Salary: $155,625.60 Annually
Location : Houston, TX
Job Type: Regular Full-time
Job Number: 17179
Department: Purchasing Department
Opening Date: 09/01/2026
Closing Date: 10/1/2026 11:59 PM Central
Max Number of Applicants: 100

Position Description
Under the guidance and supervision of the Assistant Purchasing Agent, the Director of Purchasing Services provides strategic leadership and enterprise oversight for the Purchasing Services Division, including the Buyer team and associated operational support functions. This position supports county-wide operations serving approximately 5 million residents, 20,000 employees in 80 departments, and manages roughly $5.5B in annual expenditures, 18,500 purchase orders, and 4,000 contracts and agreements. The Director directs division-wide procurement operations, sets performance expectations and standards aligned with departmental vision and leading practices, and ensures consistent, compliant, and timely service delivery across departments. The role leads performance management, continuous improvement, and executive coordination to strengthen operational readiness, contract utilization, and county-wide procurement outcomes.
Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide division leadership, management, and oversight for Purchasing Services functions, establishing expectations and guidelines for requisitioning, catalogs, PO processing, and vendor setup/onboarding aligned with leading practices.
• Lead Sr. Buyers and Buyers in managing and processing requisitions, change orders, and vendor setup and master maintenance, driving value generation through consistent execution, stakeholder engagement, and continuous process improvement.
• Drive operational performance by assessing, developing, coaching, and motivating staff; set standards, training expectations, and accountability measures to maintain a high-performing team and consistent service delivery.
• Identify and implement initiatives to decrease cycle time and increase productivity across purchasing workflows, including intake, processing, approvals, PO issuance, and customer support touch points.
• Develop, manage, and maintain key business relationships with departments using County purchasing services, external stakeholders, and vendors to support alignment, issue resolution, and customer satisfaction.
• Collaborate with the Auditor's Office to support AP resolutions; monitor purchasing services assigned contracts to ensure proper contract utilization and leakage monitoring; ensure adherence to compliance standards, policies, and procedures; support vendor negotiations and compliance activities; and provide analysis and reporting to measure buying effectiveness.
• Ensure full compliance with: Texas Local Government Code Chapter 262, Texas Government Code Chapter 2269 (Construction), 2 C.F.R. 200 (federal awards), as amended, GLO CDBG-DR/CDBG-MIT requirements.
• Foster a positive, productive work culture that encourages employee engagement and professional growth.
• Implement structured onboarding and ongoing training for all new hires and current staff; support career development, certification, and advancement opportunities for team members.
• Monitor and address turnover rates, actively developing strategies to retain high-performing employees.
• Maintain a pipeline of qualified candidates to respond quickly to attrition while also developing hiring practices that reflect current departmental needs and retention goals.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and provide targeted coaching and feedback.

Purchasing F.I.R.S.T. Standards

The Director must embody and enforce the Purchasing F.I.R.S.T. values:

• Fairness: Apply procurement and training requirements consistently across divisions.
• Integrity: Ensure all actions and communications reflect accurate laws, policies, procedures, and approved business practices.
• Responsiveness: Complete reviews and approvals within established timeframes to avoid unnecessary delays.
• Stewardship: Protect County resources by reducing errors, inconsistent practices, compliance risk, and rework.
• Teamwork: Collaborate with subject-matter experts, Training, Process Improvement, Business Analysis, and operational leadership to develop effective employee training and operational solutions.

Requirements
Education and Experience:

• Master's degree in a directly related field and six (6) years of relevant work experience required, including five (5) years of supervisory or managerial experience;

OR

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in business management or administration, public administration, economics, supply chain management, engineering or a closely related field and eight (8) years of relevant work experience required, including five (5) years of supervisory or managerial experience.

Certifications:

• Must possess one or more of the following professional certifications: Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO), Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM), Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB), Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM), Certified Texas Contract Manager (CTCM) and/or Certified Texas Contract Developer (CTCD) or equivalent purchasing/procurement certification.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Advanced knowledge of public procurement and delegated purchasing operations, including requisition-to-PO workflows, informal and formal purchasing methods, and best-value execution in a high-volume government environment.
• Advanced knowledge of procurement laws and governance, including Texas Local Government Code Chapter 262 and County purchasing policies, with ability to apply requirements to day-to-day Buyer decisions and approvals.
• Skill in directing Buyer operations at scale, including setting performance standards, managing workload distribution, monitoring PO cycle time and quality, and ensuring timely, compliant PO issuance.
• Skill in reviewing and validating procurement documentation for audit readiness and defensible decision-making, including file standards, approvals, exception handling, and corrective action follow-through.
• Proficiency in purchasing and financial systems and reporting tools used to manage requisitions, purchase orders, and operational metrics; ability to translate data into actionable performance management.
• Strong leadership and change-management skills to develop staff, enforce standards, resolve escalations, coordinate with departments and oversight partners, and drive continuous improvement across purchasing service lines.

