Procurement Compliance Officer (Finance)

The Riverside County Purchasing and Fleet Services Department has an exciting opportunity for a Procurement Compliance Officer to join their team!

Under general direction, the Procurement Compliance Officer will plan, direct and audit Riverside County's Purchasing Programs to ensure that all County contracts for goods, professional services, and public works are in compliance with federal, state, and County requirements as well as identify and mitigate risk by working with procurement contract specialists and buyers in the development of contracts. The incumbent will also be responsible for resolving compliance issues as they arise with departments; reviewing and approving procurement-related Form 11s; responding to inquiries from management, elected officials, and the vendor community; investigating and preparing recommended responses to protests; and handling California Public Records Act ( CPRA ) requests. The Procurement Compliance Officer will also develop and administer procurement training f or department and county staff on related procedures, policies and regulations.

This classification reports to the Assistant Director or designee of Purchasing and Fleet Services. This single-position class may be assigned the full span of County purchasing responsibility which includes: special projects; assisting and advising departments, districts, and affiliates in selection of the most equitable and efficient solicitation process; writing and processing formal bids; and conducting negotiations and developing major contracts involving the highest level and most complex products and services. Special emphasis is directed toward adherence to Riverside County's Small Business, Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise and Local Preference Contract Participation Program. This classification may, in the future, lead functional buying teams and supervise support staff and lower levels in the Buyer series.
The Fleet and Services Department is looking for an analytical and out of the box thinker who can work alongside management to lead the department into the future. The Procurement Compliance Officer will need to navigate tough conversations so candidates who are politically savvy, effective oral and written communicators, and value customer service are encouraged to apply.
This class has been deemed eligible for the Performance Recognition Plan as set forth under Article 3, Section 311 of the County Management Resolution. Program eligibility requires employees to be in a leadership position, manage other employees or programs, and have significant influence on the achievement of organizational objectives.

Meet the Team!

The Purchasing and Fleet Department's primary function is to provide vehicles, goods and services to other County Departments and agencies within the County of Riverside. Providing a unified purchasing system that ensures integrity and fairness, with centralized responsibility for oversight of solicitation, vendor selection, negotiation, award, contract management, reporting, disposal of surplus property, centralized mail services and emergency logistical support for the benefit of Riverside County agencies.• Plan, organize, and direct policy, contract standards, and procedures for the administration of the County's Purchasing Regulations and Practices.

• Plan, direct, and perform audits of County departments/agencies for compliance with procurement policies, regulations, and procedures.

• Develop and present training sessions for County staff, industry and other organizations on purchasing related procedures, policies and the Contract Compliance Program.

• Review County contracts for goods, professional services, and public works for conformance to federal, state and County requirements, goals and objectives; establish program procedures for qualifying contracts under local or preference policies; process complaints and monitor contracting activities; implement approved policies and procedures.

• Prepare Board Letters and related supplemental paperwork in support of contracts for the Board of Supervisors; prepare analytical reports, correspondence, and memoranda oversee records retention process and file audits.

• Investigate and respond to vendor complaints, allegations, or protests; communicate and serve as a liaison between vendors, departments, or entities to develop compromise and resolve contractual problems or complaints.

• Publicize the Contract Participation Program and perform outreach activities; prepare informational materials and news releases in cooperation with the County's Public Information Officer and the Director of Procurement and Fleet; organize and conduct compliance workshops for, and in cooperation with, County departments.

• Enforce County, state and federal regulations, laws and ordinances, and recommend corrective actions in cases of non-compliance.

• Audit procurements performed under delegated authority for compliance.

• Review new requests for delegated purchasing authority and monitor compliance with set regulated amounts.

• Analyze current and pending legislation and recommend policy/program changes; provide written reports and give oral testimony to the Board of Supervisors regarding progress and implementation status of the Contract Participation Program.

