Senior Procurement Specialist

Description

THE AGENCY

The General Services Agency (GSA) is made up of Fleet Services, Facilities, Procurement, Special Services, Security and Business Support, and the Parks Department. The agency is responsible for a broad spectrum of services to all the County departments and agencies. It requires a very diverse workforce to accomplish the GSA mission of contributing to the quality of life in Ventura County by partnering with their customers to provide expertise and cost-effective service delivery, and foster the preservation of natural resources.

THE POSITION

Under general direction, the Senior Procurement Specialist supervises, trains, reviews and approves staff purchase order documents; runs competitive solicitations; and issues purchase orders for assigned agencies.

The ideal candidate will be proficient in procurement processes and procedures, have the ability to supervise multiple staff, and possess one or more of the following certifications: National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, Certified Purchasing Professional (NIGP-CPP), Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM), Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM), Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB), Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO), or other related certification.

PAYROLL TITLE

Staff/Services Specialist II

WHAT WE OFFER

• A general salary increaseof 3.5% effective December 22, 2024.

• Merit Increases

• New employees are eligible for an initial 5% merit increase within the pay range upon completion of at least 1,040 hours (approximately 6 months) assuming work meets satisfactory standards. Subsequent merit increases within the pay range will be upon completion of each additional 2,080 hours (approximately one year) from the initial merit increase.

• Educational Incentive

• An educational incentive of 2.5% for completion of an associate degree, 3.5% for completion of a bachelor's degree, OR 5% for completion of a graduate degree.

• Vacation Accrual- New regular, full-time employees shall accrue approximately 14 days of vacation a year for the first 10,400 hours or 5 years of service; vacation accruals increase at 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 20 years of service topping out at 26 days a year and 400 hours of vacation hours banked.

• Annual Leave Redemption- After 14,560 hours of continuous County service an employee may elect to "cash in" or redeem up to 80 hours of vacation accrued in the same year after using 80 hours of vacation in the preceding 12 months.

• Sick Leave- Full time regular employees accrue a maximum of 3.08 hours of sick leave per bi-weekly pay period with an advance at hire of 40.04 hours which will be balanced at the completion of 13 bi-weekly pay periods.

• Deferred Compensation- Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3.00% match on your 401(k) contributions.

• Health Plans-Full time employees are given a flexible credit allowance to offset the purchase of medical, dental, and/or vision insurance for you and your dependents.

• Employee only - $502 per biweekly pay period

• Employee plus one dependent - $730 per biweekly pay period

• Employee plus family - $905 per biweekly pay period

Flexible Spending Accounts-Pre-tax benefit towards eligible medical, dental and vision care and/or dependent care expenses.Pension Plan-Participation in the County's defined pension plan, which has reciprocity with CalPERS.Holidays- 12 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday.Additional Benefits

• Tuition Reimbursement, Disability Plans, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Wellness Program.

To learn more about benefits, please follow the link below:

https://vcportal.ventura.org/CEO/HR/MOA/docs/SEIU_MOA_2022-2025.pdf

Staff/Services Specialist II is represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and is eligible for overtime compensation.

Examples Of Duties

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Plans, organizes and supervises the work of a Procurement unit comprised of Buyers and Purchasing Technicians dealing with commodities or services, including staff selection, evaluation, training, discipline, development, and determining the most effective use of resources;

• Oversees processing of highly complex requisitions in specialty areas, such as construction, fleet/heavy equipment, or large computer systems acquisitions;

• Liaises with representatives from other agencies/departments. Answers inquiries from other staff, members of the public, vendors and contractors regarding the services provided. Investigates and resolves problems related to the line operation's service or contractor/vendor performance and resolves sensitive and complex requisition issues;

• Represents GSA and the Purchasing Division in meetings with customers and vendors, confers with high-level officials and County representatives to determine purchasing needs and specifications, and negotiates or facilitates settlements of disputes or misunderstandings;

• Conducts surveys, researches topics and issues, writes reports, analyzes data, prepares reports and awards large contracts;

• Oversees developments and issuance of Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and bids in complex commodity or services specialty areas;

• Develops a training plan to ensure staff members are appropriately trained;

• Coaches and leads staff in areas of contract management, solicitation, contracting, and award;

• Develops procurement policies and procedures and makes recommendations for changes as needed. Analyzes new trends, legislation, etc. to determine and respond to changes required in policies and procedures;

• Awards and manages large complex Countywide contracts in specialty areas;

• Maintains a variety of records and produces management reports using automated systems, manuals and other reference materials;

• Maintains an expertise of market trends and conditions, and new services, products and vendors in specialty areas;

• Prepares written reports, correspondence, makes oral presentations, lead meetings and provides interdepartmental training regarding Procurement Policy and Procedures;

• Participates in contract negotiations/modifications;

• Performs research on a variety of topics as requested; prepares staff reports or position papers and makes recommendations based on research findings;

• Assists management in the developing, monitoring, and updating of the Strategic Plan;

• May act for Deputy Purchasing Agent in his/her/their absence;

• Performs other related duties as assigned/required.

