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 an administrative superior.
ALLOCATING FACTORS: (The following conditions must be met for a position to be allocated to this class.)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 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 ; performs inspections of City purchases 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 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 rejection requests 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 and 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 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.
Equivalent to completion of the twelfth school grade.
ANDTwo 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.
ORAny equivalent combination of education and experience determined to be acceptable by the Office of Human Resources, which has included completion of the twelfth school grade as an educational requirement.
Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required of a position in this class.
LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS AND/OR CERTIFICATESPossession 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.