NOTE: Qualifying education, experience, knowledge and skills must be documented in your job application. You may attach a resume to the application as supporting documentation but ONLY information stated on the application will be used for consideration. "See Resume" will not be accepted for qualifications.

General Information
Position Type and Typical Hours of Work This is a full-time position with typical work hours of Monday - Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM. Occasional weekends, holidays, and overtime may be required based on the specific needs and demands of the department.
This position is classified as an essential employee. The Director is required to work before, during, or after emergency situations, inclement weather, or declaring disaster events at the department's discretion.

Essential employees must:

• Maintain up-to-date contact information and be available for rapid deployment during emergencies.
• Participate in mandatory emergency preparedness training and exercises.
• Demonstrate flexibility in work hours and assignments during crisis periods.
• Comply with all County protocols for essential personnel, including reporting requirements and operational continuity procedures.

Work Environment and Physical Demands:

• This position is based in an office environment, where the use of standard office equipment such as computers, phones, scanners, and filing cabinets is routine.
• The physical demands associated with this job are minimal, with occasional lifting and moving objects weighing up to 10 pounds.
• The role is predominantly sedentary, involving mainly sitting with occasional standing and walking.

Reporting Relationships:

• Reports to: Assistant Purchasing Agent
• Supervises positions: Senior Buyer, Buyers and other operational support staff

Due to a high volume of applications positions may close prior to the advertised closing date or at the discretion of the Hiring Department.

HARRIS COUNTY EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

Harris County offers a highly competitive benefits program, featuring a comprehensive group health plan and defined benefit retirement plan.
The following benefits are offered only to Harris County employees in regular (full-time) positions:
Health & Wellness Benefits

• Medical Coverage
• Dental Coverage
• Vision Coverage
• Wellness Plan
• Life Insurance
• Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Healthcare Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account

Paid Time Off (PTO)

• Ten (10) days of vacation leave per year (accrual rate increases after 5 years of service)
• Eleven (11) County-observed holidays
• One (1) floating holiday per year
• Paid Parental Leave*
• Sick Leave

Retirement Savings Benefit

• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan

The following benefits are available to Harris County employees in full-time and select part-time positions:

• Professional learning & development opportunities
• Retirement pension (TCDRS defined benefit plan)
• Flexible work schedule*
• METRO RideSponsor Program*

* Participation may vary by County department. The employee benefits plans of Harris County are extended to all eligible participants across various departments with the exception of the Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, for which the cited Health & Wellness Benefits are administered through the State of Texas.
In accordance with the Harris County Personnel Regulations, group health and related benefits are subject to amendment or discontinuance at any time. Harris County Commissioners Court reserves the right to make benefit modifications on the County's behalf as needed.
For plan details, visit the Harris County Benefits & Wellness website:
01

Which of the following best describes your highest level of education completed as it relates to this position?Qualifying information must be documented in the Education section of your application.

• High School or GED diploma
• Associate Degree
• Bachelor's Degree
• Master's Degree or higher
• None of the above

02

If you selected a college degree in response to the previous question, which of the following best describes your major?

• Business Management or Administration
• Public Administration
• Economics
• Supply Chain Management
• Engineering
• Other Related Field
• Unrelated Field
• N/A; No Degree

03

Please describe your educational background including level of education completed, area of study and completed major and minor program
04

Which of the following best describes your verifiable relevant work experience?(To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history)

• Less than six (6) years
• Six (6) yeras but less than seven (7) years
• Seven (7) years but less than eight (8) years
• Eight (8) years or more
• I do not have this experience

05

Please provide the dates of employment during which you obtained experience working in a related field. Provide the month and year that began and ended the experience ( Example: "January 2020 - December 2025" ) If this experience is not clearly documented in the Work Experience section, your application will be disqualified. If you do not have this experience, type "N/A" in the space provided.
06

Do you have five (5) years of supervisory or managerial experience?

• Yes
• No

07

Do you possess one or more of the following professional certifications: Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO), Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM), Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB), Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM), Certified Texas Contract Manager (CTCM) and/or Certified Texas Contract Developer (CTCD) or equivalent purchasing/procurement certification?

• Yes
• No

Required Question