Policy and Assurance Specialist

Lawrence Berkeley National Lab’s (LBNL) Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) Division has an opening for a Policy and Assurance Specialist to join the team.

In this exciting role, you will participate in the development of new and revised Laboratory procurement policies and procedures, evaluation of Prime Contract modifications and assessment of those modifications for impact and implementation, assurance and compliance activities, interpretation of such policies and procedures, and assurance program support. 

You will assist key Balanced Scorecard activities under the Prime Contract. You may serve as a subject matter expert for various subject matters. You will be responsible for the maintenance and review and revisions to the Department's policies and procedures, terms and conditions, pro forma documents, and subcontract forms to ensure consistency in application and compliance with the prime contract. You will act independently to determine procurement methods and procedures applicable to departmental activities. You will recommend and lead efforts to makes changes in procurement processes to achieve efficient, effective, and compliant business operations. 

You will advise and assist LBNL procurement specialists in the award and administration of their subcontracts in accordance with applicable regulations and procedures to include presenting training, and providing constructive feedback at Contract Review Board (CRB) meetings as a CRB member, and will also serve as a CRB Chair. You may perform or support cost/price analysis, and development of documentation of price reasonableness determinations for difficult and complex acquisitions in support of the procurement specialists. 

You will participate in procurement self-assessments. You will serve as the primary point of contact for the procurement department for external and internal procurement audits, responding to data calls, and ensuring the completion of corrective actions. 

Under the direction of the Business Assurance Manager, you will interact with DOE Contracting Officer, UC Office of the President, and individuals from other national laboratories responsible for procurement policy formulation. 

What You Will Do:

• Support Operations/OCFO/Procurement Vision, Goals, Objectives and Strategies.
• Emphasizes excellent customer service. Plays an active role in ensuring Procurement provides a high level of service both to its internal and external customers.
• Works with customers to deliver excellent customer service to the LBNL community.
• Participate routinely in a policy group related email account, answering questions as assigned.
• Interact and build effective working relationships with internal staff in the Procurement department and Laboratory Procurement customers and partners, as wells as external customers, such as DOE personnel.
• Meets the needs of the customer to deliver goods/services in a timely and cost effective manner. Understands customer’s business. Provides one stop shopping/problem solving.
• Participate actively in strategic, quality, process improvement, and re-engineering efforts. Emphasizes teamwork, continuous improvement, and best practices.
• Help fulfill the overall goals of Procurement by performing additional tasks as assigned when the need arises.
• Policies & Procedures: Leads the management of the LBNL procurement policies and procedures and revisions thereto for the Business Assurance team. Exercise independence, initiative, and judgment in developing and recommending changes to procurement policy/procedures and methods to achieve more compliant, effective, and efficient operations. Interpret and apply policy from University and Governmental sources. Have a working knowledge of, and excellent research skills in interpreting, the Laboratory’s prime contract, relevant federal regulations, executive orders, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Department of Energy Acquisition Regulation (DEAR), DOE Acquisition Letters, DOE Orders, UC policies. Analyze and interpret these complex procurement directives and apply them to Laboratory procurement operations.  Exercise ingenuity in specifying innovative procedures and systems, often of unusual complexity, for implementing these procedures and systems. Coordinate with high-level individuals at the Laboratory and to a limited extent with external organizations in formulating these policies and procedures. Consult the Federal Register and other publications to anticipate required changes to procurement policies, which may affect the Laboratory. Responsible, with limited direction, for drafting new Laboratory-specific procedures and may direct others in this effort. Responsible for assigning revisions of SPs for the Laboratory, and revising SPs. Support management efforts to facilitate the processing of procurement transactions, actively participate on Contract Review Boards and other activities and may serve as Chair. Provide training for procurement staff on a variety of topics, including new procedures based upon an understanding of intricacies between existing and new methods.
• Terms & Conditions: Develop, maintain, and update procurement pro forma clause library, general provisions, and other documents necessary for processing procurement actions. Will coordinate approvals secured from Laboratory Counsel’s Office and DOE to deviate from standard terms in certain types of transactions and under certain conditions.
• Prime Contract Modifications: Serve as a Procurement representative for assessing the impact of proposed procurement-related changes to the Prime Contract using an extensive background in existing Laboratory practices and federal and state requirements. Evaluate proposed and current procurement policies, procedures, and Prime Contract clauses against proposed clauses and develop the Laboratory/Procurement position on these clauses.  Assist in the analysis and interpretation of prime contract modifications and complex procurement directives and works to implement them into Laboratory procurement operations.  Exercise an ingenuity in specifying innovative procedures and systems, often of unusual complexity, for implementing these directives. Coordinate with high-level individuals of both internal and external organizations in formulating these policies and procedures including the University of California Procurement Policy and Standard Practices Manual (SPs).
• Participate in, and may co-lead, department self-assessments, and will be the assigned procurement lead for internal and external audits. Manage audit results and ensure that corrective actions are implemented, as scheduled, and corrections are supported by documentation. Prepare periodic reports for the DOE Contracting Officer and provides responses to comments.
• Maintain oversight of the preparation, accomplishment, and reporting of audits performed on Procurement including the Department of Energy (DOE), Small Business Administration (SBA), Inspector General (IG), Government Accountability Office (GAO), internal and contracted auditors, independent peer reviews, etc. Develop corrective action plans necessary to address audit findings. Assist in coordination and preparation of peer review and miscellaneous external audit responses. Ensure corrective actions are implemented as planned and supported by documentation. Work independently to track the completion of corrective actions.
• Independently analyze, organize and re-engineer Business Assurance procedures, processes, and tools. 
• Support Procurement Training and Development Program, participating in Training and Development team meetings, developing training presentations, and delivering training.
• Support the department’s communication efforts and drafts content for various internal and external communications.
• Evaluate and recommend solutions to various Division and Department requests pertaining to the Assurance Program.
• Participate in, and lead, team projects and initiatives, and department initiatives, as assigned, proactively contributing to initiative success.
• Assist with basic Procurement systems-related activities. 
• Provide support to procurement staff for complex insurance certificate reviews and determinations of deficiencies.
• Act as a consultant and provide advice to Procurement & Property Department personnel on the pricing of complex subcontracts and/or agreements, and may perform or support cost/price analysis, and development of documentation of price reasonableness determinations for difficult and complex acquisitions in support of the procurement specialists.

