Contract Specialist

OUC - The Reliable One, an industry leader and the second largest municipal utility in Florida committed to serving the community and the environment, is presently seeking a Contract Specialist to join the Financial & Support Services division.

We are looking for an analytical and detail-oriented professional to support project goals, schedules, and contract-related activities while ensuring effective coordination of purchasing and supplier services. In this role, you will contribute to the successful delivery of projects by helping maintain contract documentation, monitoring timelines and budgets, and supporting business units with contract lifecycle activities and reporting.

In this role, you will be responsible for maintaining and monitoring the contract catalog, processing extensions and amendments, generating and tracking purchase orders, and supporting quality assurance and compliance efforts. You will also collaborate with internal teams and suppliers to address inquiries, ensure contract obligations are met, and provide reliable, customer-focused support across the organization. We are looking for a collaborative professional with strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and a service mindset who is eager to learn and grow.

OUC's mission is to provide exceptional value to our customers and community by delivering sustainable and reliable services and solutions. Click here to learn more about what we do.

The ideal candidate will have:

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Business, Accounting, Project Management, Engineering, Construction Management, or related field of study from an accredited college or university, (preferred).
• Minimum of one (1) year of utility operational experience to include budget, financial analysis, purchasing, supply chain, or directly related field. Advanced education in a related field may be substitutable for the experience requirement on a 1:1 basis.
• Valid Driver's License.
• Special training to be completed upon hire;
  • Additional courses supporting or related to Utility regulatory compliance through seminars and/or conferences.

OUC offers a very competitive compensation and benefits package. Our Total Rewards package includes, to cite a few:

• Competitive compensation
• Low-cost medical, dental, and vision benefits and paid life insurance premiums with no probationary period. Retirement benefits include a cash balance account with employer matching along with a health reimbursement account
• Paid vacation, holidays, and sick time
• Educational and Professional assistance programs; Paid Memberships in Professional Associations
• Access to workout facilities at each location
• Paid Conference and Training Opportunities
• Hybrid work schedule

Click here to view our Benefits Summary.

Salary Range: $28.098 to $35.123 per hour commensurate with experience (estimated $58,443.84 to $73,055.84 annually).

Location: "The Greenest Building in Downtown"- Reliable Plaza, 100 W. Anderson St., Orlando, FL 32801.

Job Purpose:

Supports project goals, deadlines, schedules, financial responsibilities, resource allocation, and general coordination. Facilitates project logistics such as meetings, minutes, and action items to include necessary follow-up. Assists in development of presentation(s) representing budget, financial analysis, maintenance of the supplier database, performing routine purchasing functions, generating purchase orders, schedules and quality assurance. Establishes, monitors, and tracks contract obligations, quality, schedules and effectively communicates with both OUC and contract personnel.

Primary Functions:

• Support projects delivered through contract supplier services ensuring adherence to timeline, schedule and within approved budgets.
• Maintain compliance with state and federal regulations and ensure safety procedures are followed across project activities.
• Maintain quality control and quality assurance processes to ensure services meet OUC specifications.
• Monitor and process customer escalations originating from both internal departments and external sources
• Review and approve of supplier services in alignment with contract terms, performance metrics, and project deliverables.
• Facilitate meetings with OUC and supplier teams to track progress, ensure key performance indicators are met, and provide status reporting to management.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Technical Requirements:

• Working knowledge of all, but not limited to, the following:
• Distribution Contracts and contract-related documents.
• Project support methodology and tools.
• Trending and forecasting graphs.
• Aging reports.
• Procedural flow charts/diagrams.
• Invoices.
• Familiarity with all, but not limited to, the following:
• OUC Administrative Manuals.
• Contract Purchasing Bid Tabulations.
• Supplier staff daily activity reports.
• Power point presentations and Excel spreadsheets.
• Software Applications (i.e. PSERM, CC&B, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Visio, Arc Reader,
• Asset Maintenance Software);
• Related industry, organizational and departmental policies, practices, and procedures legal guidelines, ordinances, and laws.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Excellent organization skills.
• Excellent technical writing skills.
• Conflict resolution, negotiation and decision-making skills.
• Understand and apply governmental accounting practices in maintenance of financial records.
• Ability to:
• Ability to lead meetings.
• Make arithmetic computations using whole numbers, fractions and decimals, rates, ratios, and percentages.
• Ability to use Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.) and standard office equipment (telephone, computer, copier, etc.).
• Research, gather data and summarize relevant information for presentations.
  
• Prioritize multiple objectives and goals based on business needs and financial risk.

Education/ Certification/ Years of Experience Requirements:

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Business, Accounting, Project Management, Engineering, Construction Management, or related field of study from an accredited college or university, (preferred).
• Minimum of one (1) year of utility operational experience to include budget, financial analysis, purchasing, supply chain, or directly related field. Advanced education in a related field may be substitutable for the experience requirement on a 1:1 basis.
• Valid Driver's License.
• Special training to be completed upon hire;
• Additional courses supporting or related to Utility regulatory compliance through seminars and/or conferences.

Working Conditions:

This job is performed in an office work environment and is absent of disagreeable working conditions.

Physical Requirements:

This job consists of speaking, hearing, reading, typing and writing. This job requires frequent sitting, occasional standing and walking and may require lifting up to twenty (20) lbs., bending/ stooping, reaching over head.

OUC-The Reliable One is an Equal Opportunity Employer who is committed through responsible management policies to recruit, hire, promote, train, transfer, compensate, and administer all other personnel actions without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information and any other factor prohibited under applicable federal, state, and local civil rights laws, rules, and regulations.

EOE M/F/Vets/Disabled