City of Tampa

Employees in this class serve as the apex of expertise within the Purchasing Department.  As the pinnacle of the procurement team, employees in this class are tasked with highly responsible municipal purchasing work involving all phases of the procurement process, research, and analysis using technical information and specialized software, and research management control and critical review of major phases of procurement activity.

An employee in this class is responsible for monitoring and managing total flow of routine and complex solicitations (Invitation to Bid, Request for Proposal, etc.), contracts, and City Council resolutions through interface with Purchasing’s administrative support staff, other departmental personnel, legal review, and administrative approval.  Tasks are of considerable difficulty and include critical review of documents and methods of procurement, forecasting requirements through analysis of historical data; researching and forecasting of market trends; developing advantageous contracts; reviewing and developing specifications; advertising and awarding of bids and contracts and preparation of summary and exception reports for management. Under general direction, the employee is required to exercise considerable initiative and independent judgment in continuous review and development of procurement methods and best practices. Work is reviewed through conferences, meetings, observations, reports submitted, and results obtained.

Engages user department(s) personnel to gather information to facilitate procurement process; prepare and finalizes document specifications, conducts pre-bid meetings, pre-proposal conferences and site visits, facilitates evaluation committees, develops and negotiates contracts, finalize City Council resolution items, ensure all contracts are executed in a timely manner and complete any other procurement documents for compliance with purchasing policies, procedures and good business practice.  

Maintains on-going monitoring of contracts to ensure compliance with city regulations or requirements; manages, tracks, and coordinates total workflow to administrative support staff; prioritizes work when necessary; maintains accurate contract management of all projects and provides discrepancy reports for purchasing and requesting department(s).

Prepares and provides summary reports of work volume and quality to management; identifies quality deviations and opportunities for improvement; participates in discussions and contributes with other procurement staff and management to resolve deviations and affect improvements.

Consults with Senior Analysts, Analysts, Procurement Specialists, and departmental management team on technical questions relating to specification review, bid preparation, user interface, contract terms and conditions, insurance requirements, equal business/minority business opportunities and resolution preparation; coordinates purchasing and general procurement methods and practices.  

Reviews solicitation document data with department users and vendors; prepares award/contract renewal documents, create documents for management approval and City Council resolution preparation; conducts review of vendor invoices to ensure compliance with award/contract specifications; prepares reports and provides feedback to departmental personnel concerning findings.  

Recommends procedural modifications and improvements to management for review and implementation.

Establishes and maintains files, control logs, and other office records to ensure accurate and complete record keeping of various activities and/or transactions.  

Performs related work as required.

Extensive knowledge of: governmental and general procurement methods and practices related to software and professional services contracting; the principles, ethical standards, and priorities of governmental purchasing; municipal purchasing laws, City Charter, City Code, regulations, and procedures; grades, qualities, supply sources, and market factors for services, commodities and equipment frequently required by large municipalities; anti-trust laws and contract law under the Uniform Commercial Code;  economic and financial principles; computer technology and use including experience in Oracle Cloud, Microsoft Office Product Suite, online bid/quote solicitation software programs and project/contract tracking/documentation.

Ability to: critically review procurement methods and practices; analyze detailed historical purchasing data; prepare and present meaningful summary reports; prepare detailed management plans for assigned classes; write clear, concise business correspondence and management reports; review the work of others, acting as consultant to department personnel engaged in purchasing activities; perform value analysis, forecasting, statistical sampling, cost/benefit comparisons, and other related financial and economic computations; conduct and preside over small and large meetings; establish and maintain effective working relationships with City employees, officials, bidders, vendors, and other governmental agencies.

Mostly sedentary, indoors, requires extended use of computer, typing and viewing monitor.

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree and five (5) years of experience in high value and volume purchasing operations, analysis of data, or a related field (certification through the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) or the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council (UPPCC) can substitute for a portion of the education.

An equivalent combination of education (not less than possession of a high school diploma/GED), training and experience that would reasonably be expected to provide the job-related competencies noted above.

Certification through the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) or the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council (UPPCC) is highly recommended.

Possession of a valid Florida driver’s license required. 

Evaluation of education and experience. Drug testing is included in all pre-employment processing.

Employees may be required to work rotating shifts, including nights, weekends, holidays, and overtime as needed. During periods when the Mayor issues an emergency declaration for the City of Tampa, all employees may be required to work in preparation, response or recovery activities related to the stated emergency.