DNR Executive Director's Office Purchasing Agent III - Procurement

State of Colorado•Denver, CO

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Executive Director’s Office (EDO) within the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages and supervises the activities of the Divisions within DNR in the development, preservation, and enhancement of Colorado’s natural resources for the benefit and enjoyment of its citizens – both now and in the future. The EDO combines and manages the administrative, operational and performance functions of all DNR divisions, including the EDO. The purpose of the work unit is to manage all aspects of procurement including solicitations, contracting using purchase orders, formalizing agreements and vendor agreements for the Department. These activities fall under the Group II Purchasing Delegation from the Colorado Department of Personnel and Administration to the Department of Natural Resources, as well as individual delegations from the State Controller for no-risk and low-risk contract approvals. The unit ensures that all procurement activities are in compliance with the Colorado Procurement Code, Fiscal Rules, and applicable policies, procedures and guidelines.

Requirements

Six (6) years of professional experience in procurement, purchasing, contract writing.
Specific experience working with program managers in developing and drafting contracts and/or written documents of comparable complexity/technicality, overseeing the contract approval process, and/or related activities or specialized experience in the subject area of the work assigned to the position.
OR Education from an accredited college or university in Business Administration, Contract Management, Procurement, Economics, Law, Supply Chains, Purchasing, Accounting and Finance, Public Administration, Business Law, Political Science, Government or in a field of study directly related to the assignment and professional experience in procurement, purchasing, contract writing.
Specific experience working with program managers in developing and drafting contracts and/or written documents of comparable complexity/technicality, overseeing the contract approval process, and/or related activities or specialized experience in the subject area of the work assigned to the position equal to six (6) years.
The required experience must be substantiated within the work experience section of your application. Your resume will not be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications; only the work experience section of your application will be reviewed to determine this.
“See Resume” statements on the application will not be accepted.
In addition, part-time work will be prorated.
A combination of work experience in an occupational field/specialized area directly related to the job assignment, which provided the same, kind, amount and level of knowledge acquired in the required education may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the bachelor's degree.
A master's or doctorate degree from an accredited college or university in a field of study related to the work assignment may be substituted for the bachelor's degree and experience.
Additional satisfactory completion of course work from an accredited, non-correspondence college or university in Business Administration, Contract Management, Procurement, Paralegal Studies, Project Management, Government, Political Science, Economics, Law or other field related to the assignment may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the required general experience.
A Juris Doctor (JD) degree will substitute for the education and experience requirement.
If you are using a degree to substitute for the required experience, you may be required to provide copies of your educational transcripts for verification of your qualifications if requested.
Class Code: Purchasing Agent I II
Attention to Detail
Analytical & Critical Thinking Skills
Compliance
Leadership
Problem Solving
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Experience interpreting and applying the Colorado Fiscal Rules and/or Procurement Code to complex purchasing/contracting situations.

Nice To Haves

Current or former State experience relevant to this position.
Experience developing and publishing solicitation documents.
Experience preparing solicitation documents (Documented Quotes, Invitations for Bids, Requests for Proposals, etc.)
Experience managing reviews to evaluate proposals.
Experience preparing, reviewing and approving purchase orders.
Experience in interpreting and applying State Fiscal Rules, State Procurement Rules, or similar administrative rules.
Professional experience in applying, using, reviewing, or interpreting State of Colorado Procurement Code.
Experience in project management.

Responsibilities

Assist DNR divisional staff to acquire all necessary goods, services, and construction services in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Make procurement decisions at the department level by interpreting and analyzing needs, specifications, data and circumstances; to clarify State and federal procurement requirements.
Determine optimal method of procurement and develop, prepare and publish various solicitation documents, including documented quotations, formal invitations for bids, requests for proposals, requests for qualifications, and requests for information.
Convene and manage review teams in order to evaluate bidder proposals and qualifications to make negotiated purchases and awards.
Provide professional purchasing expertise, counsel and assistance to divisional staff.
Provide additional customer service to divisions for questions related to DNR and statewide procurement standards and procedures.
Provides technical guidance to customers using CORE Help to develop purchasing processes and schedules, and make the judgments and decisions implicit in these activities based on professional discretion.
Solicit commodities, Services, Construction and Professional Services.
Review purchase requests for various factors, including completeness, if requisite pre-reviews and pre-approvals are necessary and have been obtained, fair and reasonable pricing, compliance with required rules and policies, and urgency.
Determine the most effective method of procurement that will provide the requested commodities/services/construction when needed, while maximizing competition and complying with relevant laws and rules.
Formulate, solicit, analyze, evaluate and award solicitations, which includes developing and/or reviewing the proper specifications with applicable terms and conditions and sending to the appropriate vendors to obtain maximum competitions.
Convene and direct pre-bid meetings between users and bidders when required.
Coordinate vendor questions, provide answers and clarifications to solicitation requirements.
Lead teams of program and subject matter experts and guide individual teams through the evaluation of multiple proposals, including interaction with vendors to ensure that proposals are fully understood.
Award solicitations in compliance with procurement rules and regulations to the lowest responsible bidder or best value proposal based on the recommendation of an evaluation team.
Announce the ranked order of qualified professional services consultants resulting from a Request for Qualifications issued under Colorado Statutes.
Review purchase orders and small dollar grant awards submitted by procurement liaisons within the DNR divisions, evaluating purchase order requests for compliance with required pre-reviews and pre-approvals, procurement and fiscal code, rules, as well as federal, statewide and department policies and guidelines.
Make determinations if the purchase order is in compliance and meets fair and reasonable pricing requirements.
Work with division procurement liaisons in order to bring deficient purchase order requests into compliance.
Approve purchase orders and small dollar grant awards.
Provide guidance and counsel to employees throughout the Department’s divisions, particularly procurement liaisons, contract administrators and program/project managers, by analyzing problems, interpreting laws and statutes, researching best practices and seeking information from the State Controller’s Office, Attorney General ‘s Office and State Purchasing Office.
Train department staff on procurement rules and regulations and processes.
Assist agencies in setting up efficient procedures for processing purchases, managing purchasing needs, and monitoring vendor performance.
Work with division procurement liaisons and program managers to gain understanding and support of accountability and responsibility, even when there are unique problems and/or circumstances.
May conduct audits of discretionary purchases, contract monitoring and other division procurement activities.
Owning the other responsibilities outlined herein the position will become a subject matter expert in State procurement, and the position will develop and deliver training for the divisions related to the same. Training will vary in forms and settings, including individuals, small and large groups, and will occur online, in person, or a hybrid.
The position will develop policy guidance documents, step-action process, and similar resources to post on the DNR intranet for reference and use by division liaisons and program staff.
The position will update and maintain online resources.
Other duties assigned.

Benefits

Medical and Dental plans
Strong, flexible retirement plans including PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus pre-tax and Roth 401K and 457 plans
Paid life insurance
Short- and long-term disability coverage
Employee Wellness programs
Flexible Spending Accounts
Health Savings Accounts
11 paid holidays per year plus generous vacation and sick leave
Flexible work schedule options and remote-work options
Career advancement opportunities throughout the State system
Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.