Procurement Specialist

United States Courts; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 60,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

Tennessee Middle Probation and Pretrial Services is seeking a Shared Services Procurement Specialist to support the Probation and Pretrial Services Office and District Court in Nashville. The role involves advanced procurement activities and coordinating services to ensure efficient operations.

The incumbent will report to the Assistant Deputy Chief, USPO, and may perform some financial administrative duties as assigned, with a focus on compliance and internal controls.

Qualifications

• Two years of recent, progressively responsible procurement experience.
• Knowledge of procurement policies, procedures, and practices.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently and with a high degree of judgment.
• Willingness to work overtime and occasional overnight travel.
• Ability to lift 25 pounds overhead.
• Background investigation and suitability required.

Responsibilities

• Perform and coordinate advanced procurement activities for court units.
• Prepare complex specifications and negotiate service contracts.
• Prepare significant and large purchase documents.
• Support Budget Analyst with financial administrative duties.

Skills

Procurement experience

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Organizational skills

Spatial reasoning

Customer service

Independent judgment

Overtime and travel readiness

Ability to lift 25 pounds

Education

Bachelor’s degree in finance or related field

Tools

Automated procurement systems

Financial management systems

Word processing

Spreadsheet applications

Database applications

Job description

Court Name/Organization Tennessee Middle Probation and Pretrial Services

Overview of the Position The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office for the Middle District of Tennessee is accepting applications for a Shared Services Procurement Specialist to support the Probation and Pretrial Services Office and District Court. The successful candidate will report to the Fred D. Thompson U.S. Courthouse & Federal Building in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Procurement Specialist performs and coordinates administrative, technical, and professional work ensuring that court units are supplied with the materials, equipment, and services required to function optimally, including ensuring compliance with the appropriate guidelines, policies, and internal controls. Procurement Specialists perform advanced procurement activities requiring advanced knowledge of procurement policies and practices. Advanced procurement activities include preparing complicated specifications, negotiating service contracts, and preparing significant and large purchase documents. In addition to procurement duties, the Procurement Specialist will support the Budget Analyst by performing some financial administrative duties as assigned. The Procurement Specialist will report to the Assistant Deputy Chief, USPO or other designee of the Court Unit Executive.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will possess:

Strong written and verbal communication skills

Extraordinary attention to detail

Excellent organizationaland time management skills

Spatial reasoning skills

Strong customer service skills and ability to deal with a wide variety of people tactfully and courteously

Ability to use independent judgment

Availability to work overtime and occasional overnight travel

Ability to lift 25 pounds overhead

To be eligible for appointment at classification level CL 27, a candidate must possess the minimum qualifications, a minimum of two years of recent, progressively responsible procurement experience, including knowledge of the rules, regulations, procedures and practices of standard procurement procedures, involving the routine use of automated procurement systems.

In addition to the minimum qualifications, preference will be given to candidates who also possess any of the following:

Bachelor’s degree in finance or related field.

Knowledgeof and experience with government procurement practices. Experiencewith contracting and negotiating.

Experiencein accounts payable and associated processes.

Experiencewith automated financial management systems.

This is a highly sensitive position within the Judiciary. Employment will be considered provisional pending successful completion a background investigation, credit check, and a favorable suitability determination. A social media inquiry may also be a condition of employment.

General Experience

• Knowledge of procurement management procedures, guidelines, policies, practices, and protocols used within the court unit.


• Knowledge of general government procurement policies and procedures.


• Knowledge of the court unit’s needs and usage of supplies, equipment, and services.


• Knowledge of financial systems and protocols needed to maintain purchase order information and invoice payment processing.


• Skill in preparing requests for qualification/proposal/quotation documents.


• Skill in completing various forms used in the procurement process and maintaining related records.


• Skill in planning and coordinating time and delivery of purchases.


• Skill in researching and interpreting guidelines, rules, regulations, and policies related to purchasing.


• Ability to interpret and implement federal judiciary guidelines and policies regarding purchasing.


• Ability to obtain Contracting Officer Contracting Program certification.


• Skill in negotiating terms and conditions of services and contracts with vendors.


• Skill in developing specifications through interaction with subject matter experts to identify their needs to be articulated in solicitations and formal requests.


• Ability to anticipate and analyze short-term and long-term procurement needs of the court, evaluating the advantages, disadvantages, levels of quality, and cost implications of decisions related to the potential acquisition and management of materials, equipment, and services.


• Knowledge of and compliance with the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees and courtconfidentiality requirements.


• Ability to consistently demonstrate sound ethics and judgment.


• Ability to communicate effectively (orally and in writing) with requestors and vendors, providing customer service and resolving difficulties while complying with regulations, rules, and procedures.


• Ability to communicate with requesters to determine actual needs; ability to evaluate whether proposed purchases will meet those needs.


• Skill in the use of automated equipment including word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications, as well as financial and accounting systems, databases and systems used for tracking inventory, preparing purchase orders, and other systems related to procurement activities.

Employee Benefits

The Federal benefits package includes:

Paid annual and sick leave

Retirement benefits under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS/FRAE)

Traditional and Roth Retirement savings and investment plan under Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with employer matching contributions.

Health benefits under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB)

Supplemental Dental and Vision Benefits offered through Federal Employees Vision and Dental Plan (FEDVIP)

Life insurance benefits under the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program (FEGLI)

Flexible Benefits Program for Health Care Reimbursement and Dependent Care Reimbursement

This position is subject to mandatory electronic fund transfer (direct deposit) for payment of net earnings.

U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services
719 Church Street, Suite 1100
Nashville, Tennessee 37203
615-736-5771

The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.