STATE PROCUREMENT SPECIALIST TRAINEE

Code: 52623 State Non-Competitive Range: P95 (FY 2027) Work week 35: FLSA coveredOvertime table (4A:3, Appx. A)

Salary: $58,222.22 - $60,876.32/year FY 2027 schedule (last updated 2026-07-27)

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.

Definition

Under the close supervision of a Supervising State Procurement Specialist or other supervisory official in the Department of the Treasury, Division of Purchase and Property, the state's central procurement authority, as a trainee and productive worker, receives formal and on-the-job training and performs, specialized work in the procurement of goods and services; prepares bid solicitations for public advertising and awards contracts for essential products and services in a centralized and computerized environment for executive branch departments and agencies, state authorities, independent institutions of higher education, school districts, and local governments in accordance with federal and state statutes, regulations, and executive orders; does other related duties as required.

Examples of work

As a trainee and productive worker: Receives formal and on-the-job training designed to provide practical experience in the procurement of goods and services in an assigned field; prepares procurement documents; analyzes vendor proposals and learns to recommend and award contracts in accordance with New Jersey statutes, rules, and regulations. Participates in a formal and on-the-job training program designed to provide practical state procurement experience, completes simulated and production assignments necessary to acquire a comprehensive body of knowledge of the laws, rules, regulations, practices, and procedures relevant to state procurement. With guidance of a supervisor or lead worker, learns to manage an active contract portfolio; learns the techniques necessary to ensure contracts are extended in a timely manner to avoid lapse of essential state services; learns to review and confirm contract amendment requests are part of original scope of work; learns to handle all contract-related matters and ensures vendor is compliant with required approvals and/or certifications. Receives training in the proper techniques to federal and state emergency declaration requirements for public health, weather events, or other disasters such as COVID-19 and Super Storm Sandy. Learns to write bid specifications for a broad range of goods and services; evaluates bidder proposals and recommends award(s) of contracts, maintaining quality assurance throughout the process; evaluates and scores bids to prepare detailed bid tabulations; develops formal Recommendation Reports and Evaluation Committee Reports among other reports and documents required throughout the bid process. Recommendations are reviewed by a supervisor or higher-level State Procurement Specialist. Develops effective negotiation skills. Learns to maintain an assigned portfolio ensuring proper extension or re-procurement of contracts in a timely fashion to avoid lapse of essential state services. Learns to identify sourcing strategies and contract structure by utilizing national cooperative purchasing or federally-based contracts, market analysis, and historical spend. Assists a supervisor or lead worker in the preparation of public bid solicitations and related documents to award contracts. Assists a supervisor or lead worker in bid solicitation tasks and learns to resolve challenging issues, to ensure the public bidding process adheres to set timelines. May work with state agencies to collect, review, and revise existing specifications and prepares new ones for goods and services used by state departments, agencies, and other entities; works with internal and external stakeholders during the bid solicitation development process including, but not limited to, the Office of the Attorney General, Office of State Comptroller, staff attorneys, state agencies, Risk Management staff and vendors. May collaborate with Office of Information Technology (OIT) and Office of Homeland Security professionals on technology and cloud service needs. Learns to perform routine analysis of various procurement operations and prepares statistical, progress, and other reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations. In a training and development capacity, may assist a supervisor or higher-level State Procurement Specialist serving Chairperson of Evaluation Committees for less complex procurements, assists in committee duties and functions including formation of the committee, evaluation and scoring of technical proposals, and production of highly-detailed Evaluation Committee Reports; learns to provide procurement guidance to committee members throughout the procurement process. May provide routine procurement guidance to state contract managers, agency fiscal and procurement officers and representatives, and New Jersey Boards of Education, local government entities, state and county colleges, and other public entities with statutory authority to utilize applicable state contracts. May learn to evaluate efficiency and effectiveness of practices, methods, and activities applied to current procurement conditions, costs and objectives. May learn to analyze historical product and procurement data for recommending effective procurement of goods, services, and cost savings. May learn to perform moderately complex market research analysis of vendor brochures, trade journals, and other technical material, and visits vendors and distributors as required. May learn to investigate complaints against vendors regarding goods and services and make recommendations. May learn to develop projections of agency goods and services needs to determine procurement scheduling, contract development, and staffing requirements for effective procurement. May learn to develop evaluation criteria for quantitative and qualitative analysis. May assist in a group setting to evaluate administration, efficiency, and effectiveness, of department programs and activities using established standards and procedures. Receives training to ensure bid solicitation process follows methodologies and standards set forth in Operating Procedures. May learn to analyze and forecast state, regional, and national market trends to establish long and short-range planning to meet procurement requirements. May learn to analyze technical information accompanying proposals to determine specification compliance. May learn to assist in developing methodologies and standards for goods and services specifications. May learn to conduct research incidental to Procurement Bureau functions and processes. May participate in hearing preparation and vendor/bidder meetings for award and performance of contracts and conducts other related procurement meetings as needed. May learn to support buying units through cost benefit analysis of procurement proposals. May learn to participate in meetings to discuss procurement and contract processes with state agencies and vendors. Prepares clear, sound, accurate, and informative statistical and other reports containing findings, analyses, conclusions and recommendations. May learn to assist with flow of information to ensure accuracy of reporting and that the appropriate level of information is legally obtainable by requestors dependent upon their role in the process. Utilizes electronic systems to manage the procurement process and associated data. Maintains essential records and files. Will be required to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

