Job Details

Job Title:       Procurement Specialist

Reports to:       Procurement Manager

Group:         Executive Director and CFO – City Finances

Position Number:   Temporary Role

Grade:          TBC

Date:         October 2024

Objective Doc Ref:   

Position Purpose/Job Summary

The Procurement Specialist works with the Procurement Team and is responsible for ensuring value for money contracts is established within the diverse range of projects including projects of significant value and community benefit. The role ensures compliance for tendering and contract activities undertaken in accordance with legislative requirements, Government guidelines and Councils policies and procedures.

Essential Criteria

• Demonstrated knowledge of approaches to market, tendering and quotations for the supply of goods, services and works in a government context.
• Well-developed customer service, interpersonal, verbal communication skills, and report writing skills.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain and establish co-operative professional working relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Advanced problem-solving skills including capability to research the market and analyse information and to present viewpoints in a manner that can be easily understood by those from a non-procurement background.
• Proven experience in the management of Tendering, Request for Quotation, Expressions of Interest, Selective Tendering through to contract award including preparation of procurement reports.
• Ability to work at pace and remain consistently approachable and personable under pressure, while delivering favourable outcomes to internal and external customers
• Sound organisational, time management and prioritisation skills along with a demonstrated ability to successfully balance competing priorities.

• Advanced skills in teamwork and leadership including the ability to undertake a diverse range of tasks and to provide quality support to other team members.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications or Cert IV or Diploma of Government Procurement and Contracting and / or experience in a similar role.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience in a medium to large public sector or private sector organisation.
• Well-developed computer literacy with ability to use electronic tendering and contract systems and evaluation software.
• Sound understanding of the sections of the Local Government Act 1993 and Local Government (General) Regulations that relate to the tendering function.
• Understanding of the environment in which Local Government, particularly Fairfield City Council, operates.

Key Accountabilities – Position Specific

1. To provide assistance in the development and preparation of Request for Tender, Quotations and Expression of Interests in meeting Councils objectives.

1. To review contract documents and specifications prepared for the engagement of contractors to ensure a value for money outcome.

1. Management of special projects, development and maintenance of Quality Management documentation currency for the procurement branch.

1. Recommend actions to improve the current process and/or customer service as part of a continuous improvement cycle.

1. Ensure that tendering/contract management complies with all relevant legislation, codes and Council policy and that there is equitable treatment of all tenders and probity in all aspects of the tendering process.

1. Working autonomously, prepare and release RFQ, EOI, RFT and Selective Tender documents in a timely manner including preparation of Evaluation Plan, facilitate Evaluation process and prepare Evaluation report in a timely manner. Coordinate and lead evaluation panels ensuring Councils procurement methodologies and probity is always maintained.

1. Prepare Contract documentation for execution and facilitate Post Tender Debrief.

1. Manage risk and ensure compliance within the relevant legislation and tendering guidelines whilst seeking to adopt innovative, best practice procurement solutions.

1. Interpret, negotiate and resolve conflicts and issues in relation to aspects of the Council's Procurement activities and service delivery and deal with confidential and sensitive issues Ensure that confidentiality is maintained at all times and operate within the approved delegation and probity structure.

Key Accountabilities – Core

1. Use Corporate IT Applications/Systems, ensuring compliance with Council standards and policies, to facilitate achievement of required outcomes.

1. Comply with the requirements of Council’s Work Health Safety Management System (WHSMS) and fulfil relevant WHS responsibilities as per WHS-01.1.1 Responsibilities, Authority and Accountability Guideline whilst employed by or acting on behalf of the Council

1. Comply with the reasonable requests and directions of management whilst employed by or acting on behalf of the Council. This includes undertaking other tasks or duties that may be allocated from time to time

1. Comply with Council’s Code of Conduct, policy and procedures whilst employed by or acting on behalf of Council

1. All employees are required to treat colleagues and customers with respect and professionalism without regard to non-relevant criteria or distinctions, as well as report any suspected case of discrimination or harassment that they witness. This requirement is in accordance with Fairfield City Council’s Values and commitment to equal employment opportunity and a workplace free of discrimination and harassment.

