Procurement Officer job with Arlington County (Virginia) Government

Position Information

Arlington County is seeking an experienced Procurement Officer for the Department of Management and Finance’s Purchasing Division to prepare, review, and approve specifications, negotiate contracts and manage the procurement process for a variety of products and services. This employee will have a high level of independence and discretionary authority in ensuring all procurement transactions meet ethical standards and comply with applicable laws and regulations. These responsibilities require close coordination with other professional and technical staff and frequent interaction with the Budget Director, the County Attorney’s Office, County Department Leadership and staff, as well as bidders and vendors.

Specific duties include:

Serving as an expert consultant to the Purchasing Agent and County agencies in planning and organizing procurement processes;
Providing procurement approval and support to County agencies;
Negotiating contract terms, resolving disputes and working closely with the County Attorney’s Office to ensure that contracts appropriately protect the County’s interests;
Assisting user agencies with change orders and contract amendments;
Determining appropriate method of procuring the goods and services needed and conducting Invitation to Bid (ITB);
Creating and evaluating Request for Proposals (RFPs) to ensure comprehensiveness and legal compliance and chairing the Evaluation Committee during evaluation, negotiation and award processes as a non-voting member;
Participating in meetings with senior management on complex procurement strategies; and
Representing the County at both internal and external meetings.

This Procurement Officer will report to an Assistant Purchasing Agent and is responsible for consulting with County agencies to ensure procurement transactions meet agency needs and are in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The ideal candidate will bring highly specialized knowledge of best procurement and contract practices, and business and contract law as it applies to public purchasing, risk management strategies and insurance and indemnity issues and practices.

Selection Criteria

Minimum: Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, or a related field, plus significant professional level procurement experience that includes managing Invitations to Bid (ITBs), Request for Proposals (RFPs), negotiating contracts and resolving disputes.

Substitution: Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the education requirement on a year-for-year basis.

Desirables: Preference may be given to applicants with experience in one or more of the following:

Municipal or local government procurement;
Construction, Transportation, and Professional Services solicitations;
Application of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (VPPA);
Working on information technology related projects;
Using established automated solutions to procurement processes;
Completed courses in public procurement, negotiation techniques, business or contract law; and/or
Obtained certification as a Virginia Contracting Officer (VCO); Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) and/or Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO).

Special Requirements

Completion of the Commonwealth of Virginia Statement of Economic Interest form will be required of the successful candidate. Pursuant to Section 27-9 of the Arlington County code, this position requires the completion of “Statement of Economic Interest” (Financial Disclosure) form upon acceptance of employment and annually thereafter.

Additional Information

Work Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

Your responses to the supplemental questionnaire are considered part of the application process and are required for this position. Please do not give “see resume” as a response to the questions. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

NOTE: This position is listed as “open continuous.” Interested applicants are advised to submit their applications as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed and qualified applicants referred on a continuous basis. Interviews will be conducted on a regular basis throughout the recruitment with candidates whose qualifications best fit our needs. If your application is received later in the recruitment process, it may not be reviewed or considered. The application process will close when the position has been filled or when a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received.

Arlington County Government employee benefits depend on whether a position is permanent, the number of hours worked, and the number of months the position is scheduled.

Specific information on benefits and conditions of employment can be found on the Arlington County Human Resources Department website: www.arlingtonva.us/pers.

Permanent, Full-Time Appointments
All jobs are permanent, full-time appointments unless otherwise stated in the announcement. The following benefits are available:

Paid Leave : Vacation leave is earned at the rate of four hours biweekly. Leave accrual increases every three years until eight hours of leave are earned biweekly for twelve or more years of service. Sick leave is earned at the rate of four hours biweekly. There are eleven paid holidays each year.

Health and Dental Insurance : Three group health insurance plans are offered – a network open access plan, a point-of-service plan, and a health maintenance organization. A group dental insurance plan is also offered. The County pays a significant portion of the premium for these plans for employees and their dependents. A discount vision plan is provided for eye care needs.

Life Insurance : A group term policy of basic life insurance is provided at no cost to employees. The benefit is one times annual salary. Additional life insurance is available with rates based on the employee’s age and smoker/non-smoker status.

Retirement : The County offers three vehicles to help you prepare for retirement: a defined benefit plan, a defined contribution plan (401(a)), and a deferred compensation plan (457). The defined benefit plan provides a monthly retirement benefit based on your final average salary and years of service with the County. You contribute a portion of your salary on a pre-tax basis to this plan. General employees contribute 4% of pay; uniformed public safety employees contribute 7.5% of pay. Employees become vested in the plan at five years of service. The County also contributes to this plan.

For general employees, the County also contributes 4.2% of pay to a defined contribution plan (401(a)) . The County also matches your 457 contribution, up to $20 per pay period, in this plan. The 457 deferred compensation plan allows you to set aside money on either a pre-tax (457b) or post-tax (457 Roth) basis up to the IRS annual limit. New employees are automatically enrolled with a pre-tax contribution equal to 2% of your base pay.

Other Benefits: The County also offers health, dependent care, and parking flexible spending accounts; long-term care insurance; tuition assistance; transit and walk/bike to work subsidies; a college savings plan; wellness programs; training opportunities; and a variety of other employee benefits.

Permanent, Part-Time Appointments:
Part time employees who work ten or more hours per week receive paid leave and benefits in proportion to the number of hours worked per week.

Limited Term Appointments:
Benefits are the same as permanent appointments except that the employees do not achieve permanent status.

Temporary Regular Appointments:
Temporary regular employees who work 30 hours or more per week are eligible for health, dental, and basic life insurance as described above. They are also eligible for vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays.

Temporary Seasonal and Occasional Appointments:
Temporary employees who work on a seasonal basis or variable hours receive sick leave, but do not normally receive other paid leave or benefits. Exceptions are noted in individual announcements.

Please explain your professional experience managing Invitations to Bid (ITBs) and Request for Proposals (RFPs) and negotiating contracts and resolving disputes.

Please select if you have one or more of the following:

Municipal or local government procurement;
Construction, Transportation, and Professional Services solicitations;
Application of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (VPPA);
Working on information technology related projects;
Using established automated solutions to procurement processes;
Completed courses in public procurement, negotiation techniques, business or contract law;
None of the above.

Please explain your experience with the items selected in question #2. If no experience, please put “N/A’.

Please select if you have one or more of the following certifications: