Contracting Officer

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Job Summary

The Contracting Officer reports to the Purchasing Contracting Manager and is a key member of the purchasing team. The Contracting Officer performs all the tasks necessary to acquire goods and services for one or more departments/divisions and provides general purchasing and contract administration.

Essential Job Duties

Handling moderate to complex procurements of supplies, equipment, and services with high financial exposure

Communicating with suppliers and internal customers to develop technically sound contracts and/or procurement documents

Sourcing, obtaining quotations/bids, making awards, and preparing and issuing purchase orders

Monitoring, amending, and closing out standard and declining balance purchase orders

Processing and reconciling credit card purchases

Preparing competitive and non-competitive procurement justifications

Performing cost or price analyses and recommending options that best meet customer requirements

Negotiating specifications and terms and conditions and administering procurement contracts

Documenting procurement packages to comply with internal and external audit requirements

Being a self-starter with the ability to work as part of a team or independently as an individual contributor.

Special assignments may include:

Developing and issuing solicitation documents, coordinating the evaluation of proposals, and negotiating specifications and terms and conditions

Lead project-based work or task teams, including preparing for and leading monthly TechMart training sessions, and speaking or presenting to internal or external customers

Participating in Purchasing’s Supplier Relations Committee, which seeks to foster and build relationships among Caltech’s e-procurement catalog suppliers and Campus customers

Assisting Procurement’s Systems Analyst in building and generating reports for the purpose of strategic sourcing

Responsibility for creating, maintaining and overseeing supplier contracts/master purchasing agreements using Purchasing’s Compliance Contract Tracker tool

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree and 4 years of purchasing experience OR 6 years of purchasing experience.

Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills.

Strong customer focus and demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement.

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s degree in business administration or equivalent degree.

Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) certification.

Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) certification.

Experience in higher education. NCMA membership.

Experience with government procurement and government property accountability.

Required Documents

Resume.