Salary: $96,131 - $122,688 Annually
We are currently accepting applications to fill two (2) Senior Procurement & Contracts Management Professionals in Santa Barbara, California. The current vacancies are in the General Services Department - Procurement Services Division. The job assignment for these positions are a Senior Procurement Compliance Administrator and Senior Procurement Specialist.These job classifications are in the County of Santa Barbara's management professional job series. 

Senior Procurement Compliance Administrator:
Under the general direction of the Chief Procurement Officer, the Senior Procurement Compliance Administrator is a working manager role that is involved in all business areas of the division, and performs, plans, organizes, and coordinates the County's purchasing services activities. Responsibilities of the position include managing the purchasing programs to ensure compliance requirements are met, identifying and mitigating risk by working with the Procurement Team members to develop solicitations and contracts; assisting the Chief Procurement Officer or designee with audits for contract compliance, resolving issues with departments, responding to inquiries from management, suppliers, and others, investigating and preparing recommended responses to bid/proposal protests, recommending updates to purchasing policy, procedure, and ordinances; coordinating purchasing compliance training and activities with other county departments; training, supervising and evaluating assigned personnel; performing other duties as required.
  
This position is responsible for ensuring all County contracts for goods, and professional services and all solicitations are in compliance with federal, state, and county requirements. The position is required to maintain strong professional relationships across county departments, vendors, the public and other regulatory agencies. In this role, the incumbent will provide support to the Procurement Team, daily customer service, and administration of complex assignments requiring knowledge of purchasing policies, contract management, solicitation processes, ordinances and laws, US Postal Service regulations, and surplus, fixed asset and accounting policies.   The incumbent is responsible for monitoring changes in laws or policies that impact procurement, contracting, mail services and surplus operations and ensuring appropriate changes are implemented and communicated.

Senior Procurement Specialist:
Under general direction, the Senior Procurement Specialistsupports departmental staff in the proper and efficient application of business process, fiscal, and/or information system analysis in order to improve the service delivery of programs; analyzes and reports on program requirements and performance; and performs related duties as required.

The Senior Procurement Specialist performs a variety of procurement tasks including contract management, analysis and preparation, conducts research in support of strategic sourcing opportunities, contributes to the development of purchasing policy and procedure, spend analysis and data, develops training materials, and is responsible for completing various procurement tasks that require knowledge and understanding of purchasing regulations, contract process, and overall attention to detail. 

The Senior Procurement Specialist will be responsible for administering Master Service Agreements (MSAs) and will play a key role in identifying opportunities to negotiate countywide contracts and participate in cooperative contracts.   This position will regularly communicate with departments on countywide contractor-related issues, and countywide supplier management. The incumbent must be a self-starter; demonstrate an understanding of administration and organizational management; communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing; perform all tasks with focus and attention to detail; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships; and be proficient with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams, and collaboration tools. 

• Relevant certifications such as, Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO), Certified Professional Buyer (CPPB), or Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM)
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply various State and Federal laws and rules, regulations, and guidelines pertaining to a high-volume procurement and contracting environment, working within specific timelines.
• Experience as an effective trainer and facilitator
• Experience with strategic sourcing of goods and services
• Experience in database administration and management, reporting and analytics
• Experience in developing and managing processes for requests for proposals (RFP), requests for quotes (RFQ), request for information (RFI), bids both formal and informal, quotes, as well as contract formulation, compliance and administration 
• Experience with an e-procurement system, the Workday Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software or other ERP systems
• Experience managing special projects and presenting ideas to senior management
• Detail-orientated with a strong sense of personal responsibility and ownership of work product
• Excellent interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing with internal and external customers and suppliers
• Demonstrated professional experience drafting board letters, closed session memos, or similar documents seeking approval from public agency or other governing bodies
• Familiarity with public contracting in a governmental setting, with a focus on public project contracting processes

1. Supports the Procurement Team and participates in daily operations, and provides training, guidance, and general oversight to staff.
2. Audits procurement activity for compliance; enforces County, state, and federal regulations, laws and ordinances, and recommends corrective action in cases of non-compliance. 
3. Assists with establishing purchasing orders and requisition; drafts internal/external correspondence; assists with the development of solicitation processes; reviews and issues RFPs, RFIs, and RFQs; ensures compliance with Federal, State and County Purchasing requirements, US Postal Service regulations and Surplus Property requirements. 
4. Serves as the Buyer for large and complex purchasing transactions; stays abreast of changes in regulations, current trends, product information and practices regarding professional purchasing. 
5. Reviews and monitors monthly spend analysis performed by the Procurement Division and identifies strategic sourcing opportunities.
6. Serves as a primary resource for customers, vendors, and staff to interpret policies and procedures, Federal and State procurement statutes, assessing client needs and providing dispute resolution when necessary; participates in public outreach with the goal of increasing vendor participation. 
7. Interprets County and departmental policies, County codes, state statutes, and regulations governing purchasing activities and the awarding of contracts.
8. Reviews and updates procedure manuals and training materials to ensure that changes in law, policy, and procedure are properly reflected on the Procurement Services Division Web page and in all published materials. 
9. Assists the Procurement Team with policies, procedures, documentation and communication for mail and surplus services across the county. 
10. Ensures, upholds, and models sound ethical standards for purchasing staff and communicates and explains them to customers, vendors and other County staff.
11. Prepares Board Letters and related supplemental paperwork in support of contracts for the Board of Supervisors.
12. Maintains records and prepares reports and correspondence.
13. Prepares Board Letters and related supplemental paperwork in support of board reports on procurement activity, and contracts for Board approval. 
14. Develops and presents regular training sessions for County staff.

The knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below may be acquired through various types of training, education, and experience. A typical way to acquire the required knowledge and abilities would be:  
 

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, public administration, purchasing or related field AND Four (4) years of progressively responsible experience involving planning, analysis, coordination, and evaluation in the field of procurement. 

• Principles and practices of leadership, motivation, team building and conflict resolution. 
• Standard and accepted methods of writing requests for proposals, selecting consultants and negotiating contracts. 
• Principles and practices of public administration and principles of organization, management, and staffing. 
• Pertinent local, state, and federal laws, guidelines, regulations, and statutes. 
• Principles and practices of public finance, budgeting, and fiscal control. 
• Principles and practices of public human resources. 
• Principles and techniques to plan, develop and coordinate comprehensive local government public relations, communications, and media relations programs. 
• Standard research techniques, including the use of surveys and questionnaires. 
• Principles and techniques of administrative analysis, including workload measurement, workflow and layout, work simplification and systems and procedure analysis. 
• Principles and practices of local government, including county administration, organization, programs, and functions.
• Modern office procedures, methods, and computer equipment. 
• Computer software, including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and database applications. 
• English usage, spelling, punctuation, and grammar. 

• Read, analyze, evaluate, and summarize written materials and statistical data including reports, financial reports, and budgets. 
• Compose, coordinate, and edit a variety of educational, informational, and promotional materials for dissemination and use by the County, other agencies, news media, and the general public. 
• Apply the principles and practices of motivation, team building and conflict resolution. 
• Obtain information through interview process; successfully accomplish multiple assignments; deal firmly and courteously with the public. 
• Determine effective method of research; compile data and present it in a form most likely to enhance understanding. 
• Prepare reports, statistical data, forms, questionnaires, and surveys. 
• Analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendations in support of goals. 
• Interpret and apply pertinent local, state, and federal laws and regulations. 
• Analyze situations quickly and objectively, apply appropriate elements of decision making and determine the proper course of action. 
• Effectively deal with high levels of ambiguity and possess the ability to navigate through the ambiguity. 
• Exercise initiative, sound independent judgment, tact, sensitivity, and discretion and maintain confidentiality within established guidelines. 
• Collaborate with various community groups in a tactful and effective manner. 
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. 
• Make effective presentations to the community and the media. 
• Understand, interpret, explain, and apply complex rules and procedures. 
• Analyze systems and administrative and management practices and identify opportunities for improvement. 
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with a diverse range of individuals, including but not limited to coworkers, subordinate staff, supervisors, other managers, professional agencies, and the general public.

APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS:

• Review applications and supplemental questionnaire to determine those applicants who meet the employment standards.

• Supplemental Question Ranking: Responses to the required supplemental questionnaire will be evaluated and scored. Candidates' final score and rank on the eligibility list will be determined by the responses to the scored supplemental questionnaire. This process may be eliminated if there are fewer than 11 qualified candidates.Applicants must receive a percentage score of at least 70 on the Supplemental Questionnaire Ranking to be placed on an employment list. An adjustment may be made to raw scores based on factors listed in Civil Service Rule VI. Those candidates who are successful in the selection process will have their names placed on the employment list for a minimum of three months. At the time the employment list is established, all candidates will receive written notice of their score on the exam(s), rank on the employment list, and exact duration of the employment list.
   
  Conditional Job Offer:  Once a conditional offer of employment has been made, candidate will be required to successfully complete a background check, which includes a conviction history check, and satisfactory reference checks.  Appointee may be subject to a post-offer medical evaluation or examination. The appointee must satisfactorily complete a one-year probationary period.
  
  The Hiring Department may conduct a background check that may include Live Scan screening.
   
  Recruiters will communicate with applicants by e-mail during each step in the recruitment process. Applicants are reminded to check spam filters continuously during the Recruitment & Selection Process steps listed above to ensure they do not miss required deadlines.
   
  REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS: The County of Santa Barbara is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants. Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter listed on the job posting. We require verification of needed accommodation from a professional source, such as a Medical Provider or a learning institution.
   
  Disaster Service Worker: Pursuant to Governmental Code section 3100, all employees with the County of Santa Barbara are declared to be disaster service workers subject to such disaster service. Activities as may be assigned to them by their superiors or by law.
   
  BENEFITS: The County of Santa Barbara offers generous benefits. For information click here.   In addition, applicants from other public sector employers may qualify for:
  
  • Retirement reciprocity 
  • Time and service credit towards an advanced vacation accrual rate
  
  Statement of Commitment: The County of Santa Barbara provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation of any type with regard to any characteristic or status protected by any federal law, state law, or Santa Barbara County ordinance. The County continues to be committed to a merit-based selection process and to eliminating barriers to attracting and retaining top qualified candidates. The County has a long-standing practice of providing a work environment that respects the dignity of individual employees and values their contributions to our organization. 
   
  APPLICATION AND SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE DEADLINE: Monday, August 25, 2025 at 4:59 PM PST. Applications and job bulletins can be obtained 24 hours a day at www.sbcountyjobs.com.
   
  
  
  Collin Graham, Senior Talent Acquisition Analyst:  cgraham@countyofsb.org