Procurement Specialist

Job Description

Do you have an eye for innovation and a passion for making a difference? At the Iowa Department of Transportation, our mission is simple yet impactful:
Making Lives Better Through Transportation. To bring this mission to life, we are looking for someone who embodies our five CORE values:

• Safety First:
  Prioritizing the well‑being of all.
• People Matter:
  Valuing and empowering our team and community.
• Customer Focused:
  Delivering exceptional service and solutions.
• Servant Leadership:
  Leading with humility and dedication.
• Integrity Without Exception:
  Acting with unwavering honesty and accountability.

If this resonates with you, we’d love to see how you can contribute to our mission as an Equipment Specification Analyst!

Ames

7:00-3:30 M-F. Schedule has some flexibility; some travel required.

• Develop Equipment Specifications:
  Prepare technical specifications for purchasing vehicles, maintenance equipment, and support products, ensuring a $40M+ program meets departmental needs.
• Vendor Engagement:
  Write and clarify specifications, respond to vendor inquiries, and recommend bid awards. Negotiate changes to contracts as needed.
• Innovate and Improve Products:
  Research new equipment concepts, attend demonstrations, and lead modifications to ensure departmental requirements are met.
• Maintain Procurement Records:
  Document specification history, inspections, and vendor interactions to streamline future procurement processes.
• Plan Procurement Programs:
  Coordinate multi‑million‑dollar purchase schedules, balancing user needs, delivery times, and cash‑flow requirements.
• Foster Interagency Relations:
  Act as a liaison, supporting Federal, State, County, and Municipal agencies in equipment procurement, contract utilization, and vendor issue resolution.
• Inspect and Ensure Compliance:
  Conduct thorough equipment inspections, including possible out‑of‑state travel to confirm compliance with specifications.
• Manage Warranty Claims:
  Investigate warranty issues, coordinate timely repairs, and ensure vendors honor warranties while educating users on their rights.
• Guide Fleet Maintenance:
  Instruct fabricators and mechanics, issue safe operation procedures, and develop consistent modification practices across the fleet.
• Implement Preventive Maintenance:
  Establish and monitor schedules to ensure equipment safety, longevity, and operational efficiency.

• Competitive pay and benefits package including health, dental, flexible spending, and life insurance.
• Insurance benefits start first of the month following 30 days of employment. 2024 health and dental insurance premiums can be found here .
• Opportunities for professional growth and development.
• Paid time off effective immediately – biweekly vacation, separate sick leave, accruals rollover on a yearly basis, and 9 paid holidays per year.
• Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) Retirement Package with employer match.
• Optional 401A plan with employer contributions.
• Employee Discount Programs from variety of vendors (vision, cellular, fitness, recreation, season passes, travel, counseling; legal, financial).

• Seven years of full-time work experience in the procurement of technical, standardized, expendable, and non‑expendable items, or in services procurement and contract administration, including the review of ongoing compliance with contract requirements and terms.
• Graduation from an accredited four‑year college or university with a degree in business or public administration, accounting, or economics, and experience equal to three years of full‑time work in the procurement of technical, standardized, expendable and non‑expendable items or in services procurement and contract administration, including the review of ongoing compliance with contract requirements and terms.
• A total of seven years of education and/or full‑time experience (as described in number one), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university coursework in any field equals one year of full‑time experience.
• All of the following (a, b, and c):
  • Two years of full‑time work experience in the procurement of…