Procurement Professional

About the role

Join the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and be part of a team committed to creating a positive impact in the lives of fellow Texans. At HHSC, your contributions matter, and we support you at each stage of your life and work journey.

Responsibilities

• Mechanically meets with division staff to establish the scope, requirements, objectives, budget, and implementation schedule for various procurements
• Researches, identifies, develops, and documents procurement related tasks related to market research, contract terms, budgets, evaluation criteria, and solicitation documentation
• Conducts structured discovery sessions with stakeholders to translate abstract needs into actionable, well-defined requirements
• Serves as the primary procurement liaison between division staff and the Procurement and Contracting Services (PCS) division throughout the entire procurement and contract development lifecycle
• Develops complex solicitation packages under compressed timelines using the most effective procurement methods
• Collaborates with System Contracting to draft, negotiate, and execute contracts, managing the entire routing and approvals process through CAPPS and through DocuSign
• Ensures strict compliance by uploading all contract files, checklists, and risk assessments into the System of Contract Operations and Reporting (SCOR) within required timeframes
• May manage the complete contract lifecycle by executing timely closeouts and conducting monitoring reviews that align with contract terms, agency guidelines, and state and federal regulations
• Pairs with department contact managers to execute amendments and drive contract management workflows
• Maintains internal tracking systems to ensure accurate tracking of procurement timelines and key contracting deadlines
• Applies industry-best practices throughout the procurement and contracting lifecycle to continuously monitor, assess, and mitigate operational risks
• Escalates matters as needed to leadership and System Contracting when appropriate
• Conducts lessons learned on procurement and contract reviews to determine potential areas of improvement
• Tracks budgets need to ensure goods/services are received as contractually required
• Ensures compliance with departmental activities with HHS policies and procedures and state procurement laws
• Drives proactive, professional, and productive working relationships with all internal and external stakeholders, delivering high-level verbal and written communications
• Leads post-award contract meetings with contractors and stakeholders to develop a mutual understanding of performance and administrative expectations
• Communicates complex contract information in an easily understandable way to diverse audiences
• Facilitates meetings with internal and external stakeholders during the contract lifecycle
• Conducts advanced research and data analysis on historical, current, and projected trends to diagnose core operational problems and recommend system or procedural changes
• Provides strategic direction and guidance to standardize and improve organizational workflows
• Develops and updates administrative policies, procedures, forms, and reporting frameworks for the procurement and contract lifecycles
• Analyzes new or proposed legislation or regulations to determine operational and management impacts on the division
• Reviews comprehensive technical records and data trends to identify alternatives and justify strategic recommendations
• Develops division-wide educational outreach initiatives by creating impactful instructional materials
• Other duties as assigned by management

Requirements

• Advanced knowledge of: State procurement regulations and the strategic development of comprehensive public section solicitation packages, such as IFBs, RFPs, RFOs, RFAs, and RFQs.
• Contract administration and methodologies, sophisticated tracking tools, cost-monitoring strategies, and budget controls for complex agreements.
• State purchasing methods, open-market vendor sourcing strategies, and core principles of public section business administration and state government accounting practices.
• Drafting, structuring, and negotiating diverse contracts and agreements including service level agreements (SLAs), licensing agreements, grant agreements, Interagency contracts, Interlocal agreements, and Memorandums of Understanding.
• Third-party vendor evaluations, contract compliance metrics, and organizational system reviews.
• State and federal laws, policies, rules, and regulations relevant to procurements and grant administration.
• Procurement methods, open-market supply sources, and core principles of business administration and accounting.
• State of Texas procurement laws, regulations, procedures, principles, practices, and contract management guidelines.
• Highly proficient in interpreting complex, large-scale datasets to draft advanced technical reports, administrative documents, compliance policies, and operational procedures.
• Proactively conceptualizing issues, applying critical thinking, evaluating alternatives, and implementing effective solutions.
• Interviewing internal subject matter experts to distill vague operational needs into highly detailed, legally defensible solicitations (RFPs, RFOs, RFAs, and RFQs) which may include definitions, statutory authority, executive summaries, scopes of work, minimum qualifications, exhibits, and forms.
• Leading and conducting meetings within internal and external stakeholders using Teams/Go-To-Meetings/Go-to-Webinars or related products.
• Preparing written analyses and administrative reports and special projects as assigned.
• Communicating complex information in a clear, understandable way in writing and in person.
• Translating technical data, strict procurement laws, rigid statutory guidelines into accessible, actionable information customized for the specific stakeholders.
• Organizing and presenting information effectively, both orally and in writing, to individuals at all levels both internally and externally.
• Managing multiple projects with competing priorities while meeting tight deadlines.
• Demonstrated abilities to: Managing multiple high-priority projects simultaneously, neutralizing resource bottlenecks, and maintaining time sensitive deadlines.
• Translating division’s operational needs into ground-up solicitation packages, establishing comprehensive technical specifications and clearly defined, measurable key deliverables.
• Leading fast-moving, high-priority, and ambiguously defined specialized procurements.
• Leveraging advanced critical thinking to evaluate operational bottlenecks, handle problems, and pitch optimized business solutions.
• Assessing contracts, agreements, amendments, and renewals to provide recommendations to safeguard division interests.
• Drafting, negotiating, and managing complex state contracts and agreements.
• Maintaining strict ethical standards, transparency, and statutory compliance under intense pressure, compressed timelines, and high-visibility public scrutiny.
• Collaborating with diverse internal and external stakeholders, establishing cross-divisional alignment on complex contracting processes, exercising diplomatic communications, and maintaining strong working relationships with all stakeholders.
• Working independently and efficiently in an autonomous environment and taking ownership of procurement projects from conception to completion.
• Maintaining high performance and strategic focus amidst fast-moving changes in workload volume and shifting department priorities.

Qualifications

• A degree with major coursework in business administration, human resource management, finance, public administration, or a related field is generally preferred.
• Procurement, contracts, and grant experience and education may be substituted for one another on a year-for-year basis for up to four years.
• A minimum of four (4) years of demonstrated experience within state or local government procurement framework.
• Qualified candidates must demonstrate experience in direct ownership over complex procurement lifecycle management, taking ownership in comprehensive contract drafting, risk management, and formal multi-party negotiations.
• Possesses a valid CTCM and CTCD certifications through the State of Texas.