What is Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree in business, management, or other related technical fields, or equivalent training and experience, and a minimum of six years of experience in a multidivisional organization requiring interaction with customers.
• Minimum of six years of procurement experience procurement policy, or contract management.
• Proficiency and understanding of the Procurement self-assessment process.
• Excellent analytical skills for interpreting unusually complex procurement laws, regulations, and literature and applying them to work at the Laboratory. 
• Ability to make decisions and independent judgments, interpret political and administrative direction, and interpret into operational policies and procedures.
• Excellent negotiation, interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills. Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain long-term working relationships with a broad cross-section of people in a variety of departments.
• Demonstrated experience in and knowledge of contracting including planning, solicitation, negotiation, award, and administration of high-dollar value, unique, and complex subcontracts in a research and development environment.
• Demonstrated decision-making and problem-solving skills. Ability to secure cooperation and teamwork among Procurement personnel in support of management goals.
• Familiar with the Federal Acquisition Regulation and Department of Energy Acquisition Regulation.
• Ability to write clear local procedures implementing federal and state requirements.

Desired Qualifications:

• Master's degree in business, management, or related technical fields preferred.

Notes:

• This is a full-time, career appointment, exempt (monthly paid) from overtime pay.
• This position may be subject to a background check. Any convictions will be evaluated to determine if they directly relate to the responsibilities and requirements of the position. Having a conviction history will not automatically disqualify an applicant from being considered for employment.
• Berkeley Lab is committed to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accountability (IDEA) and strives to hire individuals from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives who share these same values and commitments.
• Work will be primarily performed at Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) — Bldg. 971, 6401 Hollis St., Emeryville, CA.

Equal Employment Opportunity: Berkeley Lab is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. Berkeley Lab is in compliance with the Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision under 41 CFR 60-1.4. Click here to view the poster and supplement: "Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law."