ASSISTANT CONTRACTS ADMINISTRATOR - PROCUREMENT & CONTRACTS

This position works closely with the Contracts Administrator and staff members to ensure that all contract administration duties are performed and in a timely manner; works with additional City staff to monitor and administer all citywide contracts through an organized and efficient electronic filing system; and performs related duties as assigned. The incumbent works within broad policy and organizational guidelines and does independent planning and implementation, reporting progress of major activities through periodic conferences and meetings.

The work is considered light in nature and involves walking or standing much of the time and involves exerting up to 20 pounds of force on a recurring basis, or skill, adeptness and speed in the use of fingers, hands or limbs on repetitive operation of mechanical or electronic office or shop machines or tools within moderate tolerances or limits of accuracy.

The work is considered light in nature and involves walking or standing much of the time and involves exerting up to 20 pounds of force on a recurring basis, or skill, adeptness and speed in the use of fingers, hands or limbs on repetitive operation of mechanical or electronic office or shop machines or tools within moderate tolerances or limits of accuracy.

• Assists the Contracts Administrator to ensure successful fulfillment of vendor/contractor contractual obligations for all goods, services, and construction;
• Supports the City's primary point of contact for the initial review and approval of change orders, contract amendments and other post-award requests; utilizes the city's financial management system to track all change orders, create and release task orders on Indefinite Delivery Contracts (IDCs) and open/blanket POs and monitor and track all contract renewals, extensions, etc.;
• Reviews solicitations prior to release, as applicable and also ensuring that insurance and bonding requirements have been properly satisfied. This may include the collection, review, and maintenance of any required certificates of insurance, worker's compensation insurance, and performance and payment bonds, verifying the accuracy and authenticity of certificates of insurance, etc., as required per solicitation specifications;
• Attends pre-proposal, pre-bid and negotiation team meetings; attends kick-off meetings for major procurement/contracting projects;
• Establishes a tracking mechanism to track renewal dates and release automatic reminder notices to internal staff prior to the initial contract term's expiration date;
• Monitors contractors, vendors and consultants performance according to citywide acceptable standards;
• Verifies that invoices are acceptable for payment based on deliverables;
• Works closely with other staff members to develop realistic timelines and deliverable schedule for the completion of projects based on statements of work;
• Meets with contractors and internal staff on a periodic basis to review progress, discuss problems, and consider any necessary changes;
• Seeks to identify and address with management any cited material breaches of contract;
• Ensures that all goods and/or services have been properly received in accordance with the specifications and prior to authorizing payment;
• Works closely with other staff members to incorporate language into the terms and conditions which allows contracts administration to effectively negotiate changes and enforce unsatisfactory performance during the execution of the contract;
• Verifies that all deliverables (including reports) have been properly delivered and accepted prior to sign-off and invoicing;
• Verifies that the contractor, consultant, subcontractors and/or vendor complies with all of the terms and conditions of the agreement to ensure that all parties have properly fulfilled their obligations and no responsibilities remain unperformed;
• Ensures that the final payment has been made and stamped accordingly;
• Confirms that any contract oversight issues have been resolved in a timely manner;
• Validates that all inventory and property ownership issues have been resolved (including disposition of equipment and licenses purchased under the contract);
• Works closely with other procurement and contracting staff to ensure that all applicable insurance requirements are met prior to issuance of a Notice to Proceed to contractor;
• Assures that a plan for contract file maintenance has been developed and implemented;
• Trains staff members on appropriate file documentation required for all City contracts;
• Ensures that the contractor has been informed of the City's record retention requirements;
• Cites and records any deficiencies found during contract close-out and ensures that they are addressed with the appropriate parties;
• Determines whether corrective action is necessary and taking further corrective action steps, as needed and in accordance with citywide policies and procedures;
• Assesses the success of the contract and determines if there are lessons learned for future contracting;
• Assures that an electronic contract close-out file is properly maintained and utilized for all contracts issued by the City. The Contract Administrator must verify that the following contract close-out steps have been successfully completed, including but not limited to all goods and services have been received, accepted and properly inventoried; all reports have been delivered and accepted; all administrative actions have been accomplished; all equipment and materials have been returned; and final payment has been made to the Contractor and marked accordingly;
• Attends meetings, training, conferences, seminars, etc., as appropriate to maintain knowledge of current trends and technology in procurement, engineering, and public utilities operations and administration; and
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements to Perform Work:

• Bachelor's degree in business administration or closely related field;
• Three (3) years of relevant prior experience in contracts administration, construction management, negotiations, processing change orders, tracking contracts and pay requests; general knowledge of procurement practices and procedures in the public sector environment;
• Valid South Carolina Class "D" Driver's License (some travel required).

• Skilled in the use of Microsoft Office and PDF preparation software;
• Experience utilizing Project Management software; working knowledge of Microsoft SharePoint preferred;
• Substantive experience in procurement, contracting and project management work, including but not limited to, public sector procurement, business finance/accounting, project management, contracting and/or contract administration;
• Must have proven and demonstrated ability of successfully performing contract and change management for contracts;
• Ability to interpret, understand, and review construction document plans and specifications; draft revisions to contracts and amendments;
• Experience using a variety of contracts, such as firm-fixed-price and fixed unit price, indefinite delivery, work order, incentive, and cost-reimbursement;
• Familiarity with standard procurement methods of contracting (i.e. Request for Proposals, Requests for Qualifications, Invitations for Bid, Competitive Best Value Bidding, etc.);
• Ability to research, develop, and implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for all Procurement tasks and functions;
• Must have good communication skills (written and oral), ability to organize and manage large projects, ability to analyze and evaluate situations and apply knowledge and experience as appropriate;
• Demonstrated organizational skill and ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously;
• Ability to make public presentations and deliver training, as needed; and
• Knowledge of mediation or conflict resolution practices.

Salary : $57,458 - $73,259