Senior Contract Specialist - 31001822

Requisition No: 832012 

Agency: Division of Emergency Management

Working Title: Senior Contract Specialist - 31001822

 Pay Plan: CS Exempt (EOG)

Position Number: 31001822 

Salary:  $65,000.00 annually 

Posting Closing Date: 07/10/2024 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

Senior Contract Specialist

Office of Procurement and Contract Management

State of Florida Division of Emergency Management

This position is located in Tallahassee, FL

The Florida Division of Emergency Management plans for and responds to both natural and man-made disasters. These range from floods and hurricanes to incidents involving hazardous materials or nuclear power. The Division of Emergency Management (FDEM or Division) is the liaison between federal, state, and local agencies. FDEM prepares and implements a statewide Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, routinely conducts extensive exercises to test state and county emergency response capabilities, provides technical assistance to local governments as they prepare emergency plans and procedures, as well as conducts emergency operations trainings for state and local government agencies.

The Division serves as the lead agency for the State Emergency Response Team (SERT), whose primary goal is the coordination of the state’s efforts during disaster response and recovery. This coordination is conducted within the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Tallahassee. Additionally, the Division manages the State Watch Office; the 24-hours a day operation tasked with providing situational awareness to stakeholders statewide. After a disaster, FDEM conducts damage assessment surveys and advises the Governor of the state of Florida on whether to declare an emergency and seek federal relief funds. It is against this backdrop that FDEM strives to demonstrate its mission of, “Coordinate, collaborate and communicate with our community stakeholders for a resilient Florida” along with our vision of, “Leading the Profession in building prepared and resilient communities.”

Position Overview and Responsibilities:

This is a professional position in the Contract Management Unit of the Office of Purchasing and Contract Management and is responsible for overseeing and managing various aspects of the contract administration process to meet the Division's contracting requirements. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Manages complex and special projects for the division.
• Manages the Division’s contracts and agreements, including drafting contract documents, task orders, amendments, and correspondence, ensuring compliance with all necessary forms and documentation.  Manages the official contract file: processes and routes contracts, payments, amendments, and agreements appropriately, monitors contract expiration dates to ensure requirements are met for renewal or re-issue, and keeps management advised of required procurement actions.
• Conducts quality assurance reviews of contracts for compliance with statutes, rules, and procedures.
• Oversees and documents relevant and required tasks and deliverables and conducts quality assurance reviews of contracts for compliance with statutes, rules, and procedures.
• Facilitates professional development by conducting and participating in training sessions for internal and external customers to enhance the division’s contracting processes.
• Assists in writing Scopes of Work for complex projects.
• Participates in statewide meetings, conferences, and training as required to perform job responsibilities.
• Coordinates with project managers, the Office of General Counsel (OGC), the Bureau of Financial Management, and other partners on all aspects of contract management, including but not limited to contract conceptualization, solicitation preparation, scope of work collaboration and composition, negotiations, cost and price analysis, contract award, contract administration, contract termination, and contract closeout.
• Collaborates closely with the Office of Procurement and Contracting and Bureaus within the division to analyze procurement requests, provide instruction on proper content development, and ensure alignment with specifications and scope of work requirements.
• Provides detailed analysis, planning, research, and development for the improvement of contract operations.  Compiles statistical data and provides reports on contracts, amendments, and all agreement activities.
• Researches and responds to public records requests.
• Places contracts, amendments, and procurement documents in FACTS either manually or through a batching process. 
• Assists division staff with negotiating changes or renewal terms for contracts or agreements.
• Drafts, edits, and reviews specifications, conditions, and regulations pertaining to contracts. 
• Acts as liaison, mediator, and consultant between vendors and division staff to resolve disputes, and problems, or answer questions in a timely manner.
• Cross-train with the Procurement Team and act as back-up for other staff members within the Office of Procurement and Contract Management.
• Performs duties as assigned during activations of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), work non-traditional hours, and may be deployed to anywhere in Florida or the United States for up to two weeks at a time or longer, if warranted. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature and may also necessitate reasonable adaptability by the traveler.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of laws, rules, procedures, and practices governing the procurement of contractual services and commodities. 
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of public purchasing, State of Florida purchasing laws, rules, regulations, and Florida purchasing processes.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of federal purchasing laws, rules, and regulations.
• Knowledge of contract administration and management best practices.
• Knowledge of accepted contract negotiation principles. 
• Skilled in reviewing documents for accuracy and completeness.
• Skilled in public speaking.  
• Ability to communicate effectively, both written and verbal.
• Skilled at collaborating with others to monitor and manage contracts, scrutinize contractor performance, and measure quality and compliance within contract terms and conditions. 
• Ability to prepare reports, correspondence, guidelines, and PowerPoint presentations.
• Skilled in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of the Florida Accountability Tracking System (FACTS).
• Ability to work extended hours (including nights, weekends, and holidays) during emergency activation and be able and willing to be deployed up to 14 days in response to disasters, with limited advance notice.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in state or federal contracting and/or procurement.
• Valid Florida Certified Contract Manager (FCCM) designation or ability to obtain one within six months of starting.
• Three years or more of experience managing contracts.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Florida Certified Contract Negotiator (FCCN) designation.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certificate.

Special Notes:

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

The Division of Emergency Management is committed to successfully recruiting and onboarding talented and skilled individuals into its workforce. The Division appreciates the service and sacrifices made by veterans and their family members. Further, FDEM recognizes the immeasurable value veterans bring to the workplace and is committed to increasing the number of veterans that serve in its workforce.

The Division of Emergency Management is committed to increasing recruitment and hiring of individuals with disabilities and improving employment outcomes. An individual with a disability is qualified if he or she satisfies the skills, experience, and other job-related requirements for a position and can perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must contact the FDEM Human Resources Office at (850) 815-4177. FDEM requests applicants notify HR in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

Successful completion of background screening will be required for this position.

The State of Florida and the Division of Emergency Management participate in E-Verify. This federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

In response to emergency events, Division of Emergency Management employees may be required to work irregular hours, to work more than 8 hours per day, to work extended periods (including weekends and holidays), to work at locations other than their official headquarters, and to perform duties in addition to those outlined in the employee’s position description. Employees must be able to deploy to emergency sites with limited advance notice.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.