Typical Qualifications

These are the entrance requirements to the examination process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.

Education, Training, and Experience

Considerable professional purchasing experience in a leadership capacity with comprehensive knowledge in business administration, marketing, or procurement theory, and procurement related subjects which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

The required knowledge, skills and abilities can also be obtained by four (4) years of technical purchasing experience that involved vendor contact and bid or value analysis, OR three (3) years of experience as a Buyer with the County of Ventura, or comparable.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT

• Must have and maintain a current valid California Driver License

• Prior supervisory experience

DESIRED

Possession of one of the following certifications:

• NIGP-Certified Purchasing Professional (NIGP-CPP)
• Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM)
• Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM)
• Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB)
• Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO) or other related certification.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Considerable knowledge of successful customer service concepts and practices in a procurement environment, marketing principles, theory and procedures;

• Considerable knowledge of principles and practices of effective supervision; planning, organizing and directing work to meet workload demands; project and time management techniques and tools; work processes/methods. and, researching and interpreting codes, regulations and policies related to the agency/department;

• Considerable knowledge of the use of automated systems related to procurement;

• Considerable knowledge of researching and interpreting codes, regulations and policies;

• Considerable knowledge of specialized, complex purchasing practices;

• Ability to supervise, train, evaluate, and discipline staff; organize and prioritize work assignments;

• Ability to exercise independent judgment;

• Ability to explain department policies and procedures and serve as departmental resource and liaison;

• Ability to develop and implement necessary work processes and related procedures;

• Ability to perform statistical analysis and data interpretation and write reports;

• Ability to understand the Unit's goals; draw logical conclusions and make appropriate recommendations or adjustments as needed; ability to develop and maintain flexibility and adaptability to changing priorities;

• Ability to establish effective relationships with vendors, County representatives, high level officials, and co-workers;

• Ability to collect, read, analyze, interpret and evaluate complex data and technical material, conduct specialized studies and surveys, make decisions based on judgment as well as factual criteria, and develop a technical knowledge of specific products or services;

• Ability to communicate effectively (both orally and in writing), make oral presentations to small and large groups, and explain department policies and procedures.

Recruitment Process

FINAL FILING DATE

Your application must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura, California, no later than 5:00 p.m. on the closing date.

To apply on-line, please refer to our web site at www.ventura.org/hr. If you prefer to fill out a paper application form, please call (805) 654-5129 for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.

Note to Applicants:It is essential that you complete all sections of your application supplemental questionnaire thoroughly and accurately to demonstrate your qualifications. A resume and/or other related documents may be attached to supplement the information in your application and supplemental questionnaire; however, it/they may not be submitted in lieu of the application.

NOTE TO TRANSFER CANDIDATES: If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible. If interested, please click here for additional information.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE - qualifying

All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this examination at time of filing. This questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the position.

APPLICATION SCREENING - qualifying

All applications will be reviewed to determine whether or not the stated requirements are met. Those individuals meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the screening and selection process.

TRAINING & EXPERIENCE EVALUATION:A Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E) is a structured evaluation of the job application materials submitted by a candidate, including the written responses to the supplemental questionnaire. The T&E is NOT a determination of whether the candidate meets the stated requirements; rather, the T&E is one method for determining who are the better qualified among those who have shown that they meet the stated requirements. In a T&E, applications are either scored or rank ordered according to criteria that most closely meet the business needs of the department. Candidates are typically scored/ranked in relation to one another; consequently, when the pool of candidates is exceptionally strong, many qualified candidates may receive a score or rank which is moderate or even low resulting in them not being advanced in the process.

NOTE: The selection process will likely consist of an Oral Exam, which may be preceded or replaced with the score from a Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E), contingent upon the size and quality of the candidate pool. In a typical T&E, your training and experience are evaluated in relation to the background, experience and factors identified for successful job performance during a job analysis. For this reason, it is recommended that your application materials clearly show your relevant background and specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is also highly recommended that the supplemental questions within the application are completed with care and diligence.

ORAL EXAMINATION - 100%:A job-related Oral Examination will be conducted to evaluate and compare participating candidates' knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to those factors which job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performance of the job. Candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

ELIGIBLE LIST

If there are three (3) or fewer qualified applicants, an examination will not be conducted. Instead, a score of seventy percent (70%) will be assigned to each application, and each applicant will be placed on the eligible list.

Candidates successfully completing the exam process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

A thorough background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information, and driving record may be required for this position.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

For further information about this recruitment, please contact Chinna Nahabedian by email at chinna.nahabedian@ventura.org or by telephone at (805) 654-2458.