Priorities.
• In partnership with the Business Equity and Sustainability Program Managers, leads development and implementation of long-term vendor engagement strategies to promote equitable opportunity, vendor performance, inclusion, sustainability, and are in alignment with organizational objectives.
• In collaboration with Business Equity and Sustainability Program Managers, assesses needs and leads development of data-based tools that include equity and sustainability indicators to measure reach, access, and impact of procurement practices across communities while assisting in strategic management of procurement activities.
• Initiates continuous improvement methodologies, including research, analysis, reporting and customer feedback to ensure improvements are effectively applied to procurement practices.
• Identifies, researches, and supports cooperative contracting methodologies and partnerships that elevate the Citys ability to contract inclusively, sustainably, efficiently, and economically.
• Evaluates complex purchasing-related circumstances and identifies options and provides alternatives to arrive at effective outcomes.
• Requires ability to change, deal with ambiguity, and provide reasonable guidance without having all facts and details.
• Provides recommendations and input on Finance Department operations and strategic initiatives.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Ability to demonstrate commitment to personal and professional integrity and transparency in public procurement is essential and must be consistently demonstrated in all situations.
• Ability to demonstrate experience leading procurement activities and compliance in a decentralized reporting environment.
• Ability to demonstrate outstanding verbal and written communication and customer service skills to all levels of an organization and community, including historically excluded communities.
• Ability to place a high priority on attention to detail and demand similar performance for assigned professional staff.
• Knowledge of and commitment to advancing equitable and sustainable procurement practices in a government agency.
• Knowledge of and experience in using the suite of Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams) and Adobe Acrobat software platforms.
• Knowledge of and experience with a centralized financial system, including procure-to-pay capability.
• Have and maintain acceptable background information, including criminal conviction history.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Knowledge of and demonstrated use in the development, implementation, and operation of data-based systems to drive strategic and inclusive procurement decisions.
• Knowledge of and experience with equitable solicitation and contracting methodologies for construction projects including strategies that reduce barriers for historically excluded subcontractors, promote inclusive participation throughout the procurement lifecycle, and promote sustainable purchasing goals.
• Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM), Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO), or similar certifications.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelors degree in Business, Accounting, Finance or related field from an accredited college or university; or equivalent of eight (8) years purchasing experience may substitute for the Education requirement only.
• Seven (7) years purchasing experience in a management or senior role with either government or private industry.
• Four (4) years relevant supervisory experience.

SUPERVISION

Supervision Received: Finance Deputy Director

Supervision Exercised: Senior Procurement Buyer, Procurement Buyer

WORKING CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Work Environment : Work is constantly performed indoors. This is primarily sedentary office work. Must demonstrate the ability to meet the physical demands of the job, including the ability to retrieve information from various locations. Exposure to periods of high activity and stress under demanding conditions. The position requires a great deal of communication with City employees, the public, and outside agencies. Core work hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 am 5:00 pm with regular telework allowed up to three (3) days per week.

Additional Job Description:

Last updated: 7/21/2025

The City of Boulder is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected statute. For individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation, please send a request to riskmanagement@bouldercolorado.gov.