IT Contract Specialist V

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is currently seeking a Contracts Specialist V for a position within the IT Business Office team. This position will perform highly advanced (senior-level) purchasing and contract work for DFPS Information Technology Business Operations. Work involves preparing solicitation documents for all procurement methods (CPS Term and TXMAS contracts, DIR contracts, or open market delegated goods and services including RFOs, RFPs, RFQs, RFIs, IFBs, and informal bids) used to purchase IT commodities and complex IT services for the agency. In addition to overseeing and developing solicitations, bid evaluations, purchase orders, and other contractual documents. This Contract Specialist position will facilitate communication and collaboration between all contract stakeholders. Responsible for completing analysis of contractor performance by documenting and reviewing expenditure data, performance reports, and other contractor performance data. Responsible for implementing goals and objectives; developing contract guidelines, policies, and procedures; developing schedules, priorities, and standards for achieving established performance measures; monitoring contract compliance with federal and state laws, rules, regulations, guidelines, policies and procedures. Coordinates and implements changes as new federal and state laws, rules, regulations and agency policies become effective. Provides guidance regarding contract administration policies and procedures to program staff, management, and other Department staff as appropriate. Serves as the lead in contract development activities through execution, initiates amendments, monitors contractor performance and expenditures, provides technical assistance and contract closeouts. This position is classified as a full time position (40 hours per week). Work outside of regular hours may be required. Travel to other Austin office(s) may be required. Works under minimal supervision with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. Permanent telework position. This position is a full-time position that includes other State of Texas benefits as described in this SAO site: http://www.sao.texas.gov/SAOReports/ReportNumber?id=18-704 The mission of DFPS is to protect children, the elderly, and people with disabilities from abuse, neglect, and exploitation by involving clients, families, and communities. We are looking to grow our teams with people who share our energy and enthusiasm to get behind our mission of protecting those among us who are most in need.

• Working in conjunction with the Health and Human Services Commission’s (HHSC) Procurement and Contract Services (PCS) division, develops information technology (IT) solicitations, contracts, and amendments by conducting needs assessments; identifying procurement method, and conducting market studies; developing Statements of Work (SOW) and Requirements for goods and services; evaluating information supplied by Bidders, and negotiating contract terms.
• Reviews and conducts needs assessments to ensure requirements for the purchase of IT goods and services are complete and justified.
• Reviews purchase requests for completeness and compliance prior to processing purchase requisitions.
• Develops SOW or Requirements for IT solicitations and/or reviews SOWs and specifications that have been prepared for Request for Offers (RFO), Request for Proposals (RFP), Invitation for Bids (IFB), Request for Officers (RFO), Request for Information (RFI), Request for Qualifications (RFQ), and DIR Pricing Requests (PR).
• Forwards solicitations to PCS for processing.
• Tracks requisitions through issuance of Purchase Orders (PO) and maintains contract files to comply with state statutes and to enable deliverables acceptance and invoice approvals.
• Develops bid evaluation instruments; modifies IT solicitations, contract boilerplate, and other IT contract-related documents.
• Reviews contract documents for compliance with state statutes and rules, including End User License Agreements (EULA), Service Agreements, Subscription Agreements, and Lease Agreements.
• Oversees coordination and facilitation of procurement-related meetings such as kick-off and pre-proposal meetings, post-award conferences, vendor demos and presentations, team briefings, and evaluation scorings.
• Negotiates final contract terms with the recommended vendor prior to award.Contract Administration: 45%
• With the Contract Administration Manager and other IT Business Office employees, develops contract administration policies and procedures.
• Negotiates contract terms and contract renewals and amendments.
• Monitors and enforces contract terms.
• Tracks and validates contract deliverables.
• Maintains a contract cost workbook with all deliverables, costs, invoices, payments, Liquidated Damages, and Retainage amounts for all assigned contract, meeting threshold.
• Monitors contract performance by examining deliverables for compliance with contract specifications, examining invoices and fiscal data for compliance with terms of contract and contract administration policies, and recommends corrective action plans or cancellation of contracts when deviations occur.
• With IT management, will develop change requests, task orders, and action memos as required.
• Evaluates and reviews expenditure data and makes projects to ensure appropriate use of funds.
• Completes the risk assessment process for contract monitoring and planning.
• Provide system generated and/or manually generated ad hoc reports to IT management to support ongoing contract management decisions.
• Resolves audit exceptions by defining causes of errors and recommending appropriate remedial actions.
• Maintains contract files by ensuring all contract documentation is up to date and uploaded to SCOR.
• Prepares all required contract administration forms for delivery to the appropriate entity.
• Performs contract close-outs “as required” for all assigned contracts per COS policy & procedures.
• Completes all state required vendor performance tracking for each assigned contract. Maintains knowledge of each assigned contract.
• Performs other contract management related work as assigned.Administration 20%
• Monitors legal and regulatory requirements pertaining to contracting. Maintains state certifications. May plan, assign, or supervise the work of others.
• Identifies training needs, determines how training should be provided and conducted, and develops training curriculum as assigned. Provides training/guidance regarding IT procurement and contract administration policies and procedures to internal DFPS employees.
• Other duties as assigned

• Skill in negotiating contracts.
• Skilled in contract development.
• Knowledge of business administration and accounting principles and practices, and of policies and procedures of contract management.
• Knowledge of the CPA’s Procurement and Contracting Manual; DIR IT procurement regulations and State of Texas reporting requirements.
• Knowledge of Texas SmartBuy; DIR contracts, SPD contracts, and open market solicitations.
• Skill in the use of a computer and applicable software.
• Strong skills in Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and SharePoint.
• Ability to evaluate contracts and recommend future status
• Ability to interpret policies, procedures, and regulations
• Ability to evaluate fiscal data for reasonableness, necessity, and conformity with contract requirements
• Ability to write and edit contract requirements and specifications
• Ability to negotiate features of a contract;
• Ability to communicate effectively, in both verbal and written form.
• Ability to plan, assign, or supervise the work of others.

• Must possess certification as a Certified Texas Contract Manager (CTCM).
• Certification as a Certified Texas Contract Developer (CTCD) must be obtained within six months of hire if not currently certified.

• A minimum of four years of experience in Procurement, and Contract Management or Contract Administration is required with experience in contract development, management, and evaluation work.
• At least one year’s experience with IT procurements and contracts.
• Must possess certification as a Certified Texas Contract Manager (CTCM).
• Certification as a Certified Texas Contract Developer (CTCD) must be obtained within six months of hire if not currently certified.