Contracts Associate

Employment type

Full-Time

Posted

27 days ago

Location

Remote

Description

Contracts Associate

The Foundation for California Community Colleges is on a mission to double its impact in the next 10 years. We are a group of relentless optimists and innovators in education, working collaboratively with public and private partners to help improve the student experience and expand pathways to economic and social mobility in communities across California. We are seeking a Contracts Associate to join the Foundation in its mission of benefitting, supporting, and enhancing the California Community Colleges—the largest and most diverse system of higher education in the nation.

The CollegeBuys program is the systemwide aggregate purchasing program for the California Community Colleges.  The program develops contracts that are designed to optimize value and cost savings for all community colleges in California.  The program’s main objective is to expand usage of CollegeBuys contracts statewide. To determine its priorities, CollegeBuys works closely with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and an advisory group comprised of community college stakeholders.  These priorities are memorialized and guided by a three-year business plan.  Since inception, CollegeBuys contracts have resulted in over $200 million in cost savings that are reinvested back to local community colleges.

What You’ll Do
The Contracts Associate will report to the Director of CollegeBuys, performing duties that support the program’s business development and operations through strategic sourcing efforts and contracts assembly, events management, and various marketing objectives.

What you bring

• Assist in the Development of Request for Proposals (RFPs): ensuring systemwide collaboration, and compliance with California’s Public Contract Code.  Including objective research and analysis of market trends and situations that would determine the viability of the RFP.
• Support the vetting and analysis of potential new partners and prioritize opportunities.
• Support the program’s business strategies by developing executable tactics that promote increase in awareness and contract utilization.
• Execute strategies and tactics that support the program’s strategic business and sustainability plan.
• Build and cultivate relationships internally and externally where appropriate, act as organizational brand ambassador as needed and provide business development support and input where there is opportunity.
• Manage contracts and relationships with partners and stakeholders (colleges, corporations, and service providers) by maintaining accounts, contracts, documents, and financial reports.
• Serve as a resource to partners and stakeholders by providing essential information through the program’s Concierge Service.
• Speak knowledgeably about legislation, projects, contracts, and systemwide efforts.
• Emulate and cultivate a culture of shared leadership and promote organizational values

 

Ideal Candidate Qualities

• Relevant BA/BS, equivalent work experience, or a combination of both
• Minimum of five (5) + years of related work experience in business, marketing, or contracts/law with demonstrated success
• Minimum of three (3) + years of progressive work experience in a business, legal/government setting, or a related field
• Any experience in an education or nonprofit environment preferred
• Experience as a legal assistant preferred 
• Experience as a purchaser in an education environment preferred 
• Familiarity with the Community College system a plus
• Proven ability to manage by influence and ability to build and maintain credibility
• Customer service oriented and team focused
• Demonstrate ability to assess customer needs, meet quality standards for services, and evaluate customer satisfaction
• Knowledge of or ability to learn position appropriate aspects of federal and state contract law, non-profit corporate governance law, and business law applicable to the program
• Knowledge of, or a willingness to learn, purchasing and procurement requirements including federal and state legislation and regulations
• Demonstrated work experience in progressively more complex roles related to data analysis
• Passionate about providing students with stronger pathways to education and building a more just and equitable California overall
• A self-starter and quick learner who is highly motivated and outcome-oriented, always seeking innovative approaches to project execution
• A strategic and creative thinker who can problem-solve, working within and across teams to swiftly respond to needs identified across the California Community Colleges
• Practices ownership, takes accountability, and able to project manage, prioritize tasks, and deliver quality products on time with limited supervision
• Ability to work on a fast-paced team and build and maintain collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders

 

What we Offer
You’ll join a group of mission-driven, passionate, equity-minded individuals with a strong desire to impact and change lives for the better through education. As the official nonprofit auxiliary to the Chancellor's Office, we aim to ensure our team reflects the diversity of the California Community Colleges and the 2.1 million students, campuses, and communities it serves. Individuals are hired for their deep understanding of each population’s unique needs, and will join a collaborative environment where each team member plays an important role in helping Californians across all communities improve their social and economic mobility and build a better future for themselves and their families.

We operate from an office located in downtown Sacramento’s thriving R Street corridor. Our benefits include the CalPERS defined benefit retirement plan, generous medical, dental, and vision, tuition reimbursement, and more. We take a strategic and comprehensive approach to investing in our people, fostering an environment for employee growth, and providing diverse opportunities for continued learning, professional development, and advancement.
 

To apply

For immediate consideration, please submit a letter of interest and resume saved as Microsoft Word (.doc/.docx) or Adobe Acrobat PDF (.pdf) documents to [email protected] Please include in the subject line: “Contracts Associate, CollegeBuys”.