Chief Contracts and Procurement Officer

Salary : $12,151.36 - $16,586.96 Monthly
Location : 1488 Schilling Place, Salinas, CA
Job Type: Regular Full-Time
Job Number: 26/14N35/10LC
Department: County Administrative Office
Division: Contracts / Purchasing
Opening Date: 10/26/2026
Closing Date: Continuous

Position Description
Priority Screening Deadline: Monday, November 16, 2026

Exam #26/14N35/10LC

Unit InformationHoused within the County Administrative Office, the Contracts and Procurement Unit (C&P) provides decentralized procurement and contract management support to County staff across all departments. The C&P team continues to promote procurement best practices and operational consistency to support effective and reliable procurement operations.
Contracts & Procurement is committed to delivering high-quality service to all stakeholders while complying with all applicable laws, policies, and procedures. Our goal is to facilitate an efficient, timely, and cost-effective procurement process that includes strategic sourcing, competitive bidding, agreement development, and fostering positive vendor relationships. Through these efforts, we aim to support County departments and responsibly steward public resources.
Position Information
Under the administrative direction of an Assistant County Administrative Officer, the Chief Contracts and Purchasing Officer has functional and first level management responsibility for the County's centralized purchasing, contracting and related functions. In addition to having direct responsibility for responding to and facilitating a wide variety of departmental purchasing and contracting needs, the incumbent also has significant authority and responsibility for ensuring that all County purchasing activities, including those that have been delegated to some departments, comply with applicable laws, regulations, policies, procedures and ethical standards. The incumbent performs duties with considerable independence of action and judgment, while also providing direction to subordinate staff engaged in providing contractual and procurement services to both internal and external customers. In general, the incumbent provides both management and technical expertise pertaining to purchasing and contracting related activities by giving service, advice and support to County executives and departmental staff.

All application materials must be received by the priority screening date for a guaranteed review. Applications received after this date will be considered on an as needed basis until the position is filled.

The Eligible List established by this recruitment process may be used to fill current and future vacancies on a regular full-time, part-time, or temporary basis.
Examples of Duties

• Serves as a deputized purchasing agent in accordance with code and statutory requirements for the County of Monterey; monitors, reviews and evaluates centralized and delegated purchasing/contracting activities and ensures their compliance with legal requirements and ethical standards, as well as County goals, objectives, policies and procedures; collaborates with County representatives to determine purchasing needs and legal requirements and provides advice regarding current technologies and procurement methodologies.
• Serves as the division manager for the Contracts/Purchasing Division within the County Administrative Office; plans, organizes, directs, staffs and controls Division programs, projects and activities; directs and oversees the provision of proactive purchasing services to County departments in order to develop cost effective solutions to purchasing challenges and opportunities.
• Develops, recommends and administers countywide programs, policies and procedures pertaining to the procurement of supplies, materials, equipment and services; analyzes, evaluates, develops, recommends and implements policy and/or procedural changes, new methods, and/or automated systems in order to increase efficiency and improve the cost effectiveness of contracting and purchasing services.
• Reviews departmental requisitions for propriety, source and costs; authorizes purchase orders for materials, supplies and equipment within stipulated dollar thresholds; oversees major equipment purchases requiring both formal and informal bids; signs all purchase orders.
• Acts as the primary liaison between vendors, contractors, County departments, local and State agencies, and the public regarding purchasing/contracting matters; directs research pertaining to market conditions and new products; works with vendors to develop new sources of supply; negotiates and evaluates prices, discounts, delivery conditions, products and services offered by a variety of vendors; maintains an active bid list by commodity; maintains lists of emergency resources.
• Consults with departmental representatives in the development of difficult and complex purchasing specifications; issues Requests for Proposals (RFP), Requests for Qualifications/Quotations (RFQ) and/or Requests for Information (RFI) as required; analyzes bid/proposal responses; negotiates and develops favorable agreements and contract terms and secures discounts where possible; recommends contract awards to selected bidders; drafts contractual agreements and prepares/presents contractor recommendations as appropriate to County executives and/or the Board of Supervisors for approval and signature; reviews complex contracts for policy, format and suitability.
• Coordinates with the State of California and other approved purchasing programs as required; negotiates and manages cooperative agreements with other organizations as authorized; coordinates and arranges for special funding such as lease agreements with outside vendors as authorized
• Monitors and evaluates the performance of vendors to ensure that all parties are complying with contractual terms; maintains cooperative and positive relationships with sources of supply; stays informed regarding price trends, availability of supplies, new items, and product reliability; investigates and resolves complaints from departments and vendors about products, services and issues regarding bid protests and contract awards; meets with vendors and department staff to plan special projects, arrange for work completion and/or resolve problems
• Plans, assigns, directs, and monitors the work of subordinate staff, including subordinate professional, technical and clerical employees; develops and/or approves schedules; analyzes and distributes projects, assignments and workloads; evaluates employee performance; implements employee disciplinary actions as appropriate; responds to employee grievances and complaints; initiates and coordinates staff selection and training processes; ensures that staff activities comply with expectations.
• Coordinates and/or participates in the development and implementation of computerized procurement processes to achieve maximum efficiency; oversees and develops systems and processes to maximize information security, safety, environmental hazard control, financial accountability and other related areas.
• Represents the County Administrative Office to outside agencies and organizations; participates in outside community and professional groups, task forces and committees as required; attends training programs, conferences and seminars as assigned; participates in organizational strategic planning activities as assigned; conducts meetings and gives presentations.
• Prepares and administers assigned budgets; monitors, evaluates and approves operational expenditures within limits of authority; analyzes staffing needs; performs cost/benefit analyses as appropriate; plans and estimates future costs including capital expenditures as appropriate; justifies requests for new equipment and personnel.

