CLASS SPECIFICATION

P R O C U R E M E N T S P E C I A L I S T I V*

DEFINITION OF CLASS:
This is advanced level professional procurement work that may include training and mentoring of lower level specialists and purchasing work in the Office of Procurement. The work involves the contracting obligation and related contract fiscal issues of one or more large departments or multiple departments whose contracting needs are unusually complex, along with portfolios of purchasing commodities spanning countywide and providing coverage where gaps occur. Purchasing assignments may include a wide array of unusual matters that are not always presented complete and requires further analysis. Personal contacts for an employee in this class are diverse both within and outside of the County, including but not limited to: management and supervisory employees within the department, core and staff agencies such as the County Attorney, Finance, Management and Budget, and ERP; vendors, Contractors, businesses, law firms, media; Federal, State, and local agencies such as GSA, State DHMH, State MDOT, State SDAT, WSSC, WMATA. The focus of these contacts is to provide and receive information, explain and coordinate actions, and resolve problems. Some contacts are of a cooperative nature, but require negotiation and communication skills to advise, persuade, negotiate and otherwise address questions and resolve differences. Contacts include telephone and other modes of communications with the public on certain contract matters, but the provision of direct public service or assistance on a sustained basis is not a predominant characteristic of this class.

The employee in this class develops and conducts the most complex contractual/procurement actions. The employee may also provide work direction to lower level specialists or administrative staff. The employee provides contracting consultation and guidance to departmental contract administration staff to facilitate and support their contracting operations. Employees in this class are responsible for preparing and managing the departmental solicitation contracting cycle, including guidance on legislative and technical trends on contracting matters in the analysis and development of source selection methods and contracting alternatives. The work requires knowledge of and application of a wide range of contracting, procurement, and fiscal concepts to handle the most difficult and complex procurement/contract and operational issues. Responsibilities also include monitoring State and regional legislation or terms and conditions changes for implications affecting the County's operation and service delivery, analysis of contracts, grant contracts, purchasing management, and similar services. Work is done under a moderate degree of administrative supervision whereby the employee, technically expert in matters of procurement and contracting in their assigned areas, including fiscal control within contracting, and aware of the goals and objectives of the organization, carries out detailed steps and processes required to accomplish work assignments. The employee in this class is expected to meet and coordinate with and resolve problems concerning other employees and persons internal and external to the County. Completed work is generally reviewed for appropriateness of analysis and recommendations. This position requires resourcefulness and initiative in problem resolution. Guidelines are extensive in most areas but the guidelines are not always in sync and between agencies may be contradictory or require further interpretation for County applicability. In these instances, an employee must determine how to reconcile Federal, State, or other requirements, which differ from the County's without having a negative impact. New and innovative purchasing practices may need development. The complexity entails: understanding, interpreting, reconciling, and implementing varying contracting requirements from federal, state, regional bodies; responding in a timely manner to competing priorities and deadlines; understanding and implementing interagency, inter and intra departmental requirements and communications as they impact contracting matters; analyzing and reporting on a variety of contracting and related matters; having to anticipate and track fiscal impacts on varying contract language and requirements having legal implications in obligation of funds. The balancing of these complex and often competing items enables the employee to provide the necessary support and facilitation of contractual soundness to the organization served. An employee in this class has authority to obligate the County contractually and fiscally within delegated authority, which is generally higher than the lower level specialists. This higher level of authority coupled with authority to perform work independently under less supervision are what distinguish this class of work from the next lower class in this series. The work is primarily performed in an office environment. Work includes sitting at a desk and attending meetings, including periods of walking, standing, bending, and carrying of files, books, papers and other documentation. Senior level consultation and advice to lower level specialists and administrative staff and departmental senior management with proposed courses of actions having substantial impact on operations and customer organizations also distinguish this class from lower level classes. During certain periods each year, employees may be required to work comp/overtime.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES: (Illustrative Only)
Monitors contracting progress of department (s) and commodity areas to which assigned as well as new alternative approaches in other agencies when these contracting approaches affect the organization's overall contracting program operations.
Coordinates the selection method, packaging, and submission of departmental contracting actions.
Controls changes to and switching among solicitation methods and adjustments to contractual obligations with final approval within signature thresholds.
Provides advance projection of contract expirations and replacements required and review of multi-year term justifications.
Prepares solicitation packages for issuance including required terms, regulatory conditions and compliance program requirements.
Oversees preparation of contract actions in highly visible and complex categories and monitors project progress.
Resolves with department (s) escalated contractor claims and performance issues.
Verifies departmental responsibility of reporting requirements and other conditions of contracts applicable for satisfaction of renewal authorization, extension or other modification requests.
Conducts analysis of procurement contracting and operational matters to provide recommendations and courses of action.
Coordinates contracting activities through compliance programs.
Reviews and responds to correspondence and telephone requests concerning procurement contracting, fiscal and operating aspects with legal implications.
Provides policy recommendations and procedural recommendations concerning procurement contracting matters.
Analyzes proposals and submissions conferring with program and other managers and chiefs including their staff and advising them on alternatives, requirements, and goals.
Presents and supports contracting topics and actions to various audiences; presents alternatives and options for consideration and identifies important policy issues to be addressed.
Accompanies management to meetings with officials and others, including those from other agencies, law firms, and associations regarding contracting matters, advising senior managers and agency heads and others on matters and explaining contracting requirements as needed.
Directs and/or performs complex contract analysis requiring compilation of difficult to obtain data, forecasts of contractual issues, and identification of options that require difficult programmatic choices for management.
Plans and develops methods and procedures for contract training and monitoring issues, and works on debriefs of contracting breakdowns for efficiency and effectiveness.
Trains and mentors lower level specialists and participates in review of certain actions as assigned.
May develop procurement services such as development of departmental specific training guides, development and enhancement of procurement program categories, and other matters.
Performs other related duties.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience: Considerable experience (5 years) in the field of public sector procurement and contracting.
Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's Degree.
Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Thorough knowledge of the principles, practices, methods and techniques of contractual analysis and related functions.
Thorough knowledge of current enterprise computer purchasing and financial software and personal computer applications required for a position in this class.
Considerable knowledge of the operation and organization of assigned Departments and Agencies.
Skill in identifying, synthesizing, evaluating, and negotiating complex contractual/procurement issues and assignments, bringing together the necessary information from various sources, and selecting the appropriate approaches to accomplish the objective.
Skill in expressing ideas, conclusions, and recommendations effectively, clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
Ability to plan, set priorities and organize numerous work assignments to meet tight and often conflicting deadlines.
Ability to identify and solve problems, including analyzing, evaluating, developing, and implementing procedures and programs designed to provide efficiency and minimize costs.
Ability to train and mentor lower level employees.
Ability to prepare and manage aspects of the contract cycle.
Ability to prepare comprehensive and concise reports, both orally and in writing.
Ability to attend meetings or perform other assignment at locations outside the office.
Ability to establish and maintain cooperative and working relationships across a broad spectrum of officials, business executives, groups, task forces, associations, and others.
Ability to use automated systems technology and software as tools for effective accomplishment of work.
Ability to step in during gaps, flexibility in assignments, and promote teamwork.

LICENSE:
Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) or equivalency.
Possession of a valid motor vehicle operator's license when required for job related duties.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD:
Individuals appointed to a position in this class will be required to serve a probationary period of twelve months and, if promoted to a position in this class, will be required to serve a probationary period of six months. Performance will be carefully evaluated during the probationary period. Continuation in this class will be contingent upon successful completion of the probationary period.

MEDICAL PROTOCOL: Medical History Review

Class Established: December, 2012