SOLICITATION SUPPORT SPECIALIST - 60008479

State of Florida•Tallahassee, FL

5d•$55,000 - $58,000

About The Position

The Solicitation Support Specialist provides procurement analysis and operational support within the Bureau of Solicitation Administration. The position reviews Procurement Briefings and supporting research, identifies documentation and workflow issues, recommends practical solutions, and assists with developing and administering assigned Invitations to Bid (ITBs) and Requests for Quotes (RFQs). Duties also include procurement posting and tracking, records management, shared inbox coordination, and support to assigned Procurement Officers. Work is performed under the direction of the Chief or a designated Solicitation Administrator, with substantive review at established checkpoints. The employee exercises judgment within assigned responsibilities, follows established procedures, and refers complex, unusual, disputed, or precedent-setting matters for direction. Assignments become progressively more complex as proficiency develops. The position requires a Monday through Friday, eight-hour daily work schedule and is located in the Tallahassee area.

Requirements

At least two years of professional experience in federal or State of Florida contract management, procurement, and/or purchasing, including experience applying applicable governmental laws, rules, and regulations. Experience must be documented in the applicant’s resume and State of Florida employment application.
Ability to research and analyze information, identify deficiencies and inconsistencies, and develop clear recommendations and proposed revisions.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage concurrent assignments and deadlines.
Effective verbal and written communication skills and ability to work cooperatively with internal and external customers.
Ability to use electronic documents, spreadsheets, email, calendars, and tracking systems accurately and effectively.
Ability to learn and apply governmental procurement principles, applicable laws and rules, Department policies, the Procurement and Contracting Playbook, and Solicitation Administration procedures.
Ability to analyze procurement requirements, contract sources, pricing, budgets, and supporting documentation and recognize matters requiring supervisory, programmatic, financial, or legal review.
Ability to prepare clear procurement documents and correspondence, proofread accurately, compare bids and quotes, and verify calculations.
Ability to maintain accurate postings, public notices, procurement files, tracking information, and reports.
Ability to coordinate meetings, organize materials, document follow-up actions, and track outstanding requirements.
Ability to prioritize assignments, meet deadlines, adapt to changes in direction, and develop practical solutions to problems.
Ability to communicate effectively, follow instructions, exercise sound judgment, and establish and maintain effective working relationships.
Applicants must submit both a resume and cover letter; applicants who do not submit both will not be initially considered. The documents should demonstrate writing skills and effective communication.
Responses to qualifying questions must be verifiable on the State of Florida employment application.

Nice To Haves

Experience reviewing procurement documents, market research, budgets, scopes of work, bids, or quotes.
Familiarity with Florida governmental procurement requirements, State Term Contracts, and alternate contract sources.
Experience maintaining electronic records, tracking deadlines, coordinating meetings, or managing shared inboxes.
Experience identifying workflow problems and recommending improvements to procedures, forms, or tracking systems.
Familiarity with public records, records retention, confidentiality, and public meeting procedures.

Responsibilities

Review Procurement Briefings, market research, Contract Budgets, and supporting documents for completeness, clarity, consistency, and support for the proposed procurement approach.
Research comparable procurements, existing agreements, required purchasing sources, State Term Contracts, and alternate contract sources.
Identify missing information, unsupported assumptions, and inconsistencies in scope, costs, or procurement approach; prepare review comments and proposed revisions; obtain clarification from Procurement Advisors and Program Offices; and assist with approval packages and routing.
Assist with developing and administering assigned ITBs and RFQs, including specifications, scopes of work, deliverables, response instructions, pricing documents, and schedules.
Prepare approval memoranda, vendor inquiry responses, addenda, and award documentation for required review.
Perform preliminary reviews of bids and quotes; prepare tabulations and comparisons; verify calculations and proposed costs; and identify missing information, pricing discrepancies, vendor assumptions, and proposed changes to terms.
Refer bid and quote concerns for resolution and support award, agreement document updates, file handoff, and closeout.
Post approved solicitations, addenda, award notices, and other procurement notices to the Vendor Information Portal or other appropriate systems; verify approvals and document versions, check posting accuracy, retain confirmations, and coordinate corrections with the assigned Procurement Officer.
Maintain procurement tracking systems and electronic records; verify information against source documents, follow up on outstanding actions, analyze delays and dependencies, and prepare accurate and timely information for management.
Coordinate calendar invitations and reminders and verify that public notices and calendar entries are consistent with approved procurement schedules, meeting locations, and access information.
Support negotiation strategy meetings and vendor sessions by coordinating schedules, preparing materials and notices, tracking appointments, training, and conflict-of-interest forms, and arranging access and recordings.
Document follow-up actions and organize negotiation records under the assigned Procurement Officer’s direction.
Review solicitation files for completeness, required approvals, consistency, and version control; maintain correspondence and supporting documentation for continuity, records retention, file handoff, and responses to public records requests.
Monitor and triage the shared Solicitation Administration inbox, identify responsible staff and deadlines, coordinate follow-up, and escalate unresolved or time-sensitive matters; conduct scheduled inbox reviews and cleanouts in accordance with records requirements.
Prepare required Department of Management Services reporting for review and identify recurring errors or process gaps.
Recommend improvements to workflows, tracking practices, templates, checklists, and job aids and assist with implementing approved changes.
Learn the full procurement lifecycle by observing and supporting Solicitation Administrators; provide technical assistance within established guidance and observe applicable communication restrictions, confidentiality requirements, and public meeting procedures.