Procurement Training Specialist

Position Overview

The Chief Procurement Officer for General Services (CPO-GS) seeks a creative, results-oriented, and experienced trainer. As the Training Specialist, you will work with a small team dedicated to improving the skill set of State procurement professionals, helping ensure that all are knowledgeable about best practices and legal standards in public procurement in Illinois. This is an excellent opportunity to make a significant impact in the professional development of State procurement professionals, at the same time helping ensure compliance and efficiency in government.

The CPO-GS ensures that more than $7 billion in procurements under its jurisdiction are fair, transparent, accountable and in the best interest of the State.  The CPO-GS is under the umbrella of the Executive Ethics Commission (EEC), a nine-member commission that promotes transparency, fairness, and integrity by facilitating compliance and enforcement of the State Officials and Employee Ethics Act. The EEC appoints the Chief Procurement Officer (CPO), subject to Senate confirmation, and provides staff and other support in furtherance of the independent procurement role of the CPO. The staff members of the CPO-GS are dedicated public servants focused on providing exceptional service and valuable results to the agencies and people we serve.

Under administrative direction of the Senior State Purchasing Officer / Training Procurement Manager, the Training Specialist designs, develops and delivers instructional material pertinent to the operation of State procurement under the CPO-GS and represents the CPO-GS to the agencies and public.

Job Responsibilites

• Identify areas of training needed.
• Prepare PowerPoint presentations and teaching scripts.
• Develop classroom handouts, exercises, instructional materials, aids and manuals.
• Direct structured trainings and assess learning.
• Present trainings in-person or virtually as needed.
• Assess training effectiveness to ensure trainee comprehension upon completion of training course
• Periodically evaluate training content and materials to ensure that they are accurate, relevant, and timely
• Stay abreast of the new trends, tools, and innovations in instructional design and professional development training

Required Education, Skills, and Experience

• Bachelor-level degree from accredited college or university, preferably with courses in supply chain management, public administration, business administration, political science, education, training, communication, visual arts, instructional design, or a related field.  Equivalent degree or non-degree education, or education plus relevant professional experience may be considered.

• Experience with creating trainings that focus on compliance with statutes and rules and reinforce awareness of best practices.

• Self-motivated and organized in order to complete tasks and projects.

• Experience with analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

• Experience with the identification of reasons or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.

• Experience in a position working with Microsoft Office Suite, WebEx, Canva, and Audacity or equivalent

• Advanced skills using Microsoft PowerPoint

• Experience creating visually pleasing presentations.

• Experience presenting complex information using a variety of delivery methods.

• Experience with the management of one’s own time or the time of others.

Preferred Education, Skills, and Experience

• Two years of experience creating visually interesting trainings using PowerPoint and Canva
• Three years of experience training groups by presenting information with a variety of instructional techniques or formats
• One year of experience using an eProcurement system
• One year of experience publicly presenting training material with confidence virtually and in-person
• Familiarity with public procurement and the Chief Procurement Office for General Services (https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/)

Office Information

This role operates in a professional office environment requiring business casual or business dress attire and includes routine use of standard office equipment including a computer, keyboard, mouse, telephone, and copier. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate, with frequent interruptions and multiple demands.

Benefits

This position is eligible to be a member of the State of Illinois Group Insurance program which includes health, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage options. Additionally, this position will annually accrue the following paid benefit leave, prorated based on start date: 12 paid sick days, a minimum of 10 paid vacation days, 6 paid personal days, and be afforded 13 paid state holidays.

NOTE: This is a non-code position. This position is not subject to collective bargaining and does not require a current grade from Central Management Services.