Procurement Counselor

Procurement Counselor

PACE Procurement provides extensive business training and direct technical assistance (TA), specialized procurement assistance and partnership resources including business expansion support tools: financing, insurance, and bonding, to help businesses build the capacity to foster and secure new government and private-sector contracting opportunities throughout Southern California. Through PACE's ProcureLA initiative, the Procurement team offers free support services including one-on-one counseling, help identifying contracting opportunities, guidance on the public agency bidding process, and registration assistance for government and private-sector vendor portals. The team works with agencies and prime contractors such as the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Metro, Caltrans, and Southern California Edison, among many others, to help small, women-owned, minority-owned, and veteran-owned businesses become certified and contract-ready.

PACE seeks a Procurement Counselor to support the department's procurement efforts by working closely with the Program Assistant, Procurement Relationship Manager, and Business Development Officer. The Procurement Counselor serves as the front-line gatekeeper for the procurement pipeline, filtering and reviewing the high volume of inquiries generated by the Program Assistant's client database to identify business owners who are not yet contract-ready. This position provides direct one-on-one counseling and technical assistance (TA) to help those clients build their capacity, develop a capability statement, and understand the government contracting bid process before being referred on for more advanced procurement services. This is an entry-to-mid-level position requiring strong organizational skills, sound judgment in triaging inquiries, and a genuine interest in coaching small business owners.

Working Relationships:

• Work closely with the Program Assistant, who manages a large pool of client inquiries in the database; regularly review and filter that pipeline to identify business owners who are not yet contract-ready
• Provide clients direct counseling, one-on-one mentoring, and technical assistance; refer clients to credit/loan counselor or other resources as needed
• Serve as the front