Reporting Relationships

Direct: Nil

No. of Indirect: Tender Evaluation Panel members, Tenderers & Stakeholders.

Key Relationships

1. Internal

Communicating with

Nature of Communication

Procurement Manager/ Procurement staff

Clients / Stakeholders

Evaluation Team members

Daily contact in relation to the performance of tendering function, general procurement matters and branch operations

Regular contact in relation to tendering projects, deadlines and timeframes, processes, outcomes etc. Regular requirement to positively influence clients in committing to the achievement of procurement branch objectives.

Regular contact relating to evaluation processes, time frames, reports, meetings, outcomes etc.

Key Relationships

1. External

Communicating with

Nature of Communication

Respondents / Prospective Suppliers /Contractors

Other councils and/or council groups e.g. SSROC

Other contracting bodies e.g. State Procurement, Local Government Procurement and Procurement Australia

Regular contact relating to tendering/procurement matters and other business opportunities e.g. Regular requirement to deliver presentations on tendering and contract processes and procedures.

Semi – regular contact relating to group tenders and/or bench marking exercises etc.

Infrequent contact relating to bench marking, commodity / contract usage etc.

Position Dimensions

This position has delegations in accordance with section 378 of the Local Government Act. Responsibilities are to be exercised in accordance with Council’s Delegation of Authority. Contact the Governance and Legal Division for delegations designated to this position.

Decision making Authority & Accountability

Decisions made by self

• The General Manager authorises you to take the actions required to make your workplace safe and to fulfil your WHS responsibilities in line with the WHSMS and WHS-01.1.1.
• Works within the framework of the Local Government Act 1993 and the Local Government (General) regulations 2005, Council procurement policies, and whatever Conditions of Tender may be in force for specific projects;
• The position has the autonomy to prioritise daily workloads to ensure the efficient co-ordination of activities
• The position takes into consideration information gathered, needs of customers, users and stakeholders in determining and implementing appropriate solutions and action
• The position is guided in its decision making by relevant Council polices, legislation, procedures and other relevant guidelines and regulations to ensure that information provided is relevant and current
• The position refers matters that are highly technical or complex or where customers are not satisfied to a senior officer or manager for resolution

Decisions made in consultation

• Chairs, coordinates and documents briefing with prospective tenderers prior to issue of the tender and de-brief meetings following evaluation to those tenderers who have been unsuccessful.
• Analyse existing contract performance and make contact with vendors to rectify breaches in performance standards. Contributes to the development of solutions, recommendations and provision of advice on tendering and fleet matters.

Decisions referred to Procurement Manager

• Significant changes to policy procedure or complex issues around tenders.
• Any breaches of the Local Government Act 1993

Problem Solving

The primary challenges for the position are:

• Understand the technical, legal, commercial and financial aspects of tendering and contracts to ensure ability for sound evaluation and managing the contract over time to ensure that the service levels specified are achieved;
• Evaluation of tenders to ensure that the decision is based on achieving the best value from its procurement activities in consultation with Procurement Manager.
• Manage the contract by consulting with vendors and staff throughout the contract period to ensure best value is achieved by proposing corrective actions and holding all parties accountable to achieve contract terms.
• Deal simultaneously with multiple procurement projects, each at different phases of development; and
• Help reduce cycle times by taking a proactive approach and questioning current practices and implementing ways to develop tenders and contracts in a more efficient manner.
• Guidance and advice should be sought from the Procurement Manager however, it is expected that the occupant will be significantly independent and referral to Procurement Manager will be for those circumstances that have no precedent, complex and/or if there are organisation-wide/political implications.

Competencies

Performance in this role is also assessed on ‘how’ staff achieve their goals, based on the same behavioural expectations for all staff.  An individual Work Plan, based on your position description will be established in partnership with your supervisor.  Your supervisor will meet with you on a regular basis to ensure that you are performing as expected or assign some training to improve performance if needed.

Signature

Employee:

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Authorised by: (Manager)

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