Procurement and Contract Specialist, Procurement Department

Stearns County•Waite Park, MN

18h•Hybrid

About The Position

Join a mission‑driven team that plays a critical role in delivering high‑quality services to the community. As a Procurement and Contract Specialist, you will be a trusted advisor to departments across the County - shaping purchasing strategies, strengthening vendor relationships, and ensuring public funds are used responsibly and effectively. This is a high‑impact, high‑visibility role for a procurement professional who enjoys complex projects, values fairness and transparency, and thrives in a collaborative environment. You will lead full‑cycle procurement initiatives, negotiate meaningful contracts, drive process improvements, and influence policies that support operational excellence. If you want to make a difference, strengthen public trust, and contribute to major County initiatives, this position offers both challenge and opportunity. Position Objective: To perform advanced professional work in public procurement and contract management that directly supports County departments in delivering continuous, high-quality services to residents. This position is responsible for the procurement of construction, supplies, and professional services and manages the entire life cycle of complex solicitations and contracts, including needs assessment, scope development, solicitation strategy, evaluation facilitation, contract negotiation, and vendor performance oversight, all while ensuring transparency, fairness, and strict adherence to federal, state, and local regulations.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or higher (A degree in Public Administration, Business, Business Law, Finance, Purchasing, or related field is preferred)
Four years of progressively responsible experience in public procurement, contract administration, or a comparable professional environment.
Valid Minnesota Driver’s License or ability to obtain within 30 days of hire.
Reliable means of transportation to travel to multiple locations around Stearns County, some of which may not be accessible by public transportation.

Nice To Haves

Possess the following certifications or equivalent: Certified Public Procurement Buyer (CPPB), National Institute of Government Procurement Certified Procurement Professional (NIGP-CPP), Certified Professional Supply Management (CPSM)
Experience in the following software systems: E-Procurement (e.g. Bids and Tenders), ERP/Finance (e.g. New World, Workday), Document Management Systems, Microsoft Office Suite, SharePoint

Responsibilities

Analyzes, interprets, and communicates procurement federal regulations, state statutes, county policies, and procedures for staff and stakeholders.
Analyzes and recommends changes and/or improvements to procurement policies and procedures, templates, forms, solicitations, and contract language.
Plans and executes all phases of direct purchase and competitive solicitation for departments, including request for quotes/proposals/bid processes. Partners with departments and lead the development of scopes, specifications, and market research to create solicitations; method selection, timeline development, solicitation drafting, publication, and electronic bidding management; guide evaluation committees, manage demonstrations and interviews, and document defensible award decisions for IFBs, RFPs, and qualifications‑based selections.
Reviews procurements for risk and make recommendations to mitigate risk to the County.
Drafts, negotiates, and administers contracts in collaboration with departments and legal counsel. Negotiates favorable terms and conditions for county contracts.
Maintains procurement integrity by ensuring accurate records, supporting audits, responding to public data requests, and using analytics, e‑procurement tools, standardization, and cooperative purchasing to enhance efficiency.
Maintains workload statistics and procurement activity reporting.
Develops and delivers training for departments and vendors on procurement policies and procedures, solicitation preparation, contract compliance, and system usage; analyzes procurement metrics and recommend policy/process enhancements.
Reviews and processes requisitions and purchase orders; validates funding, vendor information, and quotes; recommends value-enhancing alternatives; resolves AP/receiving match exceptions; processes vendors and purchase orders in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
Attends work regularly and in a timely manner.
Performs other duties as assigned or apparent.