PROCUREMENT CONSULTANT

Procurement Consultant

Every great community runs on smart decisions and many of those decisions start with procurement. Cary is seeking a Procurement Consultant who can turn ideas into action, helping departments navigate the full lifecycle of purchasing with confidence, compliance, and strategic insight.

In this role, you won't just process transactions, you'll serve as a trusted advisor with teams across the organization to shape solutions, ensure responsible use of public funds, and deliver value to the community. From the initial purchase concept through contract executions, purchase, and delivery, you'll guide staff through the Cary procurement process ensuring compliance with applicable laws, policies, and best practices. Procurement is more than a function, it's a force multiplier ensuring that every department has what it needs to serve the Cary community effectively and responsibly. The expertise on this team helps maximize resources, minimize risk, and support innovative solutions across the organization.

If you're ready to apply your procurement expertise in a role where your work directly supports a thriving community, we invite you to bring your skills to Cary.

Typical Tasks

• Assists departments by proactively determining specific needs for goods or services, determining appropriate procurement methods (IFB, RFP, RFQ, sole source, direct purchase, etc.), conducting market research as needed, identifying quality sources, analyzing availability, reviewing vendor past performance, evaluating product cost effectiveness, and recommending acceptable alternatives (if applicable);
• Assists departments with end-to-end procurement processes, including solicitation, evaluation, and award; posts requests for bids, quotes, proposals, or information on the NC Electronic Vendor Portal;
• Assists departments with drafting complex bid specifications and instructions in accordance with federal, state, and local laws, statutes, regulations, and ordinances; preparing formal and informal bid documents, conducting pre-bid conferences when applicable, preparing bid tabulations, evaluating and recommending selection of vendors, and conducting post-bid meetings with vendors upon request;
• Prepares relevant staff reports to present information to appropriate committees or governing boards; assists in the preparation of bid award documentation, such as recommendation of award, through established Cary processes;
• Processes purchase requisitions by ensuring information entered by departments is accurate, valid, and complete prior to approving; works to resolve internal user processing issues;
• Assists with coordination of Cary's purchasing needs with the NC State Purchasing and Contract Division and other cooperative agreements;
• Serves as the liaison between the Purchasing & Contracts Division and other Cary departments to determine appropriate contracting methods, advise on contract negotiation, review contract documents, and facilitate execution; provides guidance and assistance in writing and reviewing technical and contractual specifications;
• Works with departments to develop and review contract packages to ensure required documentation is included; ensures compliance with federal, state, and local laws, statutes, regulations, and ordinances, and with Cary procedures related to contracting for goods, services, and construction; recommends and oversees revisions before contract execution; coordinates the submission and approval of contracts through the appropriate internal channels;
• Evaluates methods to capture economies of scale while being intentional to create opportunities for historically underutilized firms; works with project managers to identify and document minority businesses invited to bid on purchases and contracts for inclusion in the Cary database and contract file to ensure compliance with North Carolina General Statutes;
• Assists departments in evaluating vendor and/or contract performance; maintains relevant data, records, and reports; assists in identifying and communicating vendor and/or contract performance issues to the responsible party and assists departments with resolution;
• Assists with maintaining and updating front end contract documents and standard specifications encompassing technical, financial, risk management, legal, and procedural requirements;
• Collaborates with division leadership and other departments to develop and maintain a formal process of capturing data to assist with analysis of the procurement program spend, including maintaining records, preparing reports, and overseeing data systems;
• Assists with internal user education and training, including the production of training materials, participation in training modules, and user engagement through a variety of communication tools; actively identifies and recommends ways to simplify the procurement process; assists with training Cary staff;
• Performs other job-related tasks as required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Thorough knowledge of professional purchasing and inventory practices and procedures for municipal operations; thorough knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, and statutes that govern municipal purchasing programs; thorough knowledge of personal computers and word processing, spreadsheet, database, and electronic information software; experience with Oracle preferred; general knowledge of the categories (i.e. materials, supplies, equipment) typically purchased by local government agencies; thorough knowledge of standard office procedures, practices, and equipment and electronic purchasing; general knowledge of business methods and markets; ability to write clear and concise specifications; ability to establish effective working relationships with other officials, vendors, and the general public; ability to express ideas clearly and concisely, orally and in writing; ability to manage multiple assignments simultaneously, with strong organizational skills; ability to demonstrate strategic thinking and prudent judgment when making important decisions by utilizing knowledge of industry best practices.

Physical Requirements The work in this class is generally sedentary. An employee must be able to talk and hear to communicate with others. Visual acuity is necessary to read and write handwritten and typewritten materials and view a computer.

Minimum and Preferred Qualifications

Any combination of education and experience equivalent to graduation from an accredited community college or university with major course work in business or public administration or related field and considerable experience in contracting and purchasing; public sector experience in purchasing and contracting preferred.

Conditions of Employment Requires a valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record. Requires drug testing and background check (which may include criminal history check, SBI finger printing, motor vehicle records check, education verification and credit history review) and satisfactory reference checks prior to employment.

Cary ensures equal employment opportunities (EEO) are provided to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, political affiliation, marital status, veteran status, or genetic information.