Procurement and Contract Administrator I/II - Human Services Agency

County of San Mateo; California; On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The County of San Mateo's Human Services Agency seeks a Procurement and Contract Administrator to negotiate, develop and oversee contracts for services and strategic sourcing. You will work with cross-functional teams to coordinate procurement, contracts, and programmatic support while ensuring compliance and timely reporting.

The role emphasizes analytical thinking, strong written and verbal communication, and the ability to manage complex procurements with a focus on efficiency, governance,

Qualifications

• Experience negotiating and executing contracts for services.
• Knowledge of governmental procurement policies.
• Ability to evaluate bids and contracts for products and complex commodities.
• Familiarity with sources of supply, pricing methods and competition rules in public procurement.
• Strong writing and editing skills; ability to develop scopes of work and performance measures.
• Excellent analytical and written communication skills.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills and stakeholder management.
• Knowledge of informal bidding and purchasing laws and regulations.
• Familiarity with records management and standard office procedures.

Responsibilities

• Apply principles of procurement and contract administration, budget development and reporting.
• Conduct research on administrative topics including feasibility, cost-benefit analyses, staffing proposals, and operational alternatives.
• Develop and standardize procedures to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
• Partner with County procurement to create strategic procurement vehicles to maximize discounts and shorten timelines.
• Perform cost/benefit analyses of procurements and alternatives.
• Monitor contract compliance, amendments, and site visits with a multi-disciplinary team.
• Develop and maintain weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual reporting mechanisms.
• Serve as liaison to branches, departments, and the public to disseminate information.
• Prepare operating manuals, organization charts and workflows.
• Train staff and provide technical/programmatic assistance to staff and subcontractors.
• Review purchase requests to determine needs and market conditions.
• Consult with stakeholders on product selection and purchasing methods.
• Invite and evaluate bids; determine awards.
• Prepare product specifications and contracts; analyze bids for conformance and make awards.
• Communicate with vendors about products and services.
• Prepare reports, recommendations and correspondence.

Skills

Contract negotiation

Contract development

Procurement knowledge

Budgeting & financial analysis

Analytical thinking

Written & verbal communication

Relationship management

Regulatory compliance

Job description

The County of San Mateo's Human Services Agency is seeking highly motivated professionals for the position of Procurement and Contract Administrator. The successful candidate will have experience negotiating and executing agreements and contracts for services and strategic sourcing for goods. The candidate will be a self-motivated, highly analytical, and strategic thinker with the ability to solve business problems and deliver insights that enable timely and effective operational decision-making.

The position will work with cross-functional teams of the organization to coordinate the development, execution and administrative monitoring of programmatic, administrative, facility, technological and other solicitations, procurement, and contracts. The position will analyze programmatic requirements and needs to assist with the planning and improving of existing processes, including the monitoring of contract agreements for compliance, reporting requirements, possible amendments and site visits with a multi-disciplinary team. The position is responsible for purchasing duties in difficult or complex commodity areas of a wide variety of materials, supplies, and equipment, and perform a broad scope of purchasing transactions with independence of action. The position will provide program support and lead the coordination and facilitation of planning, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting activities for Departmental agreements and purchases as assigned.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Solid experience in the development of contracts, negotiation of terms, and contract execution.
• Knowledge of and experience in governmental policies and practices in relation to procurement.
• Ability to develop and analyze purchasing request and evaluate specifications, proposals, bids and contracts for products and complex commodity areas and purchases.
• Knowledge of sources of supply, marketing practices, pricing methods, differentials, and other factors in public agency purchasing.
• High level of proficient writing and editing skills; experience in doing research to build scopes of work, set target levels, and develop performance measures.
• Excellent analytical, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Excellent detail-oriented and organization skills.
• Skill in establishing and maintaining effective work relationships with customers and vendors.
• Knowledge of principles, practices, procedures and applications of purchasing and governmental purchasing including but not limited to informal bidding.
• Knowledge of the laws and regulations governing purchasing policies and procedures in public agencies.
• Knowledge of office administrative practices and procedures, including records management and the operation of standard office equipment.
• Strong interpersonal skills with proven ability to develop and maintain effective business partner relations at all levels of the organization. Incumbents at this level are typically assigned complex procurements and contracts.

There is currently one vacancy within the Financial Services Division of the Human Services Agency.

NOTE:

The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.

Examples Of Duties

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Apply principles and practices of procurement and contract administration and evaluation, public agency budget development and reporting, and financial management policies and procedures.
• Conduct research on a wide variety of administrative topics including contract feasibility, cost benefit analysis, budget and staffing proposals, and operational alternatives.
• Develop and standardize procedures and methods to improve and continuously monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of operations and service delivery methods and procedures in order to maximize funding and minimize costs.
• Partner with County procurement to create strategic procurement vehicles that maximize volume discounts, and shorten the timeline of procurements.
• Perform cost/benefit analysis of procurements and operational alternatives.
• In collaboration with Program, Administrative, and Financial Management, evaluate purchasing processes and timelines to establish efficiencies and effectiveness in business processes.
• Monitor contract agreements for compliance, reporting requirements, possible amendments, and site visits with a multi-disciplinary team.
• Develop and maintain weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting mechanisms.
• Serve as liaison to branches, departments, governmental agencies, and the public to disseminate information.
• Prepare or assist in the preparation of operating manuals, organization charts, and workflows.
• Train staff in work procedures and provide technical and programmatic assistance to staff and subcontractors.
• Receive, review, and check purchase requests to determine needs, market conditions and product availability.
• Consult and assist with product selection and purchasing methods.
• Invite and accept bids, evaluate prices, discounts, and delivery conditions.
• Prepare and assist in the preparation of product specifications and contracts.
• Analyze bids for conformance to specifications; make awards on bids.
• Confer with vendors about products and services.
• Prepare reports, recommendations and correspondence.

Qualifications

• Principles and practices of public administration.
• Principles and practices of program areas to which assigned.
• Principles and practices of contract development, negotiation and monitoring, including budgeting and financial record keeping.
• Principles, practices and techniques of administrative and programmatic research and analysis.
• Applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations and County and program policies and guidelines.
• Computer applications related to the work.
• Office administrative practices and procedures, including records management and the operation of standard office equipment.

Skill/Ability to:

• Develop and evaluate proposals and negotiate contracts and agreements.
• Develop, monitor and analyze budgets and program performance.
• Plan, coordinate and implement administrative and programmatic research and analysis.
• Analyze, interpret and apply various regulations and requirements.
• Train staff in work procedures and provide technical and programmatic assistance to staff and subcontractors.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with grantors, subcontractors, County staff, elected and appointed officials, the public and others.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Compile, analyze and interpret data using research techniques; draw sound conclusions and prepare and present effective reports regarding findings and recommendations.
• Exercise sound independent judgment within general policy and regulatory guidelines.
• Prepare clear and accurate reports, correspondence, procedures and other written materials.
• Organize and prioritize work and meet critical deadlines.
• Maintain accurate records and files.

Education and Experience

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

• Contract Administrator I: Two years of professional-level administrative or programmatic experience, primarily in the area of contract administration in a community services or related setting.
• Contract Administrator II: Four years of professional-level administrative or programmatic experience, primarily in the area of contract administration in a community services or related setting.