License

Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

Knowledge of centralized goods and services procurement, contract development, and administration, after a period of training. Knowledge of laws, regulations, policies, and procedures for Department of Treasury's centralized procurement agency operations (N.J.A.C. 17:12), after a period of training. Knowledge of methods, techniques and procedures for competitive solicitation of procurement, after a period of training. Knowledge of investigative techniques, research methodology, and operations analysis. Knowledge of management information systems and electronic procurement systems applications, after a period of training. Knowledge of methods used to compile and analyze data. Knowledge of centralized procurement methods, practices, and routines, after a period of training. Knowledge of state and federal governmental processes that impact economic activity and affect procurement conditions, after a period of training. Knowledge of data processing applications. Knowledge of statistical and analytical theory, practice, and techniques used for evaluation of administrative procedures. Ability to learn from formal and on-the-job training programs. Ability to apply statistical reasoning to analysis and evaluation of administrative procedures. Ability to process user-agency procurement requests and prepare technical specifications compliant with New Jersey Administrative Code, after a period of training. Ability to analyze problems systematically, organize information, identify key factors and underlying causes, generate solutions, and escalate to supervisor as needed, after a period of training. Ability to read, interpret, and apply laws, regulations, policies, and procedures of centralized procurement agency operations, after a period of training. Ability to analyze moderately complex procurement data including accounting information and operations, after a period of training. Ability to research and analyze moderately complex specifications and proposals for procurement of goods and services, after a period of training. Ability to learn how to organize assigned field, office, and other procurement work for large goods and services organizations and develop effective work methods in accordance with closely prescribed procedures. Ability to implement department or agency procurement policies and procedures, after a period of training. Ability to learn sound business practices applicable to the procurement process. Ability to create and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, agency associates, supervisors, vendors, and other representatives and officials. Ability to prepare correspondence and technically sound, accurate, and informative reports of findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Ability to identify, gather, and interpret economic trends related to centralized procurement. Ability to analyze basic procurement requirements for state user-agencies and develop applicable technical specifications. Ability to evaluate bid proposals for a wide variety of materials, supplies, and professional and other services, after a period of training. Ability to present findings from bid proposal assessments in a clear, concise, and logical manner. Ability to design statistical indicators that measure timeliness and effectiveness of procurement transactions, after a period of training. Ability to gather and maintain research data and material. Ability to analyze, interpret, and apply basic laws and regulations. Ability to prepare statistical and financial data. Ability to provide assistance to department officials on operating procedures and requirements. Ability to carry out and report on assigned investigations, surveys, studies, and research activities, after a period of training. Ability to establish and maintain essential records, reports and files. Ability to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units. Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication. Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible if they can perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible. ADVANCEMENT Appointees who successfully complete the 12-month training period will be eligible for advancement under Civil Service Commission procedures to the title of State Procurement Specialist 1. The inability of an employee in this trainee title to attain a level of performance warranting advancement to State Procurement Specialist 1 shall be considered as cause for separation.

Note

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed. Applicants must meet one of the following or a combination of both experience and education. Thirty (30) semester hour credits are equal to one (1) year of relevant experience. Four (4) years of professional experience in the procurement of goods and/or services including contract development and administration. OR Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. "Professional experience" refers to work that is analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range of basic knowledge of the profession's concepts and practices; and is performed with the authority to act and make accurate and informed decisions.