• Work independently in developing and coordinating complex contracts for commodities or services with multiple departments; write solicitations for bids (Request for Proposals, Requests for Quotations, Invitations to Bid); analyze and determine most appropriate contract types to reduce County's exposure to risk.

• Organize, direct and lead negotiating teams in evaluating and negotiating contracts.

• Supervise, assign and evaluate work of subordinate staff.

• Serve as team lead for specific teams within Purchasing; provide guidance, direction, and support for buyers and/or procurement contract specialists.OPTION I

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree, preferably with a major in business/public administration or the social sciences. (Additional qualifying experience may substitute for the required education up to two years of full-time experience equaling 30 semester or 45 quarter units of the required education). A master's degree or possession of a certificate in purchasing/procurement management is highly desirable. Examples of desirable certificate programs include but are not limited to the following: Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) from the Universal Public Purchasing Certification Council (UPPC); Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO) from the UPPC; Accredited Purchasing Practitioner (APP) from the from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM); Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM) from the ISM; Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) from the ISM; Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) from the National Contract Management Association (NCMA); or Certified Associate Contracts Manager (CACM) from the NCMA.

Experience: Six years of progressively responsible purchasing experience including formal bidding, contract negotiations, and development for large dollar procurements. This must have included a minimum of two years of public sector procurement experience in preparing and processing state or federal contracts, purchases of service contracts, processing or preparing grant applications, conducting competitive bids, formulating policy and procedures, or negotiating contracts with private industry or government auditing experience.

OPTION II

Experience: Eight years of buying experience in a Purchasing Department or Agency, four years of which should be equivalent to the County of Riverside Procurement Contract Specialist classification (or higher classification within the class series), which includes contract negotiation, development of contract standards and procedures, auditing experience and development of multi-year or major high-value, multi-commodity agreements. (Possession of a certificate as a Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM) or Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) or possession of either a certificate in purchasing or a certificate in contracting may be substituted for up to one year of the required experience.)

OPTION III

Experience: Two years as a Supervising Procurement Contract Specialist with the County of Riverside or equivalent.

ALL OPTIONS

Knowledge of: Principles and practices of professional procurement with emphasis on all solicitation processes used to acquire commodities, services, and a variety of contract types employed to procure these services; laws, ordinances, and state and federal procurement regulations concerning contractual agreements between County and private contractors; remedies and procedures for non-compliance.

Ability to: Work independently; supervise; read and interpret rules and regulations; collect, organize, and evaluate product or service information; identify alternative solutions, and project consequences of decisions and recommendations; compose clear and concise reports, recommendations, technical procedures and correspondence; audit programs for adherence to policies and procedures; develop/write policies, procedures, and training manuals; train users and customers; communicate in a clear and persuasive manner; establish and maintain effective relationships with department officials, company/ vendor representatives, and staff members; prepare purchasing specifications; work effectively in community relations and with community agencies and groups; meet and confer with a variety of adversarial groups and individuals and to mediate amicable settlements of differences; establish and maintain liaison with a variety of governmental jurisdictions and agencies and with the public; utilize management and organizational principles necessary to analyze, evaluate, and control organization programs and resources.
License: Possession of a valid California Driver's License.

The Most Competitive Candidates will Possess:

• Certification as a Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) from the Universal Public Purchasing Certification Council (UPPC); Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO) from the UPPC; Accredited Purchasing Practitioner (APP) from the from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM); Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM) from the ISM; Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) from the ISM; Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) from the National Contract Management Association (NCMA); or Certified Associate Contracts Manager (CACM) from the NCMA.
• Prior auditing experience.
• Extensive service procurement experience.
• Experience creating and administering procurement training programs.

***Please Note: If qualifying using educational units or certification, proof is required by the closing deadline. Applications without proof of degree/educational units/certification completed will not be considered. Please see "Supplemental Information" below for guidelines.***This recruitment is open to all applicants.

General Information:
For questions regarding this posting please contact Angela Tavaglione at atavaglione@rivco.org or at (951) 966-3590.