RHT Contract Specialist V

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS•Austin, TX

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Join the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and be part of a team committed to creating a positive impact in the lives of fellow Texans. At HHSC, your contributions matter, and we support you at each stage of your life and work journey. Our comprehensive benefits package includes 100% paid employee health insurance for full-time eligible employees, a defined benefit pension plan, generous time off benefits, numerous opportunities for career advancement and more. Explore more details on the Benefits of Working at HHS webpage. The Rural Texas Strong Contract Specialist(s) will report to the Contract Administration Manager I and will support the Texas Rural Health (RHT) Program enacted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This position is responsible for completing analysis of contractor performance by reviewing contractor expenditure data, performance reports, and other pertinent data as it relates to contractor performance. The Contract Specialist V facilitates communication and collaboration between all contract stakeholders and serves as the single point of contact for all contractual accountability activities between the State and contractors. Responsibilities for this position include managing contracts; maintaining contract documentation; developing budget projections; tracking, monitoring, and reconciling contract expenditures; investigating and analyzing cost variances; and monitoring and reporting on vendor performance. Other responsibilities include the preparation of reports containing findings, recommendations, and developing corrective actions for contractors. This position works under limited supervision, with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgement and will serve as a subject matter expert in all contract management activities related to the RHT Program.

Requirements

Intermediate knowledge of: Contract management practices, tools, strategies, and cost monitoring for large scope or high-dollar contracts; of system and procedures used to evaluate a third-party vendor’s performance; and of local, state, and federal laws and regulations relevant to the administration of federal funds.
Purchasing and procurement methods and procedures, state procurement principles and practices, assigned commodities and products on the open market, supply sources, and principles of business administration and accounting.
Organizational planning, organizational development, and implementation methods needed to establish and administer complex contracts.
State of Texas procurement laws, regulations, procedures, principles, practices, and contract management guidelines.
Proficient Skill in: Leading and conducting meetings within internal and external stakeholders using Teams/Go-To-Meetings/Go-to-Webinars or related products.
Synthesizing, analyzing, and evaluating extremely complicated and technical information and translating that information into clear and concise documents or presentations.
Making effective presentations and preparing reports; excellent written and oral communications skills.
Establishing quality assurance and performance measurement tools.
Preparing written analyses and administrative reports and special projects as assigned.
Analyzing and solving problems and making recommendations affecting overall contracting activities; and comprehensively and accurately evaluating different types of administrative reports.
Demonstrated Ability to: Gather, assemble, correlate, and analyze facts; to devise solutions to problems; to prepare reports; to communicate effectively; and ability to train others.
Work independently and efficiently in an autonomous environment and takes ownership of procurement projects from conception to completion.
Adapt to rapid changes as needed to address workload and priorities.
Rapidly resolve complex problems using critical thinking.
Manage and track contracts in compliance with HHS policies.
Work in a professional setting with diverse groups, stakeholders, agency departments, leadership, and contractors.
Establish and maintain positive, effective working relationships with others.
Certified Texas Contract Manager (CTCM) required.
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university. A degree with major coursework in business administration, human resource management, finance, public administration, or a related field is generally preferred. Contract management experience and education may be substituted for one another on a year-for-year basis for up to four years.
A minimum of three (3) years of demonstrated experience in managing and monitoring complex contracts for state governments.

Nice To Haves

Certified Texas Contract Developer (CTCD) preferred or must obtain within 6 months of employment.
Five (5) years of experience in contract and financial monitoring preferred.

Responsibilities

Contract Management - Serves as a contract manager for RHT Program contracts including interagency contracts, grants, licensing agreements, and subscriptions. Work involves entering purchase requisitions, developing budget projections, tracking and reconciling contract expenditures, investigating and analyzing cost variances, and participating in contract related meetings with internal and external stakeholders. Develops and performs quality assurance activities related to invoice processing, deliverables and milestones tracking, contract reviews, documentation management, and expenditure audits to ensure compliance state laws and/or regulations, best practices, as well as HHSC policies, regulations, and contract provisions.
Contract Record Management – Reviews and processes all required contract documentation and checklists within 10 business days of the contract’s effective date. Ensure all contract documentation is maintained and uploaded in the system of record (SCOR) for all contracts. Maintains contract documentation and checklists in SCOR to ensure contract records are up-to-date and incompliance with HHS and agency policies. Maintains accurate contract documentation to ensure compliance with state law and/or regulations, best practices, as well as HHSC policies and contract provisions. Responds to audit inquiries and ensure documentation supports contract decisions and actions. Participates and contributes to continuous process improvements activities including developing internal contract policies and procedures. Performs all SCOR related contract closeout activities upon contract expiration and within required agency timeframes.
Vendor Monitoring - Performs the monitoring of and/or monitors contract performance by examining billings, fiscal data, and eligibility determinations for compliance with terms of contract and policies. Responsible for reviewing the supporting documentation related to contract billing for eligibility. Tracks, manages, and documents deliverable statuses, milestone completions, and other contract events throughout the contract lifecycle. Ensures appropriate tracking of contractor expenditure and performance data as well as appropriate contract deliverables. Completes analysis of contractor performance by reviewing contractor expenditure data, performance reports, technical assistance and training documentation, and other pertinent documentation relating to contractor performance. Projects expenditures to ensure appropriate use of funds. Communicates the results and recommends actions on a routine basis to program and other department staff as appropriate.
Stakeholder Engagement - Provides excellent customer service through written and oral communication with contractors and internal stakeholders. Assists contractors and HHSC staff on contract issues, contract management guidelines, and interprets HHS procurement and contract policies and procedures. Serves as a liaison for CFO division with various divisions within HHS to include, but not limited to: HHS Contract Management Support, HHS Legal, HHS Information Technology (IT), and HHS Procurement and Contracting Services (PCS). Maintains CFO-Procurements and Contracts internal policies and procedures and recommends changes to align with best practices, Comptroller guidelines, and agency policies and procedures.
Risk Assessments - Coordinates the risk assessment process for contract monitoring and planning. Facilitate collaborative meetings with other department contract managers to determine monitoring events schedule and finalize monitoring plan. Monitoring reviews to encompass both financial and programmatic compliance. Performs SCOR audit and work with all pertinent parties to resolve identified issues outlining criteria/requirements/processes and recommending appropriate dispositions.