Contracts and Procurement Analyst

JOB TITLE:  Contracts and Procurement Analyst

LOCATION:  Portland, OR (remote work may be considered for Oregon and Washington based candidates)

COMPENSATION: $45,000 - $56,000 depending on experience

JOB START DATE:  Fall 2020, as soon as possible.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Applications reviewed on a rolling basis, closed on; September 23, 2020

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

All applications must be submitted via our application website at:  http://bit.ly/xerces-jobs

Xerces is happy to provide accommodations for the job application process if needed.  If you need an accommodation to complete the job application process, please email reasonable.accomodation@xerces.org.

JOIN US!

Come join a growing team of conservation professionals at the Xerces Society who are dedicated to protecting some of the world’s most important animals. We are seeking an experienced and collaborative team member to evaluate, negotiate, execute and administer contract and procurement requirements vital to accomplishing our mission.

At Xerces, we harness the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of the public to implement conservation programs.  We take action by helping farms and public agencies develop conservation plans for pollinators and beneficial insects, producing ground-breaking publications on insect conservation, training thousands of farmers and land managers to protect and manage habitat for beneficial insects, protecting endangered species and their habitat, and engaging the public to raise awareness about invertebrates found on farms, forests, prairies, deserts, streams, wetlands, towns and cities. Our methods focus on habitat conservation planning, education, scientific analysis, advocacy, and applied research to conserve invertebrates, such as bees, butterflies, mollusks, and fireflies.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING: 

The Contracts and Procurement Analyst supports Xerces’ contract, procurement, and award compliance activities. This includes developing, negotiating and reviewing contract terms, advising staff in procurement processes, compliance terms and working with others including outside council to interpret laws. The Analyst works closely with our finance, development, and program staff, as well as with outside counsel and other external parties at all stages of the contract and subcontract lifecycle. The Analyst maintains orderly grant and procurement documentation, analyzes and reviews purchases, and assists in financial analysis, management, and audit activities. The Analyst is supervised by the Director of Finance and Operations, and also reports to the Financial Manager to ensure contract and procurement activities are closely coordinated with finance, accounting, and audit activities.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Pre-award/Contract Development:

• Assist Financial Manager and development staff in pre-award activities with internal and external parties including negotiation of terms, document creation, correspondence, follow-up, approval routing, and execution of contract.
• Review contract terms for completeness, liability, and risk; taking initiative to identify and resolve issues with finance and program staff.
• Review template forms and agreements required by external partners, and create provisions to bring critical terms into compliance with Xerces policies.
• Ensure completion of each award’s intake, execution, and close-out in coordination with finance and development staff.
• Identify and communicate issues of significance contained in agreements with finance and program staff; help to create plans to address pre-award, contractual, and procurement requirements.

Post-award/Contract Administration:

• Interpret and monitor contracts and related documents, ensuring compliance from inception through termination. Coordinate correspondence for invoices, amendments, extensions, award compliance.
• Track progress of contract deliverables to determine if extensions, budget revisions, or other amendments will be required.
• Oversee contracting, quoting, and payment-processing for Conservation Activity Plans, including communication between program staff, landowners, and federal agencies.
• Manage implementation of new compliance requirements of funding agencies into Xerces policies.
• Maintain and make routine updates to Xerces’ contract templates, including those for commercial co-ventures (CCVs), licensing, royalties, sponsorships, fee for service activity, and independent contractors.
• Evaluate contractual insurance requirements; determine if Xerces coverages comply with terms, work with the Finance Director to resolve gaps, manage issuance and addition/removal of additional insured from Xerces’ policy.
• Maintain contract data in the database; generate monthly reports as needed.
• Notify relevant staff of critical contract dates and terms. Schedule and lead Contract Kick-Off Meetings; create and share the final checklist of action items.
• Interpret critical provisions, provide analysis of consequences and assist in enforcement of Xerces’ contract rights. Provide support to program staff in the interpretation of contract terms. Identify if outside counsel as needed for interpretation and advice.

Procurement:

• Maintain procurement policy in accordance to federal Uniform Guidance for grant recipients, training staff on procedures as appropriate.
• Identify and review procurement decisions, complete vendor eligibility and prequalification. Assist with Request for Proposal (RFP) development and vendor decision process.
• Conduct employee versus independent contractor status determination and save documentation to the central server.
• Manage renewal of Xerces property and liability insurance policies; review coverage limits, terms and exclusions, update declarations, and track and coordinate premium payments.
• Draft and negotiate professional service contracts/subcontracts and coordinate monitoring of subcontractor billing and reporting with program staff in accordance with federal Uniform Guidance as applicable.
• Maintain supplier data in the database.

Finance & Accounting:

• Process invoices received from Xerces subcontractors; collect invoices, obtain program staff approval, track versus budget, and submit to accounts payable.
• Track and update financial information related to CCVs; reconcile annual amounts for reporting purposes and report to the Financial Manager.
• Research and stay current on non-financial federal grant recipient compliance requirements, implementing any required policies and procedures.
• Assist Financial Manager in annual A-133 government audit by compiling award confirmations, preparing data for the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards, and coordinating receipt of award confirmation.
• Track and update key financial information for in-kind partner contributions for federal match requirements.

Legal and Tax:

• Proactively identify potential legal risks and issues with Xerces vendor, grant recipient, and customer contracts. Provide analysis and take part in drafting alternatives and making recommendations to the Finance Director, Financial Manager, Grants Director, Executive Director.
• Analyze sales tax requirements for both sales and purchases, coordinating compliance with the Finance Director.
• Identify and address contract terms which have potential unrelated business income tax impact such as royalties or sales promotion.
• Interface with Xerces’ outside counsel to establish and maintain trademark rights and draft, negotiate, revise and finalize contracts for new programs, offerings and transactions.

Other:

• Identify, recommend, implement, and document process improvement projects.
• Implement best-practice policies, procedures for records, and information management (e.g. ensure contract files and related records are complete and organized).
• Manage administration of annual DeWind Award.
• Develop strong working relationships with outside counsel as needed in order to facilitate minimizing Xerces’ risk exposure.
• Other duties as assigned (subject to change based upon changing business needs).

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE:  

REQUIRED

• Strong critical thinking and analytical skills.
• Experience working collaboratively with multiple team members and responding to requests in a timely manner.
• 2+ years contract review and administration experience, including review of terms, risk assessment, execution of contracts, and complying with pre- and post-award requirements, developing standard practices, and negotiation of contract terms.
• Clear and concise verbal and written communication.
• Tactful negotiation skills used to achieve results with others who may not have accounting or contracting backgrounds.
• Ability to efficiently prioritize multiple concurrent deadlines and contracts in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong self-organization and initiative, taking responsibility to resolve issues and complete work assignments with minimal supervision after initial training.
• High attention to detail, with strong editing, proofreading, and document review skills.
• Experience organizing and maintaining data files and structure in a shared team environment.
• Strong computer skills, experience with spreadsheets and word processing applications, specifically Microsoft Office and Google Suite.
• Proven ability to work cooperatively with diverse teams and constituents in a respectful, equitable, and inclusive fashion.
• Flexibility to embrace a range of duties as required, and adaptability to change project focus as needed.
• Demonstrated interest or experience in nonprofit work and conservation issues.

PREFERRED

• Experience applying knowledge of contract terminology.
• Experience with non-profit organizations, federal grant compliance, and/or project management.
• 2+ years of procurement administration experience, including preparation and evaluation of RFP/RFQs, as well as compliance with procurement procedures as a federal subcontractor or grant recipient
• Knowledge of accounting principles, and hands-on experience with financial accounting software and reporting tools.
• Experience creating, analyzing and reporting on project budgets.
• Experience with developing purchasing/procurement policies and procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS: 

REQUIRED

• Bachelor’s degree, and/or substantially equivalent experience

PREFERRED

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business
• Contract management certification

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: 

Be able to perform the following with reasonable breaks and/or reasonable accommodations:

• Operate a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a telephone, copy machine, and computer printer for periods of up to 8 hours per day.

STATUS:  Full-Time, salaried, exempt position, scheduled to work ~ 40 hours/week.  Schedule can be made flexible and opportunity for partial remote work location can be made, consistent with work requirements, depending on employee preferences.

BENEFITS:  This position includes a generous benefits package: eleven paid holidays including two floating holidays that may be used for a personal or religious holiday observed by the employee or other occasion per policy, paid time off, paid health, dental, and disability insurance, option to participate in a pre-tax flexible spending account for medical and dependent care expenses, participation in a 401k retirement program upon eligibility and a flexible work environment.

TERMS:  The Xerces Society is an at-will employer. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

MORE INFORMATION:  For more information on the Xerces Society and our programs, please see our website: www.xerces.org

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

All applications must be submitted via our application website at:  http://bit.ly/xerces-jobs

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The Xerces Society is proud to be Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer including disability and veterans.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

PRIORITY REFERRAL OF PROTECTED VETERANS

We request priority referral of protected veterans for all openings with our organization.  In order to be considered for employment, all applicants for employment with Xerces Society, apply through our Job Board. When referring or being referred as a candidate, including protected veterans, please refer them to this applicant site; https://xerces.org/job-opportunities.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Applications reviewed on a rolling basis, closed on; September 23, 2020

 APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

All applications must be submitted via our application website at:  http://bit.ly/xerces-jobs