-
Job Description
Description
Located between San Francisco and San Jose, Palo Alto is the center of a progressive economy that is recognized worldwide as a leader in cutting-edge technological, medical and green innovation. Our community is committed to cultivating an environment of creativity and life-long learning. At the City of Palo Alto, you will join a culture that strives for excellence and encourages leadership, new ideas, and innovative solutions.
Exciting Opportunity!
As a Contract Administrator, you have a challenging opportunity as a critical thinker to be an expert in procurement processes, establish yourself as a "go to" resource and provide recommendations which drive key business timelines and activities. This role is a leader in the Procurement team which is responsible for procurement and contracting for all goods and services utilized by the City working under general direction, as consistently exercising independent and sound problem-solving and judgment skills. You will be responsible for coordinating and issuing high-value, specialized or complex solicitations and agreements, requiring an in-depth procurement experience. Reporting to the Chief Procurement Officer, this position performs at the expert, professional level requiring individual work in research, solicitation, and preparation of contract and may supervise professional or administrative staff.
Ideal Candidate:- Team player with a positive attitude, strong work ethic, curiosity, and humility.
- Exceptional relationship-building skills to deal effectively with individuals at all levels of responsibility and authority.
- Adaptable and resourceful in a dynamic environment.
- Superior written and oral communication skills, including the ability to identify and correct errors in English usage, grammar, and arithmetic calculations.
- Master multi-tasker: ability to work effectively under pressure, multi-task, and organize work flow to deliver high-quality products within established deadlines.
- Detail-oriented with strong problem-solving skills.
- Self-starter: can take even the smallest project and run with it to the successful completion.
Essential Duties
Essential duties of the Contract Administrator include, but are not limited, to the following:- Manage the formalized solicitation process from submittal of requirements, interfacing with Project Managers to develop scope and specifications, analysis of solicitations received, providing management with recommendation for award of contract(s), and review and approval of awarding contracts.
- Interpret the City's purchasing policy, rules and regulations that govern contracting activities for City Departments and advise Departments and/or Chief Procurement Officer of such requirements when needed.
- Recommend and implement new or revised procurement process and procedures, considering new tools or software as they develop.
- Interface with contractors and Departments on matters regarding the solicitation, contract award process, contract disputes and monitoring.
- Continually develop and assist in the training of the organization on procurement policies, procedures and expertise.
Typical Tasks
Duties performed may vary depending on working level assigned.- Prepares Requests for Proposal (RFP), Invitations For Bids(IFB), Request For Quotes(RFQ), Prepares Requests for Proposal (RFP)-Design Build, and Prequalification of Contractors
- Schedules advertising and announcement of solicitations on the City’s eprocurement software;
- Conducts pre-proposal/pre-bid conferences & review Council staff reports;
- Coordinates and Conducts interviews with department project managers for contract selection;
- Analyzes proposals and bids;
- Assists new contractors/vendors with process requirements;
- Prepares contracts and amendments
- Reviews Scope of Work
- Enters vendor information, contracts, amendments and task orders into SAP
- Works with Project Managers to resolve budget errors/issues and reallocation of funds in SAP;
- Maintains contract files and ensures documents and pertinent materials are current;
- Operates personal computers and learns specialty software programs;
- May provide training and lead direction over other Contract Administrators, Senior Buyers, Buyers and support staff;
- Performs related duties as required.
Minimum Qualifications
Sufficient education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge and skills,which would typically be acquired through:
Candidates should possess a Bachelor's Degree in a related field and four years of related responsible experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of this position. Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) and/or and Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO) candidates are highly desired.
Licensing Requirements:
Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.) desirable.
Supplemental Information
The Selection Process:- Applicants will receive recruitment status notifications via email (governmentjobs.com account also has notification status updates).
- The screening process for this position typically may include a virtual recorded interview and/or panel interviews preceding final interviews with the hiring manager or their designee.
Our online application system is provided by NeoGov. If you have problems while applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday.
The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO). In compliance with the American with Disabilities Act ( ADA), the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both perspective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
For more details visit our Careers Page, by clicking HERE.
Learn more about our Compensation Plan HERE.
Closing Date/Time: 6/20/2025 11:59 PM Pacific -
ABOUT THE COMPANY
-
-
City of Palo Alto
Show morePalo Alto is located about 35 miles south of San Francisco; and 14 miles north of San Jose. Palo Alto, known as the “Birthplace of Silicon Valley” and global center of technology and innovation, is the corporate headquarters for many world-class companies and research facilities such as VMWare, Hewlett-Packard, IDEO, Tesla, and Skype. Home to Stanford University and a top-ranked public school system, Palo Alto also features beautiful and historic residential neighborhoods, vibrant shopping and retail districts.
Palo Alto has a highly educated and culturally sophisticated citizenry that is actively engaged in making a difference both locally and globally. Unique among city organizations, Palo Alto operates a full-array of services including its own gas, electric, water, sewer, refuse and storm drainage provided at very competitive rates for its customers.
The birthplace of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, is a community of approximately 68,000 residents and nearly 100,000 jobs. Located on the mid-Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose, Palo Alto is recognized worldwide as a leader in cutting-edge technology, medicine, and green innovation. Many world-class businesses maintained or started offices here, including Amazon, Tesla, Hewlett Packard, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Rivian, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, SAP Ariba, Houzz, Varian Medical Systems, and VMware. Numerous start-ups are also at home in Palo Alto, arguably making it the startup capital of the world.
Stanford University is foundational to the history and prestige of Palo Alto, reflected in the community’s dedication to life-long learning. Stanford’s cultural and educational offerings are integral to the vibrancy and charm of Palo Alto, while the City’s exceptional K-12 school district ranks among the top public school systems in the country. With more than 50% of adult residents holding a graduate degree or higher, Palo Alto is frequently listed as one of the most educated cities in the nation.
Home to picturesque tree-lined streets, bike lanes, and historic buildings that reflect its California heritage, Palo Alto boasts a genuine sense of community and an active citizenry with strong environmental values. Beautiful neighborhoods are complemented by vibrant commercial corridors and a bustling economy with premium shopping and dining options. Excellent health care facilities, performing arts, and diverse recreational opportunities are just some of this incredibly desirable community’s cherished amenities.
Join an Award Winning Team
Palo Alto is an award-winning City recognized nationwide as innovative and well-managed. Palo Alto is one of a small number of California cities with a AAA bond rating. Recently, Palo Alto became one of the most livable cities in the U.S. by Livability.com. It's the only city to receive the Platinum Beacon Award in sustainability best practices by California’s Institute for Local Government.
We offer a variety of career paths that relate to building and improving communities. The City has fourteen departments employing 1,000 full-time staff. Police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, and building inspectors keep us safe. Engineers and public works staff build and re-build the physical infrastructure. City planners help envision and shape future community growth. Recreation, arts and library professionals enhance community life. Utilities provides electric, gas, water, sewer and other services. Internal services departments help manage, staff, and protect the City.
-