Procurement/Contract Specialist (0288) (Hybrid)

Procurement/Contract Specialist (Hybrid)Help protect one of Florida's most vital resources water with a career at the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District). The District is a government agency whose mission is to protect water resources, minimize flood risks, and ensure the public's water needs are met. We serve a population of nearly 6 million people in west-central Florida as directed by state law. Join our Procurement Services Office by using your expertise in public sector purchasing. With this opportunity, you'll have the chance to procure supplies, materials, services, and equipment necessary for the District to operate in a manner that is responsive, promotes integrity and fairness, and encourages diversity. The Procurement Specialist confers with vendors to obtain product or service information, such as price, availability, and delivery schedule, administers procurement-related policies and procedures, and provides work direction and training to internal customers. You'll have the chance to work with a wide range of project managers, internal customers and a fun and welcoming Procurement team. The District supports employees who prefer flexible schedule or a remote work schedule so that they can enjoy their time outside of the District through work-life balance. This role is considered hybrid, which means the employee will be required to come on-site for periodic meetings and work a portion of their time remotely (must live in Florida). Come build a career that is challenging, fulfilling, and helps support the District's mission to protect Florida's water resources. This position specifically has the ability to work up to three (3) days remote after successful three (3) months. District employees are offered an excellent total rewards package that includes: Florida Retirement System (FRS) District Total Contribution 13.63% 9 paid holidays (+ 1 floating holiday) Generous vacation and sick leave Paid Parental Leave, including Maternity, Bonding and Family Supportive Work Program Medical and dental insurance (91-97% District paid) Vision insurance Deferred compensation Program Basic and voluntary life and AD&D insurance Long-term disability (District Paid) Prescription drug coverage & mail order program Health savings & flexible spending accounts Flexible schedule for work-life balance Legal and Identity Theft protection Wellness program Public service loan forgiveness qualified employer Tuition reimbursement ($5,250/year) State adoption benefit qualified employer Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Transfer in years of service for other public sector work towards the FRS program and sick time Starting Compensation: Procurement Specialist 2: $49,635.00 - $67,532.50 Procurement Specialist 3: $53,589.00 - $72,931.50 The starting salary range for the Procurement Specialist position reflects the minimum to 50% of the compensation. The starting salary will be based on the education and experience of the successful candidate. The District conducts annual performance evaluations that may award applicable pay increases based on positive employee performance. Essential Functions: Verify needs with District staff and negotiate prices, terms, discounts, services, delivery, and transportation with vendors for goods and services consistent with applicable federal and state laws and District policies and procedures. Develop requests for quotes/bids/proposals, conduct pre-bid meetings, openings and debriefings, coordinate questions, answers, and addenda. Evaluate suppliers, negotiate contracts and review product/service quality. Apply, interpret, and adhere to relevant laws, legal codes, government regulations, and District rules, procedures and practices. Determines or recommends method of procurement, such as direct purchase or bid. Prepares bid specifications, receive bids, and make purchases of commodities or goods. Recommend procurement process; draft, evaluate and finalize agreements of varying types, such as non-disclosure, sales/purchase, sub-contract, consulting, license, distribution, commercial and public contracting, construction, cooperative funding or other agreements as needed. Review procurement and contractual terms and conditions proposed by other internal and external stakeholders. Investigate new sources of supply and environmentally preferable products and services by gathering and analyzing market intelligence on suppliers, products, services, and costs. Estimates values according to knowledge of market price. Work with Finance, the Office of General Counsel, Risk, and others to coordinate financial, legal, insurance, and others contractual terms and ensure adherence to broader operational requirements such as contractual or statutory/rule requirements. Serve as a point of contact and provide guidance as needed for employees, customers, and stakeholders on contractual and procurement matters. Orient, train, and advise staff, vendors, and other government agencies on regulations, District policies, procedures and current solicitations. Establish and maintain relations with suppliers and internal customers exercising personal initiative and sound business judgment and employ process quality improvement and cost reduction efforts. Apply, interpret, and adhere to relevant laws, legal codes, government regulations, and District rules, procedures, and practices. Maintain appropriate records and documentation, such as correspondence, data, and reports needed or used in development of contracts, stakeholder contact information, contract modifications, issue identification/resolution, significant events, status reports, and other procurement-related documents. Identify and establish monitoring and reporting methods and requirements for procurement. Identify potential problems or areas of recurrent concern or pressure within the course and scope of contract or procurement efforts and identify/implement effective solutions. Contribute to, influence, develop and implement procedures for procurement management and administration in accordance with District policy. Expedite, track, monitor, and report on processes, documents, and performance. Administer the District's Procurement Card Program, including P-card establishment, training, disputes, and closeout. Manage vendor relationships. Working Conditions: Physical, Visual Acuity Requirements: Sedentary Work, Close Acuity, Reaching, Standing, Walking, Lifting, Fingering, Grasping, Talking, Hearing, Repetitive Motion, Other Working Environmental Conditions: Both InOut Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Employee may be subject to call-in outside of regularly scheduled work hours, or required to be on call, including on nights, weekends or holidays, to respond to emergency management activities or other incidents requiring rapid response in support of District operations. Required Credentials for Procurement Specialist: Procurement Specialist 2: Bachelor's degree (or higher) in Business Administration or related field and three (3) years experience in procurement, contracts, or related field OR Associates degree from an accredited college or university and five (5) years experience in procurement, purchasing, or related field OR High School diploma or equivalent and seven (7) years experience in procurement, purchasing, or related field Valid driver's license Procurement Specialist 3: Bachelor's degree (or higher) in Business Administration or related field and five (5) years experience in procurement, contracts, or related field OR Associates degree from an accredited college or university and seven (7) years experience in procurement, purchasing, or related field OR High School diploma or equivalent and nine (9) years experience in procurement, purchasing, or related field Valid driver's license Preferred Credentials for Procurement Specialist: Certified Professional Public Buyer certification Experience working for a state government, local municipality, or special district Applicants are required to submit: Along with your resume, you are encouraged to include a professional writing sample that you have personally prepared. While any professional writing sample will be accepted, a sample solicitation is preferred, as it best demonstrates your experience in managing the procurement process, including drafting solicitation documents and overseeing the facilitation of the solicitation. Please ensure any confidential or proprietary information is removed prior to submission. Application Process: The District will determine eligibility for employment solely from the information provided on a District employment application. All applicants are required to complete, in full, the District employment application. Incomplete applications will not be considered. A resume will not be considered as a substitute for the required District application for the purposed of qualification. Applicants who are within 30 days of graduation, if selected are not allowed to start until all minimum qualifications are met. Candidates selected for an in-person interview may be asked to complete a brief assessment designed to demonstrate their knowledge of procurement principles and practices. This assessment will help us better understand your expertise and approach to procurement-related tasks