2E22
PROCUREMENT INSPECTION SERVICES OFFICER

This is technical procurement work administering the City-wide inspections effort of City purchased general commodities, services, materials, supplies, food and food services to ensure conformity to City specifications and contractual agreements. The employee in this class trains, instructs and assists employees of operating departments in proper inspectional methods, techniques and procedures, and performs inspections when necessary. Contact with manufacturers and internal and external purchasing staff to resolve problems, to assure that inspections are performed properly and make specification recommendations are significant aspects of the work. Work is performed under the general supervision of the Deputy Procurement Commissioner.

• The position must be allocated in the Procurement Department's Inspection Unit.
• The position must be responsible for instructing and assisting employees in other departments in proper inspectional methods, techniques and procedures so that the City's general commodities inspections effort operates properly and efficiently.

• Administers a City-wide inspections effort on City-purchased general commodities and food, food services, materials, supplies and such as fire hoses, fire hydrants, typewriters, computer hardware, food products, copy machines, paints, detergents, gasoline, valves, tools, furniture and the installation of items such as air conditioners, rugs, blinds, and electric motors; and services such as exterminators, repair work, janitorial work, tree trimming and lawn cutting.
• Confers with operating department personnel performing inspectional work at various departmental delivery points to ensure that purchased materials, supplies, equipment and installations are inspected properly; instructs employees in the proper inspectional methods, techniques and procedures; answers employee questions concerning the inspection of City purchases and services; travels to delivery points to resolve inspectional difficulties and to observe the inspection of supplies at sites to make certain that employees perform inspections thoroughly and correctly; performs inspections of City purchases at field points when assistance is required; coordinates testing of delivered goods as well as bid samples; coordinates with the Procurement Purchasing Division and vendors to submit items for testing prior to bid opening and bid awards.
• Conducts routine inspections and manages test sampling projects on class 200, 300 and 400 materials, supplies, equipment, services and installations; compares purchased materials, supplies, equipment and installations against contractual agreements; coordinates laboratory testing of class 200, 300 and 400 items; rejects inspected materials, supplies, equipment and installations that do not conform to specifications and contractual agreements, prepares reports documenting the level of vendor compliance; prepares quantitative and statistical reports on sample studies and activities performed.
• Receives requests for rejection from various operating department employees performing inspections on supplies, materials, equipment and installations; receives requests to investigate service contracts; prepares all rejection notices for unacceptable City purchases of supplies, materials, equipment and forwards such notices to suppliers; approves and removes rejection notice after approved replacement or repair of merchandise or service; selects items to be inspected; notifies operating department staff about items to be inspected.
• Coordinates, maintains and reviews the Procurement Sampling Project and Quality Control Project; maintains database, tracking failures of vendors’ samples submitted for testing.
• Updates a training manual on inspectional methods, techniques and procedures; conducts training seminars to educate employees on various aspects of the inspection process.
• Meets with vendors to discuss reasons for rejection of purchased materials, supplies, equipment, installations and services; makes recommendations to vendors on the alteration and modification of materials, supplies and equipment so that they may meet acceptable standards; makes recommendations to Procurement standards staff and operating department personnel to update and clarify specifications; meets and confers with vendors and purchasing staff to resolve problems concerning the acquisition of materials, supplies and equipment; confers with purchasing staff in determining whether suppliers should be deleted from the list of potential bidders; confers with investigators on suspected collusion evidence between City employees and suppliers; performs inspections of suppliers' stores facilities, manufacturing sites and equipment to ensure that suppliers are able to produce and deliver a quality product.
• Makes recommendations for revisions to City supplies, materials, equipment and installation specifications; researches various professional journals as references in making specification revisions.
• Prepares reports on rejected items and services and forwards such reports to a superior for review; uses computerized reporting systems to track items tested and items rejected.
• Performs related work as required.

KNOWLEDGE OF:
• standards, practices and techniques utilized in the inspection of various materials, supplies, foods equipment and services
• the tools and instruments used in inspectional methods and procedures computer system operations and their applications to various databases, spreadsheets, word processing applications and e-mail
SKILL IN:
• the examination of merchandise and services to detect defects or sub-standard quality
• interpersonal, oral and written communication
ABILITY TO:
• learn City procurement processes and related practices and methods
• inspect materials, supplies, equipment and services to ascertain their quality and acceptability
• learn training methods and techniques relating to the inspection of various materials, supplies, equipment and installations for conformance to City specifications and contractual agreements
• learn the materials used in training sessions and the preparation of training manuals and visual media
• learn the component parts of a variety of materials, food, supplies, services, equipment and installations relating to conformity to City specifications
• train and instruct others in proper methods, techniques and procedures utilized in the inspection of merchandise, supplies and services
• observe inspection work performed to ascertain whether it is done completely and correctly
• resolve problems and difficulties encountered by others in the inspection of merchandise
• establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates and internal and external departmental personnel vendors
• work independently
• analyze and make appropriate recommendations regarding vendor competence
• analyze and make appropriate recommendations regarding the Procurement Department’s testing programs
• read and interpret specifications on materials, supplies, equipment, installations and services
• analyze and make appropriate recommendations regarding contract specification revisions evaluate City inspectional methods, techniques, and procedures and recommend and implement measures to improve their operation
• maintain computerized tracking system for sample products tested

EDUCATION
• Equivalent to completion of the twelfth school grade.
AND
EXPERIENCE
• Two years of inspectional experience, which has included inspections of supplies, materials, and equipment to ensure compliance with contract specifications and site testing of materials for conformance to quality standards.

OR

Any equivalent combination of education and experience determined to be acceptable to the Personnel Department, which has included completion of the twelfth school grade as an educational requirement.

PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required of a position in this class.

• Possession of a valid proper class motor vehicle operator's license as issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania prior to appointment and during tenure of employment as a Procurement Inspection Services Officer.