What is the Opportunity?Reporting directly to the Senior Director, Federal Compliance, the Director, Federal Procurement & Small Business Liaison Officer (SBLO) leads Aecon's U.S. federal procurement function and serves as the company's Small Business Liaison Officer, ensuring the compliant, timely, and best-value acquisition of goods and services for U.S. federal projects while designing and administering Aecon's small business subcontracting program in accordance with federal requirements. This is a hybrid role based out of Aecon's Charlotte, NC office. As part of a newly forming U.S. federal business sector, this position will develop, implement, and lead the processes and controls needed to ensure compliance - personally helping to assure compliance at the outset and, as the business sector grows, potentially adding direct reports to fully own it. This role is expected to evolve as the business sector evolves, and the successful candidate should be comfortable taking on other duties as assigned.
Citizenship - Due to U.S. government customer and program requirements, this position is open only to U.S. Citizens. Proof of U.S. citizenship is required and will be verified as a condition of employment. The successful candidate may also be required to satisfy additional program-specific background, access, or security-clearance requirements.
What You'll Do HereProcurement Leadership- Build and lead the federal procurement organization, including requisition writers and buyers matrixed into project teams, ensuring on-time, compliant, best-value acquisition of goods and services for U.S. federal projects.
- Serve as the procurement and small business liaison across Aecon's other business sectors, partnering with project and functional teams to align requirements, share best practices, and resolve issues; this role requires periodic travel to project sites and business sector offices, as well as participation in relevant training.
- Ensure purchase orders comply with Aecon policies and relevant customer and regulatory requirements, including the FAR, DFARS, DEAR, and associated flow-down obligations.
- Ensure purchase orders are executed by an authorized company officer empowered to commit company funds commensurate with PO value, and contain appropriate contractual flow-downs to proactively identify and mitigate enterprise risk.
- Establish and maintain an approved, compliant purchasing system consistent with Contractor Purchasing System Review (CPSR) expectations and DCMA/DCAA audit requirements.
- Develop procurement policies, procedures, controls, KPIs/SLAs, and a cost-savings process; identify opportunities for efficiency and process improvement.
- Provide timely support to the estimating team with pricing and total project cost at all stages of the project lifecycle.
- Grow, mentor, and lead a team of procurement professionals to meet expanding business needs.
Small Business Liaison Officer (SBLO)- Serve as Aecon's Small Business Liaison Officer, designing and administering the company's small business subcontracting program in accordance with FAR Part 19 (including FAR 52.219-8 and 52.219-9) and applicable agency requirements.
- Develop, negotiate, and maintain individual and master (commercial) small business subcontracting plans and pursue subcontracting goals across small business, small disadvantaged, women-owned, HUBZone, veteran-owned, and service-disabled veteran-owned categories.
- Prepare and submit required subcontracting reports - the Individual Subcontract Report (ISR) and Summary Subcontract Report (SSR) via the electronic Subcontracting Reporting System (eSRS) - and maintain supporting documentation for government review and audit.
- Conduct small business outreach, source identification, and supplier development; represent Aecon at industry days and matchmaking events.
- Interface with government small business specialists, Procurement Center Representatives (PCRs), and contracting officers on small business matters.
What You Bring To The Team - Minimum 10 years of federal procurement/purchasing experience, ideally in the construction, engineering, or nuclear industry, including experience managing a procurement team at a federal contractor.
- Demonstrated experience administering a small business subcontracting program and serving as an SBLO or in an equivalent capacity.
- Strong knowledge of the FAR, DFARS, and DEAR, and of small business regulations (FAR Part 19), including subcontracting plan and eSRS reporting requirements.
- Experience with CPSR, DCMA, DCAA, or U.S. Government Contractor Purchasing System audit requirements.
- Experience with initial project development, start-ups, or organizational build-outs.
- Enrollment in or completion of a professional purchasing accreditation, such as the Certified Professional Purchasing Manager (CPPM) from the American Purchasing Society (APS), preferred.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and SAP.
- Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
- Excellent leadership, negotiation, interpersonal, analytical, and organizational skills.
- Ability to obtain a U.S. Government security clearance and appropriate export authorizations as required.
