Salary: $82,338.00 - $121,086.00 Annually
Location : Rochester Public Utilities, 4000 East River Road NE, Rochester MN 55906, MN
Job Type: Regular FT
Job Number: 20260029
Department: Rochester Public Utilities
Opening Date: 04/30/2026
POSITION DESCRIPTION
The City of Rochester now welcomes applications for
Buyer
Rochester Public Utilities
The City of Rochester is committed to a community where all members feel a sense of belonging. We commit to recognizing the diversity of our community members, listening to
ALL voices and providing equitable services to create an inclusive place to live, play and work.
We believe
EQUITY should be at the center of all our work. We strive to represent our community in our teammates, as we know that diverse and inclusive teams are more innovative, and have an empowering impact on the work, progress and culture of our community.
It takes us all working together.
Nature of Work
This is a mid-level buying position for the purchase of assigned hard goods, commodities and contractual services. Work includes reviewing purchase requests; talking to suppliers and department officials; examining price, suitability, and availability of items or services; developing and comparing specifications; reviewing alternatives to requests; and performing value analysis of the purchase requests. Work is performed independently under the general supervision of the Materials Manager. Collaborates with various divisions and assists with service and labor related contracts. The position is required to develop and maintain (with the Purchasing and Warehouse Manager) a coordinated system of Purchasing and Contract Administration, so as to promote cost-effective procurement of materials, supplies and services.
This role will also support the finance department with a variety of high-level accounting functions which may include working with month and year end close, journal entry preparation, reconciliation preparation, fixed assets, analyses, assist with various other financial / accounting processes and departmental needs and perform other duties as necessary. The role is expected to balance day-to-day transactional accuracy with longer-range analytical, reporting, and process improvement
Work schedule - The regular work schedule is Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. This position may be eligible for remote work up to two days a week after the initial 6-month probationary period.
Pay - Starting salary is $82,338 to $96,868 per year, depending on qualifications, with advancement to $121,086 This figure is based on the 2025 collective bargaining agreement and will be updated when a 2026 agreement is implemented.
Limited Term Appointment - This position is anticipated to last 18 - 24 months to support the City of Rochester's implementation of new Enterprise Resource Planning software. This role is contingent upon the availability of allocated funds, as well as favorable performance by the incumbent.
Benefits - This position is eligible for benefits offered by the City of Rochester. Please check out the benefits tab at the top of the page for more details.
To have your application considered for the first round of interviews, please apply by Sunday, May 17th, 2026, at 11:59 PM CST.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
The City of Rochester will not sponsor or transfer visas for this position including F1 OPT STEM.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The work below is representative of the scope of work performed within this job classification.
*Initiate bid/quote process for services, supplies and equipment.
- Consult with end-users and outside consultants to develop specifications.
- Obtain oral and written price quotes from our suppliers.
- Conduct formal and informal solicitations/quotes for goods, commodities and services.
- Compare quotes with the specifications and availability of items and places purchase orders.
*Prepare and process purchase orders.
- Obtain proper documentation to validate, create and assign vendor numbers.
- Verify appropriate budget codes.
- Ensure purchases and sales comply with applicable Federal and State of Minnesota statutes, City of Rochester City Charter and RPU policies
- Review and approve invoices in conjunction with project owner to ensure compliance with terms and conditions of the contract.
*Collect, organize, update and retain required departmental and vendor documentation
- Documentation will include but not be limited to: purchase approvals, product information files, purchase order records, and all purchasing related correspondence.
- Manage documents in RPU's electronic document management system in coordination with RPU's records retention schedule.
- Maintain, monitor and improve master data in RPU's ERP System.
*Prepare and process requisitions and purchase orders.
- Perform accounting, and analytical functions in support of RPU operations and leadership decision-making.
- Prepare journal entries, reconciliations, workpapers, and related month-end and year-end close support.
- Review and reconcile account balances and help maintain the chart of accounts in accordance with applicable reporting and regulatory requirements.
- Perform financial, statistical, and operational analyses to identify trends, discrepancies, and opportunities for process improvement.
- Support fixed asset accounting and work order closeout/unitization activities by gathering information, determining capitalization treatment, and assigning appropriate values.
- Create, maintain, and improve reports, databases, spreadsheets, and other tools used to record, analyze, and communicate financial and operational information.
- Research issues, respond to internal and external information requests, and recommend solutions that ensure accurate implementation of corrections or changes.
- Compile, organize, verify, and report financial and statistical information to support internal management reporting, audits, reimbursement requests, and regulatory submissions.
Miscellaneous Responsibilities.
- Collaborate with internal and external customers to resolve problems arising from the purchase and sale of goods and services.
