Contracts and Procurement Technician

The City of Alexandria is located in northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a charming waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. About one-quarter of the City’s 15.75 square miles have been designated as a national or local historic district. We proudly embrace our rich history and seize the endless opportunities that lie ahead. If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our Contracts and Procurement Technician position.

An Overview

Under general supervision, the Contracts and Procurement Technician performs and provides support for procurement and purchasing work of a highly difficult and responsible nature. The work includes assembling product and price data for purchase order award, processing of requisitions, issuance of purchase orders, recording payments and making entries in the automated purchase order tracking system and administering the department's purchase card program.

What You Should Bring

The ideal candidate should have a strong knowledge and understanding of the practices, methods and techniques of procurement and purchasing; ability to analyze and interpret laws, rules and regulations that apply to procurement in the public sector; ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing.

The Opportunity - Examples of Work

• Review purchase requisitions and contract requests for completeness, proper expense codes, contract or purchase order term, appropriate attachments, and compliance with City Code;
• Maintain procurement records (purchase orders, bids and quotes files) as per Virginia State Law and City code;
• Monitor and update certificate of insurance(s) relating to active/current contracts ensuring contractor’s insurance is current;
• Assist in collecting technical information for the development of bid specifications for General Services supplies and equipment;
• Performs word processing/data entry of contracts and procurement related correspondence, records, reports, forms and spreadsheets;
• Answer inquiries from employees and outside agencies and explain City ordinances, policies and procedures pertaining to City Purchasing;
• Administer the department’s purchase card program; and
• Performs other duties as assigned.

About the Department

Our mission is to provide exceptional management of the City’s real estate, property, and other support services for all our customers, internal and external. The Department of General Services staff strives to provide our customers with unmatched services by proactively managing the City’s assets to support the delivery of services to the City of Alexandria, responding to service requests in a timely manner, listening to our customers, and ensuring that our customers are satisfied with the resolution.

Minimum & Additional Requirements

High School Diploma or GED equivalent; procurement or buying experience at a level equivalent to that of an Account Clerk III, and completion of college-level course work in business and/or procurement principles and techniques; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Finance or a related field plus three years of responsible procurement or buying experience which required negotiating with professional and non-professional service providers, creating technical or general specifications, and/or modifying technical or general specifications prepared by others. Extensive use of the Microsoft Office Suite; and experience working in local, state or Federal Government environment.

Notes

This position requires the successful completion of pre-employment background checks including but not limited to drug testing, criminal background.

The Department of General Services (DGS) is a first response department and as such all DGS employees are deemed essential or emergency personnel and maybe required to report to work when the City government is open with liberal leave or closed during emergencies.