Procurement Specialist

Full Job Description

Only applicants who meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements and meet all selective requirements (listed below) will be eligible.

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Division of Compliance, Bureau of Data Privacy and Strategy is seeking a Procurement Specialist to join our team!

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking a Procurement Specialist 4 to support agency-wide grant and contract activities.

This role will serve as a senior-level procurement and contract management professional responsible for guiding complex procurements, ensuring compliance with state and federal requirements, and supporting the effective administration of grant-funded initiatives across the department.

While this position may support work related to specific programs such as the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) initiative, it is intentionally designed to be interchangeable across and available for any grant or federal funding opportunity requiring dedicated procurement and contract oversight.

Responsibilities:

The Procurement Specialist 4 provides strategic procurement leadership, coordination, and oversight to ensure that HHS programs have the contracting and purchasing structures necessary to meet programmatic, fiscal, legal, and compliance expectations.

This position will work collaboratively with program divisions, fiscal teams, and leadership to design and administer procurements; develop and manage contracts; and support subrecipient monitoring and performance oversight within grant-funded programs.

In this role, the Procurement Specialist 4 will:

• Lead competitive procurement processes, including RFIs and RFPs, and coordinate required reviews and documentation.
• Develop, negotiate, and finalize complex vendor and subrecipient contracts; support program staff in creating scopes of work and contract materials.
• Provide contract oversight, ensuring deliverables, performance measures, and fiscal requirements are met; initiate corrective actions as needed.
• Conduct contract and subrecipient monitoring, including program reviews, site visits, and compliance assessments.
• Support development, revision, and monitoring of grant and contract budgets; track payments, forecast spending, and maintain financial workbooks.
• Monitor expenditures against contracts and budgets; advise leadership on spending trends, compliance issues, and management of unspent funds.
• Provide financial and contractual documentation for audits and maintain audit-ready records.
• Serve as liaison with HHS Finance and the Bureau of Service Contract Support; provide technical assistance on procurement policy, contract systems, and compliance expectations.
• Support standardized procurement and grants management processes across the department.

This is a high-impact role that supports the agency’s ability to effectively manage grants, meet compliance obligations, and maximize the impact of federal and state funding on the health and well-being of Iowans.

Benefits

Working for the State of Iowa comes with its perks. In addition to a competitive salary, you'll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your well-being and professional growth:

• Health, Dental, and Vision Coverage: Health and dental insurance packages to keep you and your family healthy at a low cost with outstanding coverage!
• Paid Time Off: Take time to recharge with paid time off, including vacation (96 hours/year to begin, increasing with years of service), sick leave (144 hours/year), and paid holidays (9 days/year).
• Retirement Plans: Participate in retirement plans such as IPERS (employees contribute 6.29% and the State of Iowa contributes 9.44%) as well as our Retirement Investors Club (RIC), Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan (the State of Iowa matches dollar for dollar up to $75/month).
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Take advantage of flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent care expenses.
• Insurance Coverage: Benefit from life insurance and free long-term disability insurance for added peace of mind.
• Employee Assistance Program: Access resources and support through our Employee Assistance Program for personal and professional challenges.
• Employee Discount Programs: Enjoy discounts on a variety of goods and services through our employee discount programs.

For additional information on benefits click here.

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Background Checks

Applicants will be required to complete a background check to be considered for this position.

The State of Iowa is an EEO/AA Employer

HHS values those with “lived experience” and encourages adults who were fostered as youth, foster parents, and/or parents who were in the DHS system to apply.

Minorities, women, persons with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply (Hearing and Speech Impaired – Relay Iowa 1-800-735-2942 TDD).

E-Verify and Right to Work

The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.

Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States.

The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Work laws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization.

For more information, please visitwww.e-verify.gov.

Requirements

058 Budgeting
6 months’ experience, 12 semester hours, or a combination of both in preparing, analyzing budgets; and providing advice/technical assistance with cost analysis, fiscal allocation, and budget preparation.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:

1.) Eight years of full-time work experience in the procurement of technical, standardized, expendable, and non-expendable items, or in services procurement and contract administration, including the review of ongoing compliance with contract requirements and terms.

2) Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in business or public administration, accounting, or economics, and experience equal to four years of full-time work in the procurement of technical, standardized, expendable and non-expendable items or in services procurement and contract administration, including the review of ongoing compliance with contract requirements and terms.

3) A total of eight years of education and/or full-time experience (as described in number one), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university coursework in any field equals one year of full-time experience.

4) All of the following (a, b, and c): a. Three years of full-time work experience in the procurement of technical, standardized, expendable, and non-expendable items, or in services procurement and contract administration, including the review of ongoing compliance with contract requirements and terms; and b. A total of four years of education and/or full-time experience (as described in part a), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university coursework in business or public administration, accounting, or economics equals one year of full-time experience; and c. A total of one year of graduate-level education and/or full-time experience (as described in part a), where twenty-four semester hours of accredited graduate college or university coursework in business or public administration, accounting, or economics equals one year of full-time experience.

5) Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes one year of full-time work as a Procurement Specialist 3.

For additional information click on this link to view the job description