To view the complete classification description, please visit the County of Monterey Website:

The Successful Candidate
Will have a proven track record demonstrating the following knowledge, skills, abilities:

Thorough knowledge of:

• Public sector contracting and purchasing practices, ethics and standards; pertinent local, State and Federal rules, regulations and laws.
• Value analysis techniques used in evaluating vendor capacity, capability and performance; methods of establishing sources of supply and evaluating commodity markets; techniques for analyzing marketing trends and practices; methods of evaluating commodity pricing and establishing differentials.
• The methods employed in the preparation of bid specifications, bid analysis and contract negotiation/development.
• Principles and practices of policy development and implementation.
• Administrative problem solving and the implementation of effective solutions.
• Methods of strategic planning, goal setting, quality control and quality improvement.
• Principles and practices of public personnel management including leadership, motivation, team building, conflict resolution, delegation of authority, performance appraisal and the administration of discipline.
• Effective business correspondence and report writing.

Working knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of public administration, budgeting, organizational analysis and management.
• Principles and practices of providing excellent customer service.
• Modern office equipment and computer-based business applications and systems, including those commonly used to support purchasing and contracting functions.

Skill and Ability to:

• Plan, organize, direct, staff and control the purchasing and contracting functions in a public agency setting; organize and direct a wide variety of administrative programs, services and activities.
• Develop purchasing specifications and contracts; evaluate bids and make awards impartially and objectively; negotiate with vendors and evaluate vendor performance.
• Develop and implement effective purchasing and materials management policies and procedures.
• Manage and supervise the work of others; appraise performance; counsel and train employees; determine and implement disciplinary actions as necessary.
• Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of administrative programs, activities and services and make necessary improvements.
• Understand, interpret, explain and apply complex laws, rules, regulations and policies.
• Collect, interpret and evaluate narrative and statistical data pertaining to administrative functions; prepare complex reports, memoranda and other written materials.
• Analyze budget and technical reports; interpret and evaluate staff reports; help prepare and administer a budget.
• Analyze problems and situations, identify alternative solutions, and effectively project consequences of proposed actions; implement recommendations in support of goals.
• Gain cooperation through discussion and persuasion.
• Analyze and resolve problems and complaints.
• Utilize standard business equipment, including computer hardware and software.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; effectively present information to groups and individuals.
• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with others including department heads, administrators, managers, vendors, contractors and vendors.
• Provide excellent public relations and courteous customer service.

Examples of Experience/Education/Training

Any combination of training, education and/or experience which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities and required conditions of employment is qualifying. An example of a way these requirements might be acquired is:
Experience
Equivalent to six years of increasingly responsible professional purchasing experience in a large institution or agency, including at least one year in a supervisory or management capacity, preferably in a public sector setting.

AND
Education/Training:
Completion of course work from an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's degree in business administration, public administration or a related field.
Additional Information
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENTThe required conditions of employment include, but are not limited to the following:

• Possess and maintain a valid California Class C driver's license or provide suitable transportation that is approved by the appointing authority.
• Be available to report after work hours, work irregular or protracted hours, shifts, nights, weekends and holidays during times of emergency and/or disaster situations, periods of extended duration, and for on call duty as scheduled.

BENEFITS

The County of Monterey offers an excellent benefits package. Please visit our website to view the X Unit Benefit Summary Sheet. This information is not legally binding, nor does it serve as a contract. The benefits listed in the Monterey County Personnel Policies and Practices Resolution, or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) prevail over this listing.
NOTES

As a condition of employment, prospective employees may be required to submit to a background review which may include a review of information concerning present and/or prior employment,