Contracts and Procurement Administrator

The Colorado Attorney General's Office; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 98,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid schedule (two days in office)

Job summary

The Colorado Attorney General's Office is hiring a Contract and Procurement Administrator to join the Department of Law's hybrid procurement team.

You will lead purchasing, contracting, and competitive grant duties, collaborating with attorneys and staff to design and implement procurement workflows in a legally compliant environment.

Qualifications

• Six (6) years of professional purchasing and contracting experience in state/government or similar setting.
• Bachelor’s degree plus two years of purchasing/contracting experience; OR Master’s plus one year of experience.

Responsibilities

• Draft purchase orders, contracts, and grants; advise on procurement rules and policies.
• Conduct solicitations from cradle-to-grave, including RFPs, RFIs, quotes, and sole source justifications.
• Review vendor agreements; modify language; ensure compliance with state requirements.
• Negotiate contract terms balancing state requirements, risk, and program needs.
• Maintain CMS and CORE data; produce periodic reporting on procurement activity.
• Provide education and training on procurement, contracting, and grant processes.

Skills

Procurement experience

Contract drafting

Vendor negotiation

Regulatory compliance

Analytical thinking

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business, finance, public administration or related field

Master’s degree in accounting, business, finance, public administration or related field

Tools

CORE system

CMS

Job description

Find a rewarding career making a difference: Join the Office of the Attorney General!

The Department of Law is recruiting for aContract and Procurement Administratorwith a background in the legal or law firm environment and experience working with legal services contracts and legal professionals. This role offers a unique opportunity for a detailed-oriented professional who enjoys contracting, procurement and the legal field. The Contract and Procurement Administrator position is ideal for someone who thrives in a dynamic and multifaceted role that includes contracting, purchasing, staff training, and regulatory research and compliance. As a member of a small and collaborative procurement team, this position plays an important role in supporting DOL’s mission by helping to design and improve procurement workflows, initiating, and executing procurement projects, and navigating complex contracting challenges that arise within the legal and law enforcement e environment. In this role, you will also lead procurement efforts supporting the DOL’s on-site Information Technology operations while collaborating closely with attorneys, investigators, and professional staff. The Department of Law manages a wide range of unique legal matters, offering our procurement team the opportunity to engage in diverse and complex contracting scenarios and continuously expand their knowledge and expertise in government purchasing and legal contracting.

ABOUT THE UNIT

The contract and procurement unit provides fiscal management and support for all units within the Department of Law and ensures that all purchases of goods and services made and grants issued by the Department are in compliance with State statutes, procurement rules, fiscal rules, and DOL policies and procedures. The unit is responsible for completing departmental financial transactions in an accurate and timely manner, including but not limited to accounting, budget, procurement, and contracts. The unit is responsible for financial reporting to management and assisting departmental units with interpreting financial information and decision-making. This unit works closely with DOL Budget to plan, direct, and control fiscal operations, maintain fiscal oversight, and monitor compliance with various authoritative guidance (include Colorado Revised Statutes, Fiscal Rules, federal reporting guidelines, GASB, GAAS, and other regulatory rules). The contract and procurement team works in a hybrid schedule, with at minimum two days in office and the remaining week worked from home.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

TheContracts and Procurement Administrator (Purchasing Agent III)works with the Contracts & Procurement Official, performing professional level duties involved with procuring goods and services necessary for the operation of the Department of Law. This position serves as a Purchasing Agent that performs contracts and purchasing and competitive grant duties. This position will:

Purchasing

• Serve as a sub-delegated purchasing agent for the department and is involved with every aspect of ensuring purchases are appropriately procured and legally binding
• Evaluate purchasing requests to determine the appropriate vendor selection/purchasing method (including State Price Agreements) and appropriate commitment voucher (i.e. purchase order vs. contract)
• Advise DOL requestors on Procurement Code and rules, Fiscal Rules and policies, and any other pertinent State/DOL laws or rules
• Draft purchase orders and contracts
• Conduct initial risk assessment of vendor agreements before forwarding to the Contracts & Procurement Director
• Review and evaluate vendor agreements to modify specific contract language before forwarding to the Contracts & Procurement Director
• Negotiate language in vendor agreements with vendors balancing all State requirements, risk analysis, and program needs
• Conduct informal and formal solicitations for quotes or bids, including documented quotes, requests for information, invitations for bid, requests for proposals, and sole source justifications
• Edit and revise statement of work requirements from DOL staff to meet the needs of the solicitation and desired outcome
• Interview potential vendors concerning the product or service needs of DOL, including price negotiations, product and service delivery terms
• Ensure potential awarded vendors are in compliance with State requirements for doing business under State purchasing and contracting guidelines
• Input all required purchasing documents in the State’s accounting system (CORE) and the State’s Contract Management System (CMS)
• Maintain complete DOL procurement, contract and grants files

