Senior Procurement Specialist

Under limited supervision of the Procurement Program Supervisor, this position manages the largest, most complex procurements and contracts related to professional and non-professional services, including, but not limited to: design, construction, technology, human, financial and entity-wide goods and/or services.

• Manages large complex procurement and contract management activities by:
• Manages competitive procurement process, formal and informal, in compliance with the Virginia Public Procurement Act and Fairfax Water policies and procedures.
• Manages high level, complex procurements through various procurement methods including, but not limited to, competitive negotiation, competitive sealed bidding, sole source, and cooperative procurements for a wide variety of goods and/or services including professional design, construction, information technology, human services, financial and other Fairfax Water mission related contracts.
• Works with requisitioners to develop, review, and edit specifications and/or scopes of work for solicitations.
• Performs research on sources of supply and determining the availability of existing public contracts to satisfy user requirements.
• Determines and assigns appropriate procurement method.
• Conducts pre-bid and pre-proposal conferences.
• Completes evaluation of bids and proposals for compliance with the solicitation requirements.
• Leads and documents evaluation deliberations, negotiations and award processes to ensure all phases of the procurement process are conducted in a manner consistent with procurement best practices, the Virginia Public Procurement Act and Fairfax Water requirements while maintaining all ethical standards and credibility in the marketplace with prospective bidders, offerors, contractors and customers.
• Negotiates and prepares final agreements and identifies applicable terms and conditions for purchase of goods and/or services.
• Assist senior personnel with writing and modifying Board Items for contract awards.
• Creates purchase orders under the authority delegated by the Procurement Manager.
• Negotiates difficult and/or major contract changes with contractors and memorializes through a written contract amendment.
• Performs contract management functions, identifying problems and initiating corrective action when appropriate.
• Maintains accurate and complete procurement file documentation.
• Assists in the development and review of internal procedures and regulations.
• Identifies efficiencies and coordinates with the Procurement Program Supervisor and SAP Team on modifications/reconfigurations to the necessary SAP modules in the procure-to-pay process for internal and external Procurement users.
• Assists in the training of junior procurement staff.
• Testifies in court to support Fairfax Water’s action or interest in procurement or contract disputes as needed.
• Prepares materials, reports and supporting documentation on procurement related matters for Executive Management and Fairfax Water’s Board.
• Assists, advises, and guides junior procurement, end users, contractors, and compliance personnel as required.
• May be required to develop and deliver internal and external training related to the Procurement Function.
• Must be able to work independently and collaborate with other departments and division to contract for a wide variety of services.
• Performs other duties as assigned or required.

• Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following:
  Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration or business-related field from an accredited college or university; and at least five years of progressively responsible experience in management of complex information technology procurements and management of awarded contracts.
• Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB), Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO), or other accredited procurement certification within one year of employment.
• Considerable experience in state and/or local government procurement for design, construction, information technology and/or facility operations and contract management, and complex, high-cost purchases of other services and/or commodities. Considerable knowledge of procurement policies, regulations and procedures.
• Considerable knowledge of best practices in public procurement.
• Extensive experience with drafting procurement specifications and contracts.
• Extensive experience negotiating complex and technical contracts, change orders, amendments, and renewals.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Exceptional sound judgment and problem-solving skills used in decision-making. Considerable experience in MS Office with high level of proficiency in Word and Excel and experience using PowerPoint.
• Experience in SAP or other Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.
• Must pass a controlled substance (drug) test for employment.