Equal Business Opportunity Administrator

Frederick County Government•Winchester Hall - Frederick, MD

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

This professional administrative position serves as the primary administrator for Frederick County’s Equal Business Opportunity Program within the Office of Procurement & Contracting. The position is responsible for implementing, coordinating, monitoring, and reporting on race- and gender-neutral initiatives designed to expand access to County contracting opportunities for small, local, minority-owned, women-owned, disabled-owned, and other underutilized businesses, consistent with County policy and applicable federal, state, and local law. The position works closely with Procurement & Contracting staff, County agencies and departments, vendors, contractors, consultants, community partners, and departmental Equal Business Opportunity Liaisons to support inclusive procurement practices, vendor outreach, training, data collection, subcontractor tracking, compliance monitoring, and program reporting. The position reviews procurement opportunities, supports development of EBO policies and procedures, assists with implementation of small business participation strategies, and prepares reports evaluating program effectiveness. Direction may be given to support staff within the Office. Supervision is received from the Office Director of Procurement & Contracting.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Contract Management, Public Policy, Economics, or a related field
Minimum of 3 years of experience in business administration, contracting or contract compliance, government purchasing or business outreach and engagement
Masters degree with 1 year experience as described above or Associate’s degree with 5 years’ experience as described above.
Knowledge of public procurement policies and practices, bidding processes, solicitation development, contract award methods, vendor registration, and legal requirements governing County purchases.
Knowledge of equal business opportunity, supplier diversity, small business participation, contract compliance, or related public-sector inclusion programs
Knowledge of formal and informal solicitation processes, service contracting, goods procurement, construction-related procurement, and professional services procurement
Knowledge of market conditions, sources of supply, and of the types of supplies, materials and equipment, services, and construction-related work commonly procured by the County
Ability to review solicitations, purchase requisitions, scopes of work, specifications, and procurement documents for consistency with County procurement policies and EBO Program procedures
Ability to collect, clean, reconcile, analyze, and present procurement, payment, vendor, subcontractor, commodity-code, and utilization data
Ability to develop reports, dashboards, presentations, written correspondence, training materials, and policy recommendations
Ability to interpret statistical, financial, procurement, and compliance information and communicate findings clearly to technical and non-technical audiences
Ability to use Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access, as well as procurement, enterprise resource planning, vendor management, reporting, or dashboard systems
Ability to access and use automated procurement systems and related hardware/software, and to train or assist other users.
Strong public speaking, presentation development, facilitation, and training skills
Strong technical and professional writing skills, including accuracy in preparing reports, correspondence, procurement documents, and compliance materials
Strong organizational, project management, multitasking, math, clerical, and analytical skills
Skill in procurement, program administration, public communication, technical and professional writing, data analysis, training, negotiation, relationship-building, and independent judgment
Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, maintain discretion, and manage competing priorities with limited oversight.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with County officials, supervisors, co-workers, departmental personnel, vendors, contractors, consultants, community partners, and members of the business community.
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing
Ability to effectively organize, assign, and follow up on the work of support staff, as assigned
Strong and effective spoken and written (English) communication skills including public speaking skills and accuracy in preparing detailed bid documents and reports
Strong and accurate math and clerical skills, including the ability to effectively produce, verify and evaluate statistical and financial information

Nice To Haves

Experience administering or supporting supplier diversity, MWBE, DBE, SBE, or EBO programs
Experience working in a local, state, or federal government agency
Experience reviewing solicitations, scopes of work, and procurement strategies