Contracting

• Determine the appropriate commitment voucher (i.e., purchase order vs. contract, grant) based on the purchasing method used, State Fiscal Rule requirements, Office of the State Controller Policies, DOL policies, other legal or policy guidance
• Utilize the State’s model contracts and DOL templates to draft purchase orders, contracts, and grants, including but not limited to, statements of work, contract exhibits, amendments, task orders, option letters, etc., in a timely manner, and in consideration of competing deadlines/program need
• Work closely with DOL managers/program staff to define program need, including complex contracts clauses (such as data protections required under FERPA, CJIS, HIPPA, etc.)
• Determine specific contract language with review and approval from the Contracts and Procurement Director, and negotiate language with vendors balancing all State requirements, risk analysis, and program need
• Ensure vendors are in compliance with required liability insurance and that amounts are appropriate for DOL’s potential risk
• Work closely with Budget Director to determine funding mechanisms for various purchasing efforts.
• Maintain DOL data in the CMS
• Provide periodic reporting to DOL staff involved with purchasing or contract efforts (i.e., status of encumbrance, remaining balance, impending expiration dates of contracts, required options or amendments, etc.).

Competitive Granting and Grant Development

• Provide guidance and best practices to grant program staff for outgoing grants, including grant applications
• Develop and maintain complete and accurate documentation for each competitive granting process
• Ensure outgoing grants are appropriately awarded and legally binding and for overseeing all DOL efforts to obtain incoming grants
• Assist in coordinating, facilitating, and managing competitive grant evaluations and award processes
• Conduct pre-application meetings and post-award applicant debriefings, as necessary
• Draft Statement of Work (“SOW”)/grant requirements, as well as revise and edit SOWs and technical requirements received from DOL program to meet the needs of the competitive grant process

Education and Training

• Train DOL staff on all procurement, granting and contracting guidance and processes including, but not limited to Colorado Revised Statutes, Colorado Procurement Code, Fiscal Rules, Fiscal Procedures, Office of the State Controller policies, and Federal program and data protection requirements (FERPA, CJIS, HIPPA, FTI, etc.)
• Develop and deliver training on contract and procurement/competitive granting processes to staff as directed

Salary note:Although a salary range is listed, salary will be set commensurate with the successful candidate’s qualifications and in compliance with the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act. Salary will be paid on a biweekly basis.

This recruitment may be used to fill highly similar positions in the Contracts and Purchasing Unit.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time ofsubmittingyour application.

Minimum Qualifications:Please document all relevant experience in detail on your application. Experience will not be inferred or assumed. Any part-time experience listed will be prorated.

Requires:

• Six (6) years of professional purchasing and contracting experience as primary job functions in a state agency, law firm, or in a organization that requires the application of similar rules and laws

OR

• Graduation from an accredited institution with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, business, finance, public administration or other closely related field AND Two (2) years of professional purchasing and contracting experience as primary job functions in a state agency, law firm, or in an organization that requires the application of similar rules and laws

OR

• A master’s degree froman accredited institution in accounting, business, finance, public administration or other closely related field AND One (1)year of professional purchasing and contracting experience as primary job functions in a state agency, law firm, or in an organization that requires the application of similar rules and laws

Preferred Qualifications:In addition to the minimum qualifications, if you possess any of the following specifically include the details on your application, as this information will be used to assess your qualifications and may be used to determine a top group of applicants.

• Experience conducting solicitations, including managing solicitations from cradle-to-grave, solicitation document drafting, including scope of work formation and drafting, and appointing and overseeing evaluation committees throughout the evaluation and award process
• Experience managing the Request for Proposal (RFP) process including drafting solicitation language, overseeing evaluation committee and vendor selection, and contract writing
• Extensive purchasing and contracting experience in a governmental setting
• Experience drafting legal documents
• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of theories, principles, and best practices of purchasing.
• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of Colorado’s Procurement Code, State Fiscal Rules, Federal Purchasing Rules, and CDOT’s Purchasing Manuals and Guidelines.
• Experience working in a law firm or directly with legal staff

Desired Competencies:

• Self-directed and motivated work ethic
• Strong organizational, planning, and prioritization skills, demonstrating flexibility and an ability to multitask
• Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to develop strong ongoing professional relationships and foster strategic partnerships, demonstrating exceptional customer service and respect for others
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Highly effective critical thinking, complex problem solving, and decision-making skills
• Ability to interpret complex rules, regulations, policies, procedures, and guidelines

Conditions of Employment:

• Applicants must pass a thorough background investigation prior to appointment.
• Hybrid work arrangements currently require this position to work in-person in the office a minimum of two days and remote work from home on the other work days not in office, however this may be subject to change based on supervisor discretion.
• Colorado Department of Law participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.