Senior Contract Specialist (Procurement & Contract Specialist 3)

State of Oregon • Portland, OR

4d • $5,984 - $9,190 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality strives to build and sustain an inclusive and equitable environment that embraces and values diversity. Employees at all levels of the agency work together to foster fairness, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We strive to be a workplace where we share our authentic identities, while advancing our individual professional goals, and while collaborating to protect, preserve, and enhance the environment for current and future generations. We celebrate and appreciate diversity, champion equity, and treat each other with respect and dignity. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, age, or physical or mental disability in the administration of our programs and activities. Visit DEQ’s Civil Rights and Environmental Justice page. Are you passionate about preserving, enhancing, and protecting Oregon’s environment? If so, please consider a career with the State of Oregon at the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). At DEQ, employees have the opportunity to work with a dynamic and supportive team of mission-focused individuals tasked with maintaining, restoring, and enhancing the quality of Oregon’s air, land, and water. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has a full-time opportunity available for a Senior Contract Specialist (Procurement & Contract Specialist 3) in Portland, Oregon. This position is limited duration for 24 months with the potential of being extended or made permanent pending Budget and Legislature approval. Please consider joining an innovative team, and work to advance our agency’s mission to protect and improve Oregon’s environmental quality. About DEQ! The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is the primary regulatory agency of the government of the U.S. State of Oregon responsible for protecting and enhancing the state's natural resources. The Central Services Division (CSD) is a collaborative, mission driven team that supports every part of the agency. We partner with DEQ programs across Oregon to make sure staff have the tools, systems, and guidance they need to serve communities effectively. Our work spans accounting and budgeting, information systems, human resources, health and safety, training, policy and organizational development, purchasing, and facilities management. Together, we support headquarters, regional offices, the Vehicle Inspection Program, and the Laboratory and Environmental Assessment Division. Our services touch more than 800 positions across the state and help ensure that DEQ can show up for local governments, sovereign Tribal Nations, community partners, and the people of Oregon we serve every day. This position will provide critical support to DEQ’s Materials Management Program, which is focused on reducing the environmental and social impacts of materials and products throughout their full life cycle. For a visual representation of DEQ’s offices and their locations, view our DEQ Offices and Vehicle Inspection Testing Stations map.

Requirements

• 5 years procurement and contract experience, including development and administration of standard contracts, agreements, and/or solicitations.
• Bachelor’s degree may substitute for 3 of the required years of experience.
• Master’s degree may substitute for 4 of the required years of experience.
• Doctorate degree may substitute for 5 of the required years of experience.
• Demonstrated experience and personal commitment to building and sustaining an equitable and inclusive culture where all team members feel empowered to contribute.
• Extensive experience with a wide variety of contract processes, including issues related to complex funding sources, high risk contracts and agreements, grants, and contracts requiring modified terms and/or unique conditions.
• Experience evaluating contract risks and developing terms to minimize those risks.
• Experience ensuring appropriate solicitation and contracting methods are used.
• Extensive experience researching and applying appropriate state and federal procurement laws, rules, policies, and procedures.
• Extensive experience preparing grants and awards from federal sources.
• Procurement and contract experience with the State of Oregon.
• Excellent collaboration skills and ability to coordinate effectively with program subject matter experts to achieve shared procurement goals.
• Ability to apply the Materials Management Program’s strategic vision for reducing the environmental and social impacts of materials, and incorporate it into procurements.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to use tact, diplomacy, and good judgment to communicate clearly and effectively with diverse colleagues and contractors, sometimes in stressful situations, and often to ensure compliance with laws, rules, and regulations.
• Ability to use critical thinking and analytical skills to form independent judgment, initiative, and decision-making; ability to work independently as well as in a team environment, in both virtual and in-person formats.

Nice To Haves

• Oregon Procurement Basic Certification (OPBC) and/or UPPCC Certified Professional Public Buyer certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical and contract support for the statewide Materials Management Program, including complex procurement processes, contract negotiations, establishment of grantmaking procedures, and grant agreements.
• Serve as the Procurement section liaison to the Materials Management Program and act as an expert in various types of contracts, agreements, and grants.
• Provide assistance, and where appropriate, guidance to program staff in the full range of contract processes, including issues related to complex funding structures, high risk contracts and agreements, grants, and contracts requiring modified terms and/or unique conditions, all while ensuring appropriate solicitation and contracting methods are used.
• Evaluate contract risks and assist in the development of terms to minimize risk.
• Work closely with the Procurement Manager as well as any Designated Procurement Officer (DPO) to develop new guidelines, policies, procedures, and training to staff, coordinating with other government entities as needed.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans for the employee and their qualified family members
• Paid sick leave
• Vacation leave
• Personal leave
• 11 paid holidays a year
• Membership in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)
• Opportunity to potentially receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior