Strategic Sourcing Agent

Oakland County•Waterford, MI

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Oakland County is seeking a Strategic Sourcing Agent to lead the sourcing, evaluation, and management of suppliers to secure goods and services at the optimal balance of cost, quality, and value. This role involves administering complex and high-value formal solicitations ( $1M and above), negotiating contract terms, monitoring supplier performance, mitigating risk, and analyzing market trends. The Strategic Sourcing Agent will act as a trusted advisor to County departments, guiding the full procurement process from specification development to awarding solicitations, and maintaining reports that inform procurement strategy and contract portfolios. Responsibilities include representing Oakland County at procurement and vendor outreach events, engaging with vendors and the public to ensure a fair and transparent process, and utilizing countywide and department-specific software. The position offers the opportunity to manage high-impact projects, shape procurement strategy, and collaborate with departments and leadership to ensure fair, transparent, and policy-driven procurement practices. There is also an opportunity to provide leadership and guidance to procurement staff through mentoring and knowledge sharing.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a preferred major in business administration, Supply Chain Management, public administration, or closely related field of study.
At least six (6) years of full-time work experience in a purchasing department.
Considerable knowledge of purchasing practices and policies, and of laws and regulations governing public procurement.
Considerable ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with vendors, salespersons, County officials, employees, and the public.
Considerable knowledge of government structure and budgeting and its relation to procurement as well as the ability to advise end users of this process.
Considerable ability to summarize and prepare reports on various procurement projects.
Considerable ability to identify concerns and make independent work decisions in accordance with laws, rules, regulations, and departmental policies.
Reasonable ability to understand and follow complex oral and written instructions.
Reasonable ability to make arithmetical computations with speed and accuracy and keep simple account books.
Reasonable ability to utilize current word processing, spreadsheet, database, e-mail, and Internet software.

Nice To Haves

Certification by the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council (UPPCC), National Institute of Government Purchasers (NIGP) or National Association of Purchasing Management (NAPM) is preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead construction bids and/or other complex, high-dollar solicitations, including services in technical areas such as engineering, financial services, and information technology.
Determine bonding requirements and oversee formal bids valued at $1M and above in accordance with County policies and procedures.
Serve as a strategic advisor to departments by guiding procurement methods, establishing evaluation criteria and pricing matrices, and verifying sourcing strategies with Fiscal Services.
Ensure adherence to Board-approved procurement policies, fair business practices, and the integrity of all public bid events.
Monitor supplier performance, negotiate contract terms, and maintain reports that support procurement strategy and contract portfolio management.
Coordinate and oversee the creation, revision and review of complex scopes of work.
Determine additional information needed to secure the best supplier submissions.
Approve final scope prior to inclusion in the bid process.
Proactively engage with Corporation Counsel and Risk Management to determine the appropriate contract type to ensure that the correct insurance requirements are established for solicitations and contracts, to minimize the County’s risk.
Proactively engage with Information Technology to determine the necessary questionnaires and review needed based on scope of work.
Coordinate and lead all procurement meetings related to highly complex contracts, including pre-bid meetings, evaluation and selection meetings, pre-award meetings, negotiation related meetings, supplier interviews, and bidder debriefing meetings to explain the evaluation and scoring process to help vendors better understand the evaluation process.
Attend site visits for solicitations as well as e-mail and phone exchanges regarding these issues.
Schedule vendor contacts for product demonstration and obtain information for County departments.
Manage the evaluation process including development of the scoring matrixes, analyzing complex bids, complex financial information contained in bids, contract and budgets, and investigate the background of proposing vendors, checking references before the formation of a contract, and potentially reviewing information to determine vendor’s financial stability.
Guide and negotiate contract scope and pricing, including organizing, reviewing, and recommending strategies to the negotiation team.
Develop and distribute final contract documents for approval by supplier, management, and administration.
Conduct public bid openings for sealed bids and obtain bids on specific items electronically.
Ensure a complete file of all solicitation documentation utilizing adopted procurement processes, anticipate potential areas of concern, and act independently to prevent and/or resolve protests.
Keep management apprised of all situations and escalate as needed.
Address supplier/contract disputes related to contractual verbiage or determining the validity of vendor invoices as it relates to contract language.
Investigate the dispute, verify facts, and formulate resolutions in the County’s best interest and in fairness to the vendor community including but limited to negotiating price changes requested by the contractor.
Maintain the Contract Portfolio Reports and proactively contact users and department heads regarding the continued need for the contract or to initiate re-bidding, consolidation, etc.
Utilize current countywide and/or department specific software to complete assignments.
Assist in the selection, testing and implementation of new procurement specific systems.
Provide training to division and countywide end users.
Review blanket orders and contracts and make recommendations for contract consolidation and/or inclusion in cooperative purchasing program.
Participate in establishing and maintaining Key Performance Indicators for the division.
Conduct market research on various products and services to stay abreast of new trends and technologies.
Assist in the development and writing of Countywide purchasing policies.
Maintain memberships with professional purchasing organizations such as the Michigan Professional Purchasing Officers Association (MPPOA) and attend conferences and trade shows as required for professional development.
Participate and contribute to vendor outreach programs for minority and small businesses.