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary administrator for Frederick County’s Equal Business Opportunity Program
Assist in implementing the County’s race- and gender-neutral EBO Program, including policies, procedures, forms, reporting tools, training materials, internal guidance, and program manuals
Recommend EBO Program policies, procedures, manual updates, and process improvements to the Director of Procurement & Contracting
Support compliance with Frederick County policies and applicable federal, state, and local legal requirements related to EBO Program administration
Coordinate with Procurement & Contracting staff and the County Attorney’s Office, as appropriate, to implement EBO-related contract provisions, including subcontractor reporting, audit rights, record-retention requirements, and compliance documentation
Review, document, and recommend action on waiver requests in accordance with established EBO Program procedures and delegated authority
Participate in pre-procurement planning with County agencies and departments
Work with Procurement & Contracting buyers and agency personnel to review solicitation specifications and procurement strategies to identify opportunities for small, local, minority-owned, women-owned, disabled-owned, and other underutilized businesses
Review solicitation size, scope, complexity, bonding, insurance, experience requirements, and other procurement terms to identify potential barriers to small business participation
Assist in identifying procurement opportunities suitable for unbundling, subcontracting, simplified competition, targeted outreach, or other race- and gender-neutral small business participation strategies consistent with applicable law
Assist in developing, implementing, monitoring, and reporting on the County’s discretionary procurement threshold or simplified procurement process for registered Small Business Enterprises
Review purchase requisitions for accuracy, consistency with procurement policies, and alignment with EBO Program procedures.
Promote adherence to County procurement policies and EBO Program procedures by participating in internal trainings for County employees
Coordinate, train, and support departmental Equal Business Opportunity Liaisons to promote consistent implementation of EBO procedures across County agencies and departments
Identify, recruit, educate, and assist vendors, suppliers, contractors, consultants, and service providers interested in doing business with Frederick County
Develop and deliver training materials, workshops, presentations, and outreach programs to help businesses understand County procurement processes, bid requirements, vendor registration, contract terms, and available resources
Plan and participate in vendor outreach events, training opportunities, vendor fairs, conferences, seminars, and other business engagement activities
Maintain contact with the vendor community regarding current and upcoming bid opportunities
Develop and maintain a resource directory for small, local, minority-owned, women-owned, disabled-owned, and other underutilized businesses
Work with community partners, business organizations, chambers of commerce, and professional associations to expand awareness of County contracting opportunities
Respond to requests for information regarding the EBO Program and related procurement matters
Develop and maintain procedures for collecting, validating, reconciling, analyzing, and reporting EBO-related prime contractor and subcontractor data
Work with Procurement & Contracting, Finance, County agencies, and system administrators to improve the quality, consistency, and usability of procurement, payment, vendor, commodity-code, and subcontractor data
Support development of dashboards, quarterly reports, annual reports, and other performance measures to evaluate EBO Program participation, outreach, compliance, and progress toward program objectives
Prepare, distribute, and present internal and external reports regarding EBO Program activity, utilization, compliance, and outcomes
Research and track trends and best practices in equal business opportunity, public procurement, contract compliance, small business participation, construction, services, goods, and professional services
Track vendor and subcontractor compliance with EBO Program requirements and contract provisions
Monitor subcontractor participation, subcontractor payment information, and prime-subcontractor relationships, as required by County procedures and contract terms
Investigate potential instances of non-compliance by vendors, contractors, subcontractors, or internal agencies
Develop written correspondence related to compliance matters
Coordinate responses to requests for clarification or information and assists in the resolution of disputes, supplier/vendor performance issues, and EBO-related compliance concerns
Perform other related duties as required

Benefits

11 days of Vacation leave with increase after 2 years of employment
15 days of Sick leave with unlimited annual carryover
11 paid holidays, plus 2 additional floating holidays
Day 1 coverage of comprehensive Medical Insurance Plan options
Generous County Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution
Dental, Vision, and Flexible Spending
Employee Health Center with no or low-cost primary and urgent care
100% County paid 2x annual salary Group Term Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) benefit
County and Employee funded Defined Benefit Pension Plan
Vesting after 5 years of service
Additional service credit for eligible previous public service, military service, etc.
Employee Assistance Program
Employee Wellness Program
Generous Tuition Reimbursement Program
Deferred Compensation Plan
Legal Resources
Supplemental Life Insurance
Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital Indemnity Insurance
Lifetime Benefit with Long Term Care plan