Contract Officer III

Position Summary

The Contract Officer III purpose is to procure services for the hospital at a reasonable cost and in a timely manner to ensure that patient care is not compromised, while adhering to the mandatory requirements of the New York State Finance Laws as well as SUNY and Stony Brook University Hospital policies and procedures.

Duties of a Contract Officer III may include the following, but are not limited to:

The Contract Officer III must be able to work independently with minimal direction from their supervisor. They will interact with all levels of hospital staff including physicians, clinicians, department heads and administrators from every hospital department to seek information about detailed specifications, justifications, vendor performance expectations and to relay status updates. The Contract Officer III will also interact with government officials in the Office of General Services, Office of NYS Attorney General, and the Office of the State Comptroller. Additionally, the Contract Officer III will also interact with vendors, for negotiation of terms and conditions, pricing, coordination of services and bid debriefings. Finally, the Contract Officer III may have extensive interactions with SUNY Counsel in the review of contracts that must be sent to the Office of the NYS Attorney General for approval. The Contract Officer III must follow strict moral and ethical behavior as a NYS Public Officer, as fully described in the Public Officer's Law. Bids and Requests for Proposals will be conducted with the utmost integrity and confidentiality while following the required processes. This discretion also extends to confidentiality as it pertains to the hospital budget, proposed projects or clinical endeavors that are not public knowledge. Works with the Attorney General or other State or Federal (HIPAA or Medicaid / Medicare investigations) and auditors as requested.

• The individual must possess excellent verbal, writing, reading, problem solving, attention to detail, and analytical skills necessary to negotiate contract terms, resolve obstacles and develop contractual language that will meet all regulatory requirements.
• Develop, negotiate and administer formal contractual agreements for hospital-required services, software and equipment maintenance, space leases and other categorical services in accordance with New York State Finance Laws and SUNY regulations in a timely, thorough and accurate manner. These agreements may have a value of anywhere from small dollar (thousands) to complex larger dollar (millions), depending upon the project.
• Develop, solicit and award sealed bids and requests for proposals (RFPs) for services.
• Interact with department heads for project planning, development of bid specifications, research vendors (RFIs), development of evaluation criteria, provide guidance and instructions to RFP evaluation committees and to department personnel in the general preparation of requisitions.
• Contract Officer III must be a highly organized and motivated procurement professional, with excellent time management and multitasking abilities.
• Coordinate and communicate with the appropriate government offices to facilitate the efficient and timely processing of contractual agreements. This task requires constant monitoring of the status of outstanding contracts, being prepared, knowledgeable and having the ability to craft language to respond to AG legal issues, and/or compose responses to questions asked by OSC auditors in Albany. A sense of urgency is required for this position.
• Accumulate and analyze data statistics and on procurement transactions.
• Work with MWBE Coordinator to maximize purchases from NYS Certified Minority and Woman owned firms under the MWBE program.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's degree and a minimum of four years of purchasing experience in a large complex institutional agency or corporation.
• In lieu of Bachelor's degree, an Associate's degree and seven years of purchasing experience in a large complex institutional agency or corporation will be considered.

Preferred:

• Master Degree from an accredited college or university preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of hospital and clinical staff service functions.
• Familiarity with Lawson is a plus.
• Experience with procurement for a government agency preferably a New York State government owned agency.
• Prior institutional or hospital purchasing experience.
• Experience reading and editing contracts/legal documents.