Chief Contracts and Procurement Officer

County of Monterey•Salinas, CA

10d

About The Position

The Chief Contracts and Procurement Officer has functional and first-level management responsibility for Monterey County’s centralized purchasing, contracting, and related functions. Under the administrative direction of an Assistant County Administrative Officer, the officer responds to and facilitates departmental purchasing and contracting needs, ensures County purchasing activities—including delegated activities—comply with applicable laws, regulations, policies, procedures, and ethical standards, and provides direction to staff delivering procurement services. The role exercises considerable independence and provides management and technical expertise, advice, and support to County executives and departmental staff. Housed within the County Administrative Office, the Contracts and Procurement Unit supports County departments with procurement and contract management. It promotes consistent best practices and aims to deliver efficient, timely, cost-effective procurement through strategic sourcing, competitive bidding, agreement development, and positive vendor relationships. The position also manages the Contracts/Purchasing Division, develops and administers Countywide procurement policies and programs, oversees purchasing and contracting processes, vendor relationships, contracts, staff, budgets, and computerized procurement systems, and represents the County to external organizations. The qualifying example is six years of increasingly responsible professional purchasing experience in a large institution or agency, including at least one year in a supervisory or management capacity, preferably in the public sector, plus completion of college coursework leading to a bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, or a related field. A valid California Class C driver’s license or suitable transportation approved by the appointing authority is required. The employee must be available for after-hours, irregular or extended hours, shifts, nights, weekends, holidays, and on-call duty during emergencies or disasters.

Requirements

Six years of increasingly responsible professional purchasing experience in a large institution or agency, including at least one year in a supervisory or management capacity; public-sector experience is preferred.
Completion of college coursework from an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, or a related field.
Possess and maintain a valid California Class C driver’s license or provide suitable transportation approved by the appointing authority.
Be available to work after hours, irregular or protracted hours, shifts, nights, weekends, and holidays during emergencies or disasters, and to perform scheduled on-call duty.
Knowledge of public-sector contracting and purchasing practices, ethics, standards, and applicable local, State, and Federal requirements.
Knowledge of vendor evaluation, supply sourcing, commodity markets, pricing, bid specifications, bid analysis, contract negotiation, policy development, administrative problem solving, strategic planning, quality control, and public personnel management.
Working knowledge of public administration, budgeting, organizational analysis, management, customer service, and office and computer-based business applications and systems.
Ability to lead purchasing and contracting functions; develop specifications and contracts; evaluate bids and vendor performance; negotiate; and implement purchasing and materials-management policies.
Ability to supervise, evaluate, counsel, train, and discipline employees; assess administrative programs and implement improvements; and interpret and apply complex laws, regulations, and policies.
Ability to analyze data, budgets, reports, problems, and complaints; prepare complex written materials; develop recommendations; and communicate and present information clearly.
Ability to gain cooperation through discussion and persuasion and maintain effective working relationships with department heads, administrators, managers, vendors, contractors, and others.
Ability to use standard business equipment, including computer hardware and software, and provide courteous customer service and public relations.

Nice To Haves

Professional purchasing experience in a public-sector setting.

Responsibilities

Serve as a deputized purchasing agent and monitor centralized and delegated purchasing and contracting activities for legal, ethical, and policy compliance.
Manage the Contracts/Purchasing Division, including planning, organizing, directing, staffing, and controlling its programs, projects, and activities.
Provide proactive purchasing services and advise County departments on purchasing needs, legal requirements, technologies, and procurement methods.
Develop, recommend, administer, and implement Countywide procurement programs, policies, procedures, methods, and automated systems.
Review departmental requisitions, authorize purchases within established limits, oversee formal and informal bids, and sign purchase orders.
Serve as the primary liaison with vendors, contractors, County departments, agencies, and the public on procurement matters; research markets, develop supply sources, and negotiate prices and terms.
Develop purchasing specifications; issue and evaluate RFPs, RFQs, and RFIs; negotiate agreements; recommend contract awards; draft and review contracts; and present recommendations to County executives or the Board of Supervisors.
Coordinate with the State of California and other approved purchasing programs, negotiate and manage cooperative agreements, and arrange authorized special funding such as lease agreements.
Monitor vendor performance and contract compliance; maintain supplier relationships; investigate and resolve complaints, bid protests, and award issues; and coordinate special projects with vendors and departments.
Plan, assign, direct, and monitor staff work; manage schedules, workloads, performance evaluations, discipline, grievances, selection, and training.
Coordinate or participate in computerized procurement processes and oversee systems that support efficiency, information security, safety, environmental hazard control, and financial accountability.
Represent the County Administrative Office to external agencies and organizations; participate in professional groups, committees, planning activities, meetings, and presentations.
Prepare and administer assigned budgets, monitor and approve expenditures within authority, analyze staffing needs, conduct cost-benefit analyses, estimate future costs, and justify equipment and personnel requests.