Purchasing Assistant

Title: Purchasing Assistant

Location: Baltimore, MD - Hybrid Work Environment

Salary Range:

Reports to: Vice President of Operations and Culture

Baltimore Focus: BCYF is a Baltimore-centric and focused organization. BCYF has hiring requirements from the City of Baltimore to make best efforts to hire Baltimore citizens first. Although the City allows consideration of qualified applicants residing outside of Baltimore, BCYF is committed to hiring the best people for the roles who know Baltimore, and the community and grassroots organizations and ecosystem it is committed to serve.

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT

All exempt hires are subject to annual financial disclosure requirements to the City of Baltimore Board of Ethics. Cut and paste the financial disclosure requirements link to view https://ethics.baltimorecity.gov/financial-disclosure

ABOUT the BALTIMORE CHILDREN & YOUTH FUND
BCYF is committed to ensure that our children and youth are healthy, ready to succeed in school, and live in stable, safe, and supportive families and communities. We do more than grantmaking, we collaborate with grassroots organizations and community leaders to create new opportunities for the city’s young people to learn, thrive and succeed. BCYF awards grants to organizations that provide programs to thousands of Baltimore's young people -- from academic support and science exploration to dance and photography. Unlike traditional philanthropic efforts in Baltimore, BCYF is committed to authentic community engagement, and our strategy and grant decisions are shaped and led by Baltimore community members and youth leaders. Our core values of Racial Equity, Intergenerational Leadership, Community Ownership, and Collective Decision-Making direct our partnerships with organizations that share our Black liberation worldview. Through our strategic investments, we strive to resource a future where children and youth throughout the city enjoy access to high-caliber enrichment and learning opportunities, and children and youth programs have the resources they need to equitably serve all our young people.

Click here to learn more about our story and our guiding values and principles.

About the Role - The Purchasing Assistant is responsible for ensuring the smooth operation of accounts payable activities, including purchasing for all non-IT items, maintaining a preferred vendor list, and reconciling credit card receipts on a weekly basis. The primary goal is to support the efficiency and functionality of the office environment.

Essential Functions:

Talent recruitment, development and management: Manage and facilitate the employee life cycle, from onboarding to offboarding, including creating a recruitment process that results in an outstanding diverse and inclusive team at all levels of the organization. Lead and facilitate a thorough onboarding, orientation, and induction program that thoughtfully integrates new staff to the culture and work of BCYF and sets employees up for success. Develop strong performance management and leadership development programs that support the team at all levels, while coaching and supporting managers in their implementation. Work collaboratively to identify evolving learning needs, and develop both team and individualized professional development activities, including internal and external trainings, to promote learning.

Culture building: Lead and facilitate activities that promote BCYF’s commitment to collaboration, partnership, and racial equity. Design retreat and other team development activities to nurture a values-driven, results-oriented workplace culture. Develop and implement employee engagement strategies and culture change initiatives in collaboration with senior leadership.

Climate: Develop and ensure all BCYF employees have standardized training that normalizes a healthy, inclusive, respectful work environment reflective of BCYF’s values. Oversee all employee related internal investigations in concert with legal counsel, as needed. Manage the process for staff concerns, complaints, or grievances.

Payroll, benefits, and compensation: Ensure that staff are equitably compensated, and BCYF’s compensation policies, practices, and systems are competitive. Manage all payroll, benefits and compensation administration, including relationships with benefit brokers, annual open enrollment, and compliance.

Regulatory/Compliance: Manage the employee handbook and employee actions by researching, developing, writing, and updating policies, procedures, methods, and guidelines, following all applicable laws and regulations. Provide leadership and direction to ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal employment-related laws and regulations. Maintain in-depth knowledge of changing employment regulations and implement policies, procedures, and systems to ensure regulatory compliance.

Leadership and Administration: Share and learn from others in the sector to help influence and advocate for a shift towards practices that align with social justice and racial equity values. Manage the budget for HR. Provide HR metrics and reporting for Board and senior leadership.

About the Candidate - The ideal candidate brings proven experience in accounts payable or purchasing, excels in detail-oriented tasks, and possesses strong organizational and communication skills. Proficiency in accounting software and adaptability to a fast-paced environment are essential. If you're proactive, collaborative, and dedicated to maintaining high standards, join us in driving operational excellence. Apply now!

*While no candidate will possess every quality, the successful candidate will possess many of the following experience and attributes. (Preference will be given to candidates with a proven track record of scaling a start-up nonprofit or philanthropic organization.) Even if you aren’t sure but are excited about the position, we encourage you to apply!

Responsibilities:

• Purchasing: Source and procure non-IT items such as office supplies, equipment, furniture, and other necessary materials.
• Process purchase orders and ensure timely delivery of goods.
• Implement cost-saving measures and identify opportunities for efficiency improvements in procurement processes.
• Vendor Management: Maintain a comprehensive preferred vendor list for various office supplies and services.
• Evaluate vendor performance based on criteria such as quality, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.
• Cultivate and maintain positive relationships with vendors to ensure excellent service and favorable terms.
• Financial Reconciliation: Collect credit card receipts from office staff on a weekly basis.
• Verify receipts against purchase records to ensure accuracy and compliance with company policies.
• Reconcile credit card transactions with financial records and budget allocations.
• Address discrepancies or unauthorized expenses promptly and appropriately.
• Prepare weekly reports summarizing credit card expenditures and submit them to relevant stakeholders for review.

Qualifications:

• Proven experience in office management, purchasing or related roles.
• Strong negotiation skills and the ability to build and maintain vendor relationships.
• Excellent organizational and time-management abilities.
• Attention to detail and accuracy in financial reconciliation processes.
• Proficiency in using office software and tools, such as Microsoft Office Suite and accounting software.
• Effective communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Ability to work independently and prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Flexibility and adaptability to handle changing priorities and responsibilities.

This Scope of Work outlines the key responsibilities and qualifications for the Purchasing Assistant role, emphasizing the importance of procurement, vendor management, financial reconciliation, and office administration support. The Purchasing Assistant plays a vital role in ensuring the efficient operation of the office and supporting the organization's overall goals and objectives.

Equal Opportunity

BCYF is a 501c3 organization. We are firmly committed to complying with all federal, state, and local equal opportunity (“EEO”) laws. BCYF strictly prohibits discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of the individual’s race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, height or weight, disability, gender identity or expression, medical condition, including

acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related conditions, marital status, partnership status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, military status, arrest record and any other characteristic protected by law. Accommodations will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application. While performing the responsibilities of the job, accommodations will be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.