The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality strives to build and sustain an inclusive environment that embraces and values diversity. Employees at all levels of the agency work together to foster fairness, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, veteran, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, or physical or mental disability. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may not meet every one of our listed preferred qualifications. Lived experience may count towards the preferred qualification. If you are excited about this position, we encourage you to apply. If you are unsure as to whether or not you meet the qualifications of this position, please contact us to discuss your application.

Are you passionate about preserving, enhancing, and protecting Oregon’s environment? If so, please consider a career with the State of Oregon at the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). At DEQ, employees have the opportunity to work with a dynamic and supportive team of mission-focused individuals tasked with maintaining, restoring, and enhancing the quality of Oregon’s air, land, and water. Here is a video about DEQ: https://youtu.be/iP3K7JoLe1k

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has a full-time opportunity available for a Contract Specialist (Procurement and Contract Specialist 2) in Portland, Oregon.

Please consider joining an innovative team, and work to advance our agency’s mission to protect and improve Oregon’s environmental quality. The Central Services Division (CSD) assists the Agency in achieving its mission by providing central management services for the agency in accounting, budgeting, information systems, human resources, health and safety, training, policy and organizational development, purchasing, and facilities management. The division serves headquarters and 3 regional divisions, the Vehicle Inspection Program, and the Laboratory and Environmental Assessment Division. Services are provided for over 700 positions, various local and regional governments, and directly to citizens.

Click here to view a map of all of the DEQ offices.

What you will do!

You will support DEQ by planning and coordinating procurement activities and providing direction and assistance to customers in methods for procurement of various categories, such as goods, equipment, software, and services. Your main focus will be working on procurements with federal funding. You will determine the appropriate solicitation methods; facilitate procurements; train customers in procurement processes; work with senior staff on business process improvements; and collaborate with customers to translate program requirements into requests for information, solicitations, special requests, contract specifications, and terms. In addition, you will serve as the coordinator for communications and actions between DEQ, DAS, and DOJ, as well as be responsible for developing standard operation procedures, desk manuals, and other related documentation.

What’s in it for you!

The opportunity to work in a productive and creative environment where no two days are ever the same! We offer a competitive benefits package that offers comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans for the employee and their qualified family members, as well as paid sick leave, vacation leave, personal leave, and 11 paid holidays a year. In addition, we offer membership in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), and you have the opportunity to potentially receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). If you are passionate about Oregon's environment, apply today!

This is a full-time, AFSCME represented position.

This recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies.

What are we looking for?

Minimum Qualifications: 4 years procurement and contract experience with 2 of those 4 years at the professional-level involving the development and administration of standard contracts, agreements, or solicitations. A Bachelor’s degree in a related field will substitute for 3 of the required 4 years of experience.

Candidates who are most competitive will also reflect the following:

• Demonstrated understanding of environmental justice and the historical impacts for marginalized and underrepresented communities; ability to take personal responsibility for increasing their knowledge of environmental justice and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to use tact, diplomacy, and good judgment to communicate clearly and effectively with employees at all levels, sometimes in stressful situations, and often to ensure compliance with laws, rules, and regulations.
• Ability to prioritize workload to meet changing priorities, complicated assignments, and tight deadlines.
• Ability to use critical thinking and analytical skills to form independent judgment, initiative, and decision-making; ability to work independently as well as in a team environment.
• Oregon Procurement Basic Certification (OPBC) and/or UPPCC Certified Professional Public Buyer certification preferred.
• Extensive experience researching and applying appropriate state and federal procurement laws, rules, policies, and procedures.
• Extensive experience preparing grants and awards from federal sources.

Working Conditions:

DEQ believes in a diverse and inclusive work environment. All employees are expected to contribute to a work environment that collectively values and benefits from respecting its diversity and promotes a culture of inclusiveness.

This position will be based out of DEQ’s Headquarters office, however, the successful candidate will be eligible for hybrid work. The logistics of hybrid work will need to be worked out with the Hiring Manager prior to your hire and may be changed at any time given specific job duties and business needs. DEQ will provide necessary hardware (laptop, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and cell phone) for an employee to successfully work from home. At DEQ sites, you will have access to a workspace, however, it may be shared with other employees.

This position requires occasional travel on official State business for meetings, trainings, conferences, seminars, and public hearings, some of which may include evening work, overnight stays, and /or weekend work. There may be extended work hours to meet deadlines.

How to Apply: (complete the application in full)

• External Applicants Click on the “Apply” button and submit your application. Click this link for the External Candidate job aid, and view this video for additional information.
• Internal Applicants (current State of Oregon employees): Apply through your employee Workday account.  View this knowledge article for assistance.

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Please Note: In addition to your related work experience and education, DEQ will use the desired attributes and minimum qualifications above, under the “What are we looking for?” section to determine whom to interview. Please make sure your attributes and minimum qualifications are clearly demonstrated in your application material.

Veterans Information:

DEQ provides veterans’ preference points to all eligible veterans. For more information on veterans’ preference, please visit Veterans Resources, or call the Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs at: 1-800-692-9666. For privacy reasons, please do not attach veterans’ preference documents when initially applying. You will be asked to submit those at a later time.

Equal Pay Analysis:  

As an employer, the State of Oregon complies with HB 2005, the Pay Equity Bill. We do not discriminate on the basis of protected class in the payment of wages, and we do not screen applicants on the basis of their current or past compensation. Please visit http://www.oregon.gov/das/hr/pages/equity.aspx for more information. Please note: the salary listed is the non-PERS qualifying salary range. If the successful candidate is PERS qualifying, the salary range will reflect an additional 6.95% (6% goes to PERS and .95% covers payroll taxes). Please review the Classification and Compensation page for more details. 

Work Authorization:

DEQ does not offer visa sponsorships. On the first day of employment, all hires will be required to complete the US Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-9, confirming authorization to work in the United States. In addition, hires will have three business days from their first day of employment to present documents that establish employment authorization and identity. DEQ is an E-Verify employer and will use E-Verify to confirm that hires are authorized to work in the United States.

Questions/Need Help?

If you have questions about the recruitment or need assistance to participate in the application process, please contact DEQ’s Recruitment Team at jobs@deq.oregon.gov or 503-229-5107. TTY users: please use the Oregon Telecommunications Relay Service at 1-800-735-2900.