Purchasing Assistant

The Purchasing Assistant supports the procurement of subcontractor trade packages and materials, assisting with bid solicitation, scope review, proposal comparisons, award documentation, and contract coordination. This position supports project budget and schedule objectives by helping obtain competitive pricing, organize scope information, and maintain accurate purchasing records.

The Purchasing Assistant works under the direction of the Purchasing Manager and supports Purchasing Agents in their assigned responsibilities. This position works closely with Estimating, Field staff, and Contracts/Insurance personnel to help align purchasing activities with project requirements, constructability, logistics, and contractual obligations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Trade Package Purchasing

• Assist the Purchasing Manager and Purchasing Agents with the purchasing and buy-out of assigned trade packages.
• Review drawings, specifications, estimates, and project requirements to assist in preparing bid packages and detailed trade scope sheets.
• Assist in identifying qualified subcontractors and vendors, distributing bid invitations, and following up to obtain complete and timely proposals.
• Track bid questions, requests for information, and scope clarifications; coordinate responses with Estimating, Field staff, and other project team members.
• Prepare preliminary bid-leveling comparisons identifying pricing differences, inclusions, exclusions, alternates, allowances, and potential scope gaps for review.
• Participate in scope-review meetings with prospective subcontractors, document discussions, and follow up on outstanding items.
• Support pricing and scope negotiations by organizing proposal revisions, documenting clarifications, and tracking agreed-upon terms for review by the Purchasing Manager or Purchasing Agent.
• Draft award recommendations, approval letters, and supporting documentation for internal review and submission for final ownership approval.
• Assist in coordinating approved awards with Contracts/Insurance personnel to support subcontract preparation, execution, and collection of required documentation.
• Maintain complete and organized purchasing records, including proposals, leveling sheets, scope clarifications, approval letters, and final award documentation.

Purchasing Schedule & Award Tracking

• Assist in preparing, maintaining, and updating purchasing schedules, including bid due dates, scope-review meetings, approval deadlines, and target award dates.
• Track assigned purchasing activities against established deadlines and provide status updates to the Purchasing Manager and Purchasing Agents.
• Assist in identifying long-lead materials and equipment and obtaining current lead-time information from subcontractors and vendors.
• Promptly report outstanding decisions, incomplete information, or other issues that may delay an award.
• Follow up on pending proposals, approvals, and contract documentation as directed.

Budget Tracking & Value Engineering

• Assist in tracking trade package pricing against established estimates and purchasing budgets.
• Prepare preliminary budget comparisons and flag pricing variances or scope-related cost changes for review.
• Compile current subcontractor pricing and market feedback for use by Purchasing and Estimating.
• Assist in gathering pricing and supporting information for Value Engineering (VE) alternatives.
• Coordinate requests for information on proposed alternatives with Estimating and Field staff to support evaluation of cost, constructability, schedule, and impacts on related trades.
• Maintain records of approved scope changes, alternates, and VE decisions within purchasing documentation.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Work with Estimating to gather budget assumptions, scope information, allowances, and exclusions needed for bid solicitation and review.
• Coordinate with Field staff to obtain information regarding site conditions, access limitations, logistics, installation requirements, and sequencing.
• Work closely with Contracts/Insurance personnel to transmit approved award information, track required documentation, and follow up on outstanding items.
• Bring potential scope gaps, contractual exceptions, insurance concerns, and budget or schedule risks to the attention of the Purchasing Manager or Purchasing Agent.
• Participate in purchasing and project coordination meetings, prepare meeting notes as needed, and track assigned follow-up items.
• Assist in documenting scope gaps, subcontractor issues, and field feedback…