Department:

Financial Management

Start Here. Grow Here. Stay Here.

Do you have experience reviewing scopes of service and managing complex solicitations? Have you worked with cooperative purchases? Are you familiar with the basic principles of public procurement? We are looking for an experienced procurement professional with strong writing and analytical skills to serve in a senior role on our Competitive (Solicitations) Procurement team!

Prior public sector procurement experience is required. The best-qualified candidates will have substantial prior experience drafting and managing complex solicitations such as Invitations for Bids and Requests for Proposals.

As a Senior Procurement and Contracts Specialist in this position, you’ll:

• Work with department customers to independently draft, develop, and manage a variety of complex solicitations (Request for Proposal, Invitation to Negotiate, Request for Professional Services [CCNA], and others).

• Review and process cooperative purchase requests submitted by county departments for Information Technology and a variety of other goods and services.

• Researching and recommending cooperative purchasing solutions for countywide use.

• Follow an established and adopted set of standard operating procedures to accomplish assigned work, and ensure processes are transparent, consistent, and compliant.

• Facilitate public meetings for County staff, vendor,s and others, including pre-bid conferences and evaluation meetings.

• Use a variety of adopted templates to prepare and draft contracts for goods, services, and projects.

• Work collaboratively with your team to research peer agencies and determine the best approach to complex or unusual procurements.

• Facilitate periodic Partnership meetings for assigned customer departments.

This position will perform senior-level work and may also be assigned supervisory responsibilities based on organizational need and structure.

Professional Development: YOUR continuing education and professional development are keenly important to us! As a member of our team, you will receive paid continuing education in the field of public procurement and obtain (or maintain) your Procurement professional certifications. Visit www.nigp.org, www.uppcc.org, and www.fappo.org for more information on the Procurement profession and associated certifications.

E-Work/Remote Work: Currently, our Procurement team is eligible to e-work up to 2 days per week! After you complete your first six months and contingent on work requirements and other factors, you’ll be eligible for this fantastic benefit.

Typical Work Hours:  Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

About You

To be considered for this role, you must have the following:

• Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts, English, fields related to law, education, or writing, or a related field -AND- Two (2) years of experience in public sector procurement or a related field.

• -OR- Associate's degree from an accredited college or university in a related field -AND- Four (4) years of experience in public or private sector procurement.

• -OR- Progressively responsible professional experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job may be substituted on a year-for-year basis (totaling a minimum of six (6) years of related professional experience).

• Must have CPPB or NIGP-CPP -OR- the ability to obtain CPPB or NIGP-CPP certification within three (3) years of appointment to the position.

The ideal candidate has the following knowledge, skills, and/or abilities:

• Significant public procurement experience, including substantial experience with solicitation development, management, and award.

• Knowledge of local, state, and federal public procurement methodologies.

• Knowledge of applicable design and construction of Florida Statutes.

• An understanding of cooperative purchasing and how it is utilized by the County

• Ability to think and communicate strategically and analytically, both orally and in writing.

• Ability to collect, organize, and evaluate data to develop logical conclusions.

• Ability to plan, organize, and oversee the work of others.

• Ability to educate and train staff and Departments.

• Ability to lead and facilitate meetings and respond to high-level and/or controversial issues.

• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

About Everything Else

Pay: Up to $80,000.00, depending upon experience.

We believe in continuing education and will pay for both training and testing for professional certifications:

• Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB)

• Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO)

• NIGP-CPP (Certified Procurement Professional)

Our interview process could include phone interview(s), Microsoft Teams video interview(s), and/or in-person interview(s).

If you are selected to join our team, please click on this link to review the Required First Day Documents. You will need to present the following items on your first day:

1. I-9 Acceptable Documents to show your identity and authorization to work. Use this link to learn more and review the different document options: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

• If your position requires a Florida Driver’s License, this must be one of your documents. (Your Florida Driver’s License can serve as one of your documents listed in link above – List B Documents.)  

2. U.S. Social Security Card (signed, physical card). This is a requirement of our Payroll Department and failure to provide this document could jeopardize timely compensation. (Your U.S. Social Security Card can serve as one of your documents listed in link above – List C Documents.)  

Benefits:

• Enjoy great benefits including Health, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, Flexible Spending Accounts, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Florida Retirement System (FRS) and many, many more! Choose one of three great medical plans, including one with a $0 premium option, with completed preventative visits!
• For more information about employee benefits, please click this link or visit SCGov.net for additional information.
• Utilize our award-winning wellness program including free gyms at multiple Sarasota County Government locations. 
• Enjoy 11 paid holidays, 3 personal days and 16 paid vacation days in the first year of full-time employment with increasing accrual rates with years of service. (That adds up to a possible 30 days off in your 1st year!)​​

A different blend of voices prompt better conversations, choices and results for everyone. Sarasota County – Many Voices, One Team.

We celebrate and value the experiences, backgrounds, perspectives, talents and strengths that make us different.

Our vision is to attract, develop, retain and engage a talented workforce broadly representative of the citizens and communities we serve. To further value creativity, innovation, collaboration and great customer service – internally and externally. 

A job applicant with a disability who requires reasonable accommodation to participate in the application/selection process is requested to make known the need for an accommodation to Human Resources or appropriate county staff members. For assistance with the application, please call 941-861-5353.

Sarasota County prohibits discrimination in all services, programs or activities. View the complete policy at scgov.net (keywords: ADA Compliance).

Sarasota County Government is a Tobacco-Free/Drug-Free Workplace.