STATE PROCUREMENT SPECIALIST 4

Code: 52630 State Competitive Range: P28 (FY 2027) Work week NL: FLSA exemptOvertime table (4A:3, Appx. A)

Salary: $91,628.18 - $134,900.38/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 general 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, functions as an experienced lead worker and project leader providing guidance to lower-level State Procurement Specialists; performs specialized work of the most complex and technical nature in the procurement of goods and services; plans, initiates, and controls complex, high-dollar multiphase research projects related to procurement; regularly and independently interacts with senior officials and other high-level stakeholders; prepares the most complex 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 to meet their objectives in accordance with federal and state statutes, regulations, and executive orders; does other related duties as required.

Examples of work

Plans, initiates, and controls complex, multiphase procurement projects in the areas of bid solicitation, public advertisement, contract awards, and contract management. Plans, reviews, and schedules activities for a designated procurement project; ensures project goals and objectives are accomplished according to priorities and deadlines prescribed by division management. Reviews project proposals and plans; determines the methods and procedures to successfully accomplish the designated procurement project. Establishes work plans and schedules for each phase of a procurement project. Confers with supervisory personnel and/or management to outline project plans, designate personnel who will have responsibility for phases of a procurement project, and establish scope of authority. Reviews project reports on status of each phase, modifies schedules, and prepares project status reports for management. Provides technical advice to project personnel and assists in resolving problems. Under the direction of a supervisor, or in the absence of a supervisor, leads, assigns, and instructs employees in the performance of their work. Oversees complex, multiphase projects for the procurement of goods and services in an assigned field; tasked with preparing the most complex and high priority procurement projects which may exceed $100 million; analyzes vendor proposals and recommends and executes the award of contracts in accordance with New Jersey statutes, rules, and regulations. Regularly and independently interacts with all levels of leadership including Directors, Commissioners, CFOs, Procurement Directors and representatives from the Office of the State Comptroller and the Division of Law. Functions as a project leader providing guidance to lower-level State Procurement Specialists, particularly in assignments/cases requiring knowledge of multiple disciplines and their interrelations. Recommends the formation of ad-hoc and/or permanent project teams which may consist of personnel from various disciplines, units, divisions, or departments. Evaluates project team performance and provides input and feedback to supervisors regarding the performance of lower-ranking staff. Manages multiple highly active and complex contract portfolios of multiple vendor contracts; frequently updates price sheets and handles vendor requests and frequent amendments; performs research for which there is no established precedent; ensures contracts are extended in a timely manner to avoid lapse of essential State services; reviews and confirms contract amendment requests are part of original scope of work; handles all contract-related matters and ensures vendor is compliant with required approvals and/or certifications. Independently works with internal and external stakeholders during the bid solicitation development process including, but not limited to, Office of the Attorney General, Office of State Comptroller, staff attorneys, state agencies, Risk Management staff, vendors, and other stakeholders. Independently collaborates with the Office of Information Technology (OIT) and Office of Homeland Security professionals on technology and cloud service needs. May lead a team consisting of stakeholders from Treasury, OIT, and OSHP. Responds to federal and state emergency declaration requirements for public health, weather events, or other disasters such as COVID-19 and Super Storm Sandy. Writes sensitive bid specifications of the highest complexity 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; and develops formal Recommendation Reports and Evaluation Committee Reports, among other reports and documents required throughout the bid process. State Procurement Specialist 4 awards must be upheld by a very high percentage rate in light of public protests. Demonstrates exceptional negotiation skills. Maintains multiple assigned portfolios ensuring proper extension re-procurement of contracts to avoid a lapse of essential state services. Identifies sourcing strategies and contract structure by utilizing national cooperative purchasing or federally-based contracts, market analysis, and historical spending. Prepares and advertises highly complex public bid solicitations and related documents to award contracts. Manages highly complex, multiphase bid solicitation tasks and resolves challenging issues, to ensure the public bidding process adheres to set timelines. Takes the lead on training and providing guidance to lower-level staff and works with state agencies to collect, review, and revise existing specifications prepares new specifications for goods and services used by state departments, agencies, and other entities. Conducts the most difficult and highly complex analyses for centralized procurement of goods and services. Conducts highly complex analysis of various procurement operations and prepares statistical, progress, and other reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Functions as Chairperson of multiple, often interrelated Evaluation Committees managing all aspects of committee duties and functions including formation of the committee, evaluation and scoring of technical proposals, and production of highly detailed Evaluation Committee Reports; provides procurement guidance and expertise to committee members throughout the procurement process. Provides expert procurement guidance and expertise to state contract managers, agency fiscal and procurement officers and representatives, New Jersey Boards of Education, local government entities, state and county colleges, and other public entities with statutory authority to utilize applicable state contracts. Evaluates efficiency and effectiveness of practices, methods, and activities applied to current procurement conditions, costs, and objectives. Makes recommendations for improvements to supervisors and/or management. Analyzes methods used in high impact procurement to determine optimal procurement methods. Analyzes historical product and procurement data for recommending effective procurement of goods, services, and cost savings. Performs highly complex market research analysis of vendor brochures, trade journals, and other technical material, and visits vendors and distributors as required. Investigates complicated agency complaints against vendors regarding goods and services and makes recommendations. Develops projections of agency goods and services needs to determine procurement scheduling, contract development, and staffing requirements. Develops evaluation criteria for quantitative and qualitative analysis. Collaborates in a group setting to evaluate administration, efficiency, and effectiveness of department programs and activities using established standards and procedures. Investigates and identifies procurement process issues and eliminates unnecessary and/or wasteful procurement practices/positions. Analyzes and interprets data on procurement process feedback collected from reviews, agencies, requests, and hearings. Takes the lead on the analysis of implications of procurement legislation, at various phases of the legislative process. Takes the lead with preparation, review, revision and maintenance of policies, procedures, and instructional material. Analyzes and forecasts state, regional, and national market trends to establish long and short-range planning to meet procurement requirements. Analyzes technical information accompanying proposals to determine if specifications are in compliance. Ensures bid solicitation process follows methodologies and standards set forth in the Operating Procedures. Oversees the development of methodologies and standards for goods and services specifications. Conducts research and makes recommendations for improvements incidental to Procurement Bureau functions and processes. Participates in and oversees hearing preparation and vendor/bidder meetings for award and performance of contracts and conducts other related procurement meetings. Guides buying units through cost benefit analysis of procurement proposals. Collaborates with representatives of state agencies to review existing and anticipated procurement needs and provides technical assistance and advice. Participates 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. Takes the lead on coordinating the flow of information to ensure accuracy of reporting and that the appropriate level of information is legally obtainable by requestors dependent upon their roles in the process. Assigns procurement documents and instructions to technical and clerical staff and provide supervisor with any recommended changes. Provides budgetary planning information to state agencies after extensive review and analysis of historical purchasing data including purchase volumes, levels of completion, schedules, delivery points, and costs. 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.