- Recommend changes to policies, procedures, contract terms and conditions for procurement and sale of goods, services and capital improvement projects.
Perform other duties as assigned or necessary.
*ESSENTIAL DUTIES
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience
A Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university in accounting, finance, economics, industrial engineering, logistics/operations, supply chain management, purchasing or business administration/management or a closely related field and three (3) years of direct experience as a Buyer, with inventory control responsibilities.
Licenses and Certifications
Valid Minnesota Driver's License
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Purchasing experience for a public agency and/or electric utility.
Designation as a:
Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO),
Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB); and/or
Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM).
Experience using enterprise systems that support warehouse and materials management modules such as SAP, CGI or JD Edwards.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIAIn compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the following represents the physical and environmental demands for this position. The employee must be able to perform the essential functions with or without accommodation.
Light Work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. If the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for Sedentary Work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for Light Work.
Physical demands that may be required continuously (2/3 or more of the time), frequently (1/3 to 2/3 of the time), and occasionally (up to 1/3 of the time) are noted below:
Continuous demands: sitting, standing
Frequent demands: walking, fine dexterity, handling
Occasional demands: lifting, carrying, bending, reaching
Sensory requirements necessary in the performance of the essential functions of this position include sight, hearing and touch.
Environmental conditions that may exist in the performance of the essential functions of this job include: NONE (not substantially exposed to environmental conditions)
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT AND RETIREMENT SUMMARY
01
By completing your application and supplemental questions you are attesting all information is true, accurate, and verifies your relevant education and experience. Your submitted materials will be used to determine your employment eligibility. Do you understand and agree with this statement?
02
What is your preferred name?
03
Which of the following best describes your level of education?
- High school diploma or equivalent G.E.D.
- Less than 2 years post-secondary training
- Completion of a 2 year program or degree
- Completion of a 4 year program or degree
- Completion of a Master's degree or higher
- None of the above
04
Will you now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B visa status?
05
Other than your High School diploma/GED, which of the following best describes the field of study for your degree?
- Business Administration
- Business Management
- Purchasing
- Logistics/Operations
- Industrial Engineering
- Supply Chain Management
- My degree is in an area NOT RELATED to any of the above
- N/A - I do not have a degree
06
Which of the following best describes your years of full-time employment experience in purchasing, procurement, grant management, or contracting
- No experience
- Less than 2 years
- 2 or more years, but less than 3 years
- 3 or more years, but less than 5 years
- 5 or more years, but less than 7 years
- 7 or more years, but less than 10 years
- More than 10 years
07
Tell us how your professional, educational, and lived experiences would help you be successful in this role. Please limit your answer to 3-4 sentences.
08
Which of the following best describes your years of full-time employment experience in fixed asset accounting, research and data analysis, financial and regulatory reporting, audit and internal controls, and general ledger accounting.?
- No experience
- Less than 1 year
- More than 1 year, but less than 3
- More than 3 years, but less than 5
- More than 5 years but less than 7
- More than 7 years but less than 10
- 10 or more years
09
Does your purchasing-related employment experience include working with any of the following processes, applications and/or systems? (Select all that apply)
- The purchasing requirements of the Uniform Municipal Contracting Law (MS 471.345)
- Best Value alternative
- The State of Minnesota Joint Cooperative Purchasing Venture (State Contract) or any other cooperative purchasing venture
- Public Surplus (www.publicsurplus.com)
- SAP, JDE or other similar ERP systems with supply management modules
- AMS/CGI Enterprise System
- ImageNow or similar Document Management System
- None of the above
10
Does your full-time work experience include of the following? (Select all that apply)
- Determining and obtaining forms, affidavits, certifications, and other necessary documentations required for the procurement. Prepare and publish solicitations.
- Administering the vendor and contract evaluation process
- Preparing status and budget reports.
- Invitation for Bid (IFB)
- Proactively monitoring existing contracts to ensure renewals or new solicitations are prepared in a timely manner to ensure continuity.
- Collaborating with internal business teams to achieve good work relationships and improve business processes
- Assisting in the management of key performance indicators for process improvement
- Assisting in developing and monitoring long term contracts
- Troubleshooting vendor related problems
- I have no experience with any of the listed items above.
11
Which of the following purchasing-related certifications/designations do you currently possess: (Select all that apply)
- Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO)
- Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB)
- Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.)
- Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM)
- Certified in Supply Management (CSM)
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
- Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
- N/A - I do not possess any purchasing-related certifications/designations
12
Please indicate the current versions of software that you are PROFICIENT in using: (select all that apply)
- SAP
- Oracle
- Other ERP
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Excel Power Query
- Microsoft PowerBI
- ImageNow, Laserfiche, or other Enterprise Document Management System
- None of the above
13
Which of the following best describes your employment experience wor