State of Maryland

A Procurement Officer IV is the expert level of professional work in agency procurement sourcing and award activities, contract management, procurement systems operations, procurement regulations and policies review, professional procurement training and certification, or procurement business services located in the Department of General Services, the State central procurement authority.  Employees in this classification are responsible for the development of state-wide contracts and comprehensive structured agreements.  Employees in this classification work across with all levels of State government, multiple jurisdictions and the federal government to coordinate work efforts.  Employees in this classification provide expert and technical interpretation, instruction, guidance and assistance in accordance with State laws and regulations. Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from a higher level Procurement Manager or other designated administrator.  The work may require travel throughout Maryland to perform on-site procurement audits, training, monitoring, compliance reviews at State agencies.

Positions in this classification are evaluated using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

Produces structured procurement agreements that balance State compliance requirements with public business needs;

Works on strategically comprehensive enterprise-wide contracts, master service agreements, information technology and business process outsourcing (BPO) agreements, structured intergovernmental agreements and other high level procurement projects;

Identifies and recommends changes in procurement operations to reduce State contractual and financial risks;

Reviews, analyzes and approves procurement documents and submissions received from State agencies for compliance and adherence to State procurement or contract laws, regulations, policies and procedures and for overall content clarity and sufficiency;

Advises State agencies on proposed procurements and procurements that are not in compliance with State procurement or contract laws, regulations, policies or procedures and provides guidance regarding required corrective action;

Determines final approval for procurements under the Department of General Services authority;

Recommends approval for procurements requiring final approval by the Board of Public Works;

Prepares or assists with the preparation of agenda items for the Board of Public Works to formally request Board approval of proposed contracts;

Provides guidance, instruction, audit, compliance review and instruction to State agencies in all aspects of the procurement process including attending agency pre-bid or pre-proposal conferences, meeting with agency procurement staff to discuss results of procurement analyses and conducting training and certification for agency procurement staff in State procurement laws, regulations, policies and procedures;

Assists with and manages statewide contracts, including indefinite quantity contracts, after award;

Determines basis for awards and evaluation criteria;

Implements new and revised fiscal policies, procedures and standards to capture complex procurement costs;

May examine financial records to determine and maintain effective internal controls to insure the accuracy and reliability of procurement fiscal records and to protect fiscal resources from fraud and waste;

May identify performance standards and evaluates fiscal activities, records and reports to determine if the information provides sound financial basis for making sound fiscal judgments;

May identify changes to be made to the structure of electronic procurement computer network system based on agency requirements;

May install and customize applications software for the eProcurement system;

May configure network software and hardware to provide for efficient and effective network performance and data security;

May prepare and assemble technical documentation and user documentation for network software and hardware;

May monitor the performance of the network software and hardware through network management and diagnostic programs and utilities, adjusts the network for maximum efficiency, maintains and analyzes records of network activity;

May diagnose network software and hardware problems and makes repairs and adjustments or obtains service from software and hardware vendors and maintenance vendors;

May run backups of network data, archives data as required and develops and maintains disaster recovery plans;

May administer certification components of the DGS procurement manpower development and training activities;

May identify training objectives, curricula, review progress of coursework, approve provision of training programs and requests for training activities;

May negotiate with external professional certification organizations and training resources to obtain State credentials, arrange for the provision of academic courses, and to coordinate development programs;

May conduct instructional activities in specialized training programs, such as in-service training for specialized professional procurement occupational groups;

May provide advice and guidance to paraprofessional support staff;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the theories, principles and practices of public procurement administration;

Knowledge of government procurement laws, regulations, policies and procedures;

Knowledge of contract and specification writing techniques;

Knowledge of the principles and practices of management and public administration;

Knowledge of the principles and practices of data communications;

Knowledge of generally accepted computer programming languages or other developmental tools;

Knowledge of computer operating systems software, network communications software and applications software;

Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles, theory, procedures and methods;

Knowledge of generally accepted auditing standards;

Knowledge of business administration and management practices;

Knowledge of fiscal control reporting policies and procedures;

Skill in conducting procurements;

Skill in using computers and appropriate software to prepare contracts, specifications and procurement documents;

Skill in reviewing, analyzing and approving contract or procurement documents and submissions for required content and proper format;

Skill in providing guidance and formal training to agency staff in contract or procurement laws, regulations, policies and procedures;

Skill in monitoring modal agency compliance with enterprise level contract or procurement laws, regulations, policies and procedures;

Skill in designing, modifying and implementing accounting methods and procedures to increase reliability and efficiency of operations;

Skill in identifying and correcting non-conforming entries made to internal and external accounting systems;

Skill in applying fiscal policies in the establishment of fiscal control measures;

Skill in preparing, analyzing and interpreting financial reports and statements;

Skill in interpreting and applying State and federal laws, policies, regulations and rules to agency accounting operations;

Ability to review procurement contracts for compliance with State laws and regulations;

Ability to construct, review and recommend approval of procurement-related agenda item submissions to the Board of Public Works;

Ability to provide guidance, certification and training to State agency staff in State procurement laws, regulations, policies and procedures;

Ability to monitor State agency compliance with State procurement laws, regulations, policies and procedures;

Ability to prepare accurate and complete contracting and purchasing documents;

Ability to conduct pre-bid conferences and explain procurement regulations and procedures;

Ability to work and complete assignments under strict timelines;

Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of officials both inside and outside the agency;

Ability to identify staff development and training needs within specialized occupational areas, or for specialized priority groups;

Ability to analyze complex training problems and to develop, with other professionals or leadership staff, practical solutions to these problems;

Ability to provide leadership and direction to institutional or other career development staff in implementing, monitoring and evaluating a specialized career program;

Ability to integrate discrete training activities within a specialized career development program;

Ability to provide ongoing direction and control for a specialized career development program.

1.  Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle.  Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland.

2.  Employees in this classification who have not already done so must obtain and possess certification as a Procurement Professional  from the Maryland Department of General Services, within one year of appointment.  

Specific educational and experience requirements are set by the agency or the State central procurement authority based on the essential job functions assigned to the position.

Class Descriptions are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

Class Descriptions provide information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work, General Requirements and Acknowledgements.  The Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Minimum Education and Experience Requirements; Special Requirements; and recruitment and testing procedures are set by the using agency.

This is a Management Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Management Service positions.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.