Requirements

NOTE: 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. Eight (8) years of professional experience in the procurement of goods and/or services including contract development and administration, one (1) year of which shall have been in a lead capacity. OR Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; and four (4) years of the above-mentioned professional experience one (1) year of which shall have been in a lead capacity.

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 the concepts and methods of project leadership. Knowledge of research methods and techniques. Knowledge of strategic procurement concepts such as total cost of ownership, lifecycle sustainability, vendor performance, and long-term value. Knowledge of metrics such as vendor diversity, economic impact, and compliance. Knowledge of centralized goods and services procurement, contract development, and administration. Knowledge of laws, regulations, policies, and procedures for Department of the Treasury's centralized procurement agency operations (N.J.A.C. 17:12). Knowledge of competitive solicitation methods, techniques and procedures. Knowledge of the methods used to negotiate, develop and modify contracts. Knowledge of research and investigative methodologies and techniques. Knowledge of operations analysis. Knowledge of management information systems and electronic procurement systems applications. Knowledge of fiscal planning factors such as centralized procurement and electronic procurement systems. Knowledge of data collection and analysis principles and methods. Knowledge of centralized procurement methods, practices, and routines. Knowledge of governmental economic activity affecting procurement conditions. Knowledge of data processing applications. Knowledge of statistical and analytical theory, practice, and techniques for evaluation of administrative procedures. Ability to plan, initiate, and control complex, multiphase research projects. Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with associates, representatives from local and state agencies, members of the public, and others. Ability to plan, review, and schedule activities for a designated procurement project. Ability to review and edit project proposals and plans and determines necessary methods and procedures for implementation. Ability to take the lead over lower-level staff. Ability to independently interact with senior government and corporate officials on complex, confidential, and sensitive procurement matters. Ability to apply statistical and analytical theory, practice, and techniques to evaluate administrative procedures. Ability to process user-agency procurement requests and prepare technical specifications compliant with New Jersey Administrative Code. Ability to analyze problems systematically, organize information, identify key factors and underlying causes, generate solutions, and escalate to supervisor as needed. Ability to read, analyze, interpret, and apply laws, regulations, policies, and procedures of centralized procurement agency operations. Ability to take the lead on the collection and analysis of data and information on procurement process, methods, and procedures. Ability to analyze complex procurement data including accounting information and operations research data. Ability to research and analyze specifications and proposals for procurement of goods and services. Ability to take the lead on organizing assigned field, office, and other procurement work and developing effective work methods for large goods and services organizations. Ability to implement department or agency procurement policies and procedures. Ability to apply sound business practices to the procurement process. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, agency associates, supervisors, vendors, and other representatives and officials. Ability to prepare complex and extensive correspondence and technically sound, accurate, and informative reports of findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Ability to take the lead on identifying, gathering, and interpreting economic trends related to centralized procurement. Ability to analyze procurement requirements for state-using -agencies and develop applicable technical specifications. Ability to evaluate bid proposals for a wide variety of materials, supplies, professional, and other services. Ability to present findings from bid proposal assessments in a clear, concise, and logical manner. Ability to identify, gather, and evaluate relevant statistics that affect procurement forecasting and program evaluation. Ability to design statistical indicators that measure timeliness and effectiveness of procurement transactions. Ability to gather and maintain extensive research data and material. Ability to perform basic mathematical and statistical calculations (e.g., percentages, mean, standard deviation, etc.). Ability to plan, organize, assign and lead significant technical projects. Ability to prioritize, schedule, and undertake concurrent work assignments. Ability to lead and maintain progress of multiple ongoing projects. Ability to communicate effectively with technical staff and state agency management. Ability to organize and chair committees and/or meetings. Ability to analyze, interpret, and apply basic laws and regulations. Ability to take the lead on continuing studies and analyses of Procurement Bureau administrative procedures and programs to determine validity of revisions and prevent inefficiency and waste. Ability to prepare statistical and financial data. Ability to provide assistance to department officials on regarding operating requirements. Ability to carry out and report on assigned investigations, surveys, studies, and research activities. Ability to take the lead, guide and mentor lower-level staff. 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.

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. "Professional experience" refers to work that is creative, analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range and depth of specialized knowledge of the profession's principles, concepts, theories, and practices; and is performed with the authority to act according to one's own judgment and make accurate and informed decisions.