Procurement Officer II / Jackson, MS

About The Agency

The opportunity is for a Procurement Officer II position within the MS Department of Child Protection Services (MDCPS). We are committed to protecting and nurturing at-risk children and families in the State of Mississippi. MDCPS offers a variety of positions statewide, including social work, supervisory, and agency support roles such as policy development, human resources, information technology, program management, training, budgeting, finance, and payroll. Working with MDCPS will give you the chance to make a life-changing difference for Mississippi's most vulnerable children and families.

About The Position

A Procurement Officer II manages complex procurement activities, ensuring adherence to procurement policies and regulations. This role includes strategic procurement planning and analysis, identifying procurement needs, researching potential suppliers, and negotiating contracts and pricing. The candidate will oversee the entire procurement process, from preparing and issuing purchase orders to evaluating supplier performance and maintaining accurate records. Additionally, the candidate may train staff, advise leadership on procurement rules, and prepare necessary reports.

Responsibilities

• Procure contracts for various commodities or personal service contracts and interact with other agencies about changes in procurement/purchasing laws.
• Process requests for purchasing, administer P-Card Access, and perform other miscellaneous duties for procurement.
• Review and approve purchase orders in MAGIC.
• Create contracts for copiers and mail machines for each county.
• Train subordinates on creating contracts for copiers and mail machines in counties.
• Ensure invoices are paid when billed for machines/rentals. Code invoices once received.
• Create purchase orders through MAGIC for different departments and counties.
• Maintain a filing system and other reports.
• Verify and maintain orders and manage budget data for all contracts.
• Input data on spreadsheets for purchase order balances.
• Evaluate workload demands and staffing requirements and delegate tasks to subordinates as needed to meet deadlines.
• Ensure that routine informal inventory of stock is completed and notated on reorder checklists.
• Complete requisitions based on reorder checklists and verbal requests for commodities on and off state contracts, ensuring that competitive pricing is secured and stock shortfalls do not occur.
• Monitor completion of staff requests for supplies and consult with supervisor on any issues.
• Review requests from staff for adherence to agency policy and refer potential conflicts to the supervisor for appropriate action.
• Coordinate services and repairs with selected vendors based on the cost of services and responsiveness of vendor, and refer potential issues to the supervisor for corrective action.
• Conduct training sessions for staff to ensure they understand and follow procurement procedures.
• Perform related or similar duties as required or assigned.

Requirements

Potential applicants must be adept at managing both existing and future inventory orders and securing required supplies. The applicant chosen will take on the responsibility of identifying suppliers, negotiating contracts, and maintaining vendor relationships to guarantee efficient and economical procurement operations.

Qualifications

• Robust negotiation skills.
• Analytical thinking.
• Capacity to work collaboratively with stakeholders both within and externally.

Preferred Qualifications

Typically requires a Bachelor's Degree and 2-4 years of experience.