Procurement Officer

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Arlington County requires all applicants to thoroughly complete each section of the application, including prior job responsibilities, duties, and supplemental questions. While you may attach a resume, it will not replace a completed application. Incomplete applications will not be considered. 

Arlington County is seeking an experienced Procurement Officer for the Department of Management and Finance's Purchasing Division to prepare, review, and approve solicitations, negotiate contracts, and manage the procurement process for a wide 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. 

Specific duties include:
    

• Ensuring all procurement transactions, under their review, comply with applicable laws and regulations specific to the Virginia Public Procurement Act (VPPA) and the County Purchasing Resolution;
• Ensuring that all purchases meet ethical standards; 
• Preparing and issuing a variety of solicitations;
• Leveraging analytical and reporting tools to efficiently monitor the compliance, performance and outcomes of the procurement process;
• Maintaining the County's credibility, not only in the marketplace in terms of potential bidders and contractors, but also in terms of public perception by citizens of the County; 
• Serving as an internal liaison to County departments by advising them in the planning and organizing of their procurement activities, specific procurement processes, and contract language in order to most effectively achieve the desired results; 
• Participating in vendor outreach sessions such as pre-proposal conferences; 
• Overseeing committees during evaluation, negotiation and award processes as a non-voting member;
• Assisting in negotiating contract terms; and working closely with the County Attorney's Office to ensure that contracts appropriately protect the County's interests; and
• Assisting with change orders and contract amendments.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Attention to detail and the ability to coordinate with other professional and technical staff as well as with the County Attorney's Office, County Department leadership, bidders and vendors;
• Specification writing skills, editing, and contract preparation experience, including ability to articulate and express ideas; 
• A customer-focused, results-oriented mindset when planning and overseeing solicitations for County operating agencies; 
• Thorough understanding of contract administration techniques and theory; 
• A strong grasp of e-procurement technology tools and analytical reporting software; 
• Effective negotiation skills; and
• Ability to understand and apply new techniques and solutions to problems in the public procurement field while balancing the interests, requirements and demands of multiple stakeholders.

Minimum: 

• Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, or a related field, plus
• Significant 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;
• Application of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (VPPA);
• Contributing to and working on information technology and/or construction 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 Contract Administrator (VCA), and/or
  • Virginia Contracting Officer (VCO).
  • Virginia Construction Contracting Officer (VCCO).

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

Normal work hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with some flexibility. The official work location is 2100 Clarendon Blvd, Arlington VA. However, for the time being the Department of Management and Finance is conducting the majority of the work remotely with occasional on-site requirements for meetings at County facilities.
 
Please complete each section of the application, including the supplemental questionnaire. A resume may be attached; however, it will not substitute for the completed application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.  
 
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