Purchasing Manager

NOLA Public Schools Vision

The vision of the NOLA Public Schools is that every student receives a high-quality education that fosters their individual capabilities, while ensuring that they thrive, achieve physical and mental wellness, and are prepared for civic, social, and economic success. 

Position Summary

NOLA Public Schools is seeking a detail-oriented, strategic, and collaborative Purchasing Manager to oversee and streamline procurement activities across the district. Under the Director of Business Partnerships, this individual will manage the full lifecycle of purchase orders, maintain strong vendor relationships, and ensure purchasing processes comply with all applicable policies and regulations. The ideal candidate is a strong communicator, a proactive problem-solver, and thrives in a team-oriented environment dedicated to serving the educational community of New Orleans.

• Manage the creation, processing, and tracking of purchase orders to ensure timely procurement and delivery of goods and services.
• Assists with audit preparation as needed.
• Maintain accurate records of vendor contracts, purchase requisitions, and procurement transactions.
• Collaborate with internal departments to assess purchasing needs and develop cost-effective procurement strategies;
• Serve as a primary point of contact for vendors and internal stakeholders regarding purchasing matters.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with suppliers to negotiate favorable terms, resolve issues, and ensure vendor performance.
• Monitor and analyze purchasing trends and metrics to identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Coordinate with finance and accounting teams to support budget adherence and timely payment of invoices
• Assist in the development and implementation of procurement policies and training for staff
• Performs other duties as required.

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Finance or Supply Chain Management or a Bachelor’s degree in a related field with equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in purchasing, procurement, or supply chain management.

• Other Knowledge, Skills or Abilities Require
• Proficient Microsoft Office skills required in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Access.
• Good interpersonal skills and excellent written and oral communication skills are required.
• Ability to work independently and to carry out assignments to completion within parameters of instructions given, prescribed routines and standard accepted practices.
• Proven ability to build effective working relationships with vendors, colleagues, and cross-functional teams.

Salaries are determined by educational background and/or relevant years of experience.

Work Environment

Listed below are key points regarding environmental demands and the work environment of the job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.   

- Required to use motor coordination with finger dexterity (such as keyboarding, machine operation, etc.) part of the workday; 

- Required to exert physical effort in handling objects more than 30 pounds rarely; 

- Required to be exposed to physical occupational risks (such as cuts, burns, exposure to toxic chemicals) rarely; 

- Required to be exposed to physical environment which involves dirt, odors, noise, weather extremes or similar elements rarely; 

- Normal setting for this job is an office/school setting.     

Performance Evaluation

The employee will be evaluated based on the above position using either two methods: via COMPASS or a NOLA-PS evaluating instrument. If the employee holds an Educational Leadership certification, he/she will be evaluated via COMPASS to ensure renewal of certification.

EEOC Statement

NOLA Public Schools is committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, genetic information, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, lawful alien status, national origin, age, marital status, and non-job related physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status.