Chief Procurement Officer

Lccpa; Allentown (Lehigh County); On-site; USD 100,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Lehigh County is seeking a Chief Procurement Officer to oversee the county procurement program across offices, directing policies and a team of staff. The role focuses on managing bids, developing RFPs, and maintaining supplier relationships to ensure compliant and efficient procurement.

The candidate will drive standardization of procedures, educate personnel on procurement laws, and engage with regional cooperative purchasing networks to optimize county purchasing efforts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of five years' experience procuring goods and services with at least $10M purchases annually.
• Familiarity with Invitations to Bid and Requests for Proposals.
• Extensive knowledge of county policies, contracts, and public procurement rules.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and internet applications.

Responsibilities

• Manage the County's centralized purchasing function for professional and clerical staff.
• Establish departmental objectives, direct priorities, and interpret procurement policies.
• Maintain relationships with contractors and suppliers to resolve problems and explore opportunities.
• Educate County personnel on purchasing laws, requisitions, and contract terms.
• Develop specifications for Invitations to Bid and RFPs for major procurements.
• Oversee bidding processes and ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Interview and collaborate with contractors, suppliers, and department heads on purchasing.
• Chair RFP evaluation committees and manage the formal bidding process.

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience

5+ years' experience procuring goods and services with at least $10M annual purchases and 30 user departments

Extensive knowledge of public procurement processes and county contracts

Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and internet applications

Tools

Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, Outlook

Job description

Summary:

• The Chief Procurement Officer has oversight for the procurement program for all County offices, including developing and implementing procurement policies and procedures and oversees the professional and clerical staff.

Essential Duties:

• Manage the County's centralized purchasing function including the procurement activities of the professional and clerical staff.
• Establish departmental objectives, directs priorities, interprets purchasing policies, rules, and regulations governing procurement activities.
• Maintain relationships with contractors and suppliers to resolve problems, explore new business opportunities and maintain productive partnerships.
• Assist and educate County personnel of all levels in resolving purchasing discrepancies and familiarizing managers with purchasing laws in areas from processing requisitions to conforming to terms and conditions of contracts.
• Develop specifications and documents for solicitation of public Invitations to Bid and Requests for Proposals on major procurements of equipment, materials and services for all County agencies.
• Oversee conduct of the bidding process, insuring compliance with legal, regulatory and other requirements governing public procurement.
• Interview and work with contractors, suppliers, department heads and other officials concerning the purchasing of supplies and equipment.
• Function as chairperson of RFP evaluation committees (when applicable); provides technical expertise concerning contract specifications; analyzes bid and proposal responses, and administers the entire formal public bidding process.
• Participate in professional or collegial organizations that provide information and/or purchasing opportunities for the County, e.g. Lehigh Valley Cooperative Purchasing Council (LVCPC), the southeastern Pennsylvania Counties Cooperative Purchasing Board (SPCCPB), the Pennsylvania Public Purchasing Association (PAPPA), NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement.
• Perform related work as needed.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• The Chief Procurement Officer has supervisory responsibility for approximately (6) direct reports.

Qualifications:

• To perform this job successfully, the individual in this position must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the minimum knowledge, skills and ability required.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor's degree (B. A.) from four-year college or university; or one to two years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of five (5) years' experience procuring goods and services, and managing competitive bids/proposals with the responsibility of at least $10 million in purchases annually and at least 30 user departments. Public procurement experience preferred, including familiarity with all aspects of Invitations to Bid and Requests for Proposal.
• Thorough knowledge of goals, objectives, methods and techniques applicable to the management of a centralized procurement program.
• Extensive knowledge and understanding of County policies and procedures, general law of contracts and Commonwealth, Federal, cooperative and other types of contracts.
• Thorough knowledge of methods, techniques and legal requirements commonly employed in purchasing commodities and services used by government at the local level.
• Thorough knowledge in using personal computers including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and Outlook) and internet applications.