Deputy Assistant Purchasing Agent - Harris County Office of Purchasing Agent

Position Description

The Deputy Assistant Purchasing Agent serves as the principal deputy to the Purchasing Agent and plays a key leadership role supporting county-wide procurement operations for the 3rd largest county in America. This position supports operational, administrative, and strategic activities that impact approximately 5 million residents, 20,000 employees across 80 departments, and $5.5 billion in annual expenditures spanning more than 3,000 contracts.

Duties and Responsibilities:

* Support the Purchasing Agent in directing county-wide procurement operations, including purchasing services, strategic sourcing, and administrative functions, ensuring statutory and policy compliance.

* Oversee agenda-driven procurement actions for Commissioners Court and other governing bodies, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and alignment with legal requirements of all documentation.

* Provide operational oversight of requisition processing, competitive solicitations, contract development, and workflow coordination; monitor timelines and resolve bottlenecks.

* Review and validate procurement records, solicitations, evaluation documentation, and contract files to ensure audit readiness and appropriate retention.

* Serve as a central point of coordination between departments, vendors, internal stakeholders, and governing bodies to resolve procurement issues and maintain operational continuity.

* Act on behalf of the Purchasing Agent and Assistant Purchasing Agent when delegated, representing the office, supporting decision-making, providing leadership across procurement and personnel management functions.

* Ability to manage dispersed purchasing teams as a contract service.

* Lead, develop, support, and retain a high performing team in a fast paced, high volume work environment.

* Effectively manage competing priorities, ensure staff accountability, and maintain operational continuity during periods of elevated workload or organizational change.

* Builds and maintains strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including departments, vendors, and executive leadership.

* Communicates complex procurement matters clearly, facilitates collaborative problem solving, and represents the department with professionalism and responsiveness.

Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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This position is subject to a criminal history check. Only relevant convictions will be considered and, even when considered, may not automatically disqualify the candidate.

Requirements

Education:

* Bachelor's degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, Business Administration, Public Administration, Government, Public Policy, or a closely related field.

Experience:

* At least eight (8) years of progressive experience in public procurement, contract management, or government operations within complex, high-volume procurement environments

* Experience supporting executive-level or agenda-driven processes and working with governing bodies

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

* Extensive knowledge of public procurement principles, competitive solicitation methods, and contract administration, including application of Texas Local Government Code Chapter 262.

* Ability to interpret and apply procurement laws and policies and exercise sound judgment in high-visibility, complex purchasing decisions.

* Strong operational understanding of county-wide procurement functions, including requisition-to-award processes and agenda-driven actions.

* Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to resolve operational issues and ensure audit readiness.

* Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage senior leadership, elected officials, vendors, and stakeholders.

* Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and support a high performing team through mentoring, employee development and other proven retention strategies.

NOTE:

Qualifying education, experience, knowledge and skills must be documented in your job application. You may attach a resume to the…