Contract Specialist

The City of Franklin is a progressive community and an excellent place to live and work. Our municipal government offers abundant opportunities to build a meaningful and successful career. Roles within the City are diverse, challenging, and rewarding, and they provide employees with a strong sense of civic pride through service to the public.

Pay

$33.40 - $36.35 hourly

Benefits

For benefits information, visit this link.

Purpose of the Role

The Contracts Specialist is responsible for a wide variety of contracting duties, including managing and monitoring contracts across all departments; preparing bidding documents and conducting bidding processes in conjunction with departments; working with the Law Department to ensure documents are complete and insurance and bonding requirements are met prior to contract execution; preparing reports; recording documents; maintaining the contract log and filing system; and working with project managers to administer active contracts. This position also tracks grants, processes accounting and invoices, including all reimbursements through project closeout.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate procurement for capital investment projects and professional and general services: RFQ, RFP, and invitation to bid processes; scheduling; noticing; assembling bid documents; pre-bid meetings and bid openings; and preparation of contracts.
• Work with the Law Department to ensure documents are complete and internal processes and records are maintained.
• Administer active construction contracts and utility agreements in collaboration with project managers to identify, calendar, notify, and ensure completion and compliance with all deliverables.
• Track the status of state and federal grants.
• Track and process development offset agreements, such as Road Impact and Parkland fees, through collaboration with multiple departments to ensure accuracy and timeliness.
• Ensure final documents are filed and archived pursuant to management policies and procedures, and ensure revisions to documents are updated.
• Evaluate records for retention in compliance with BOMA-approved policies.
• Maintain the citywide contract tracking system to aid in tracking expirations and renewals.
• Establish a reminder system for renewals and expirations.
• Review contract payment requests in conjunction with the Sr. Accounts Payable Specialist, verify coding, and notify departments if discrepancies are noticed.
• Review outstanding contracts for gaps or missing payments.
• Update summary sheets for contract amendments and change orders.
• Create and maintain retainage agreements, payments, and releases with the project manager.
• Analyze expenses coded to Capital Asset accounting codes after every AP cycle to verify accuracy.
• Update and review the Capital Asset list monthly to verify only capital assets (design, construction, and construction admin) are listed.
• Annually prepare the Capital Asset report for Auditors, calculate depreciation for both Water & Sewer and Governmental, and process depreciation entries in the accounting software.
• Perform a variety of accounting and financial tasks, including posting financial data, balancing accounts, reconciling bank statements, and maintaining financial ledgers.
• Prepare or complete various forms, correspondence, reports, checks, tax forms, contract files, and other documents.
• Generate and analyze computerized and/or manual reports for variances and recommend solutions for correcting them.
• Receive cross-training on Accounts Payable to assist as a backup processor.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the Finance Department and Engineering for all accounting issues related to capital projects.
• Notify departments of missing information regarding accounts payable documentation requirements.
• Process all accounts payable adjustments and modifications.
• Ensure all payments follow the City’s terms for payment and are made in a timely manner.
• Review department coding of invoices as a second review to ensure appropriateness.
• Prepare check runs and ACH transactions per the posted AP schedule.
• Manage compliance with the City’s purchasing policy regarding accounts payable and ensure adherence to internal controls.
• Review contract payment requests to confirm the contract is fully executed and figures match the approved contract.
• Verify coding on the contract summary sheet aligns with the payment request and notify departments of discrepancies.
• Review outstanding contracts upon request from management, focusing on contracts with gaps or missing payments.
• Verify executed contract amendments and change orders, updating the summary sheet accordingly.
• Create retainage payment invoices for contracts over $500,000 and manage retainage release documentation.
• Perform a variety of accounting tasks, including writing up general ledger journal entry requests.
• Ensure timely payment of “payment ready” contract invoices and work with departments to resolve outstanding issues delaying payment.
• Review and maintain logs of required professional and trade licenses to ensure contracts are within scope and limits of licensed trade and practice areas.
• Monitor contracts for proposed utilization of subcontractors and ensure appropriate contract terms and conditions are applied.
• Assist departments in preparing justification for non-competitive or sole source contracts for consideration by the Purchasing Manager.
• Maintain logs of advance payments made against a contract’s maximum liability.
• Ensure contractor’s Certificate of Insurance is current and maintained in the risk management system.
• Follow AP Internal Controls for backup preparer, reviewer, and recorder purposes.
• Ensure Budget Compliance by reviewing single-line disbursements and automatic withdrawals at or over $50,000 for required documentation.
• Assist with Grant Compliance by providing payment information to the grant administrator as requested.
• Answer Accounts Payable audit inquiries.
• Comply with the 60-day deadline for closing the financial period and completion of financial statements as they relate to the Accounts Payable process.

Qualifications

The required knowledge, skill, and abilities to satisfactorily perform job duties are normally acquired through obtaining an Associate's degree and a minimum of three (3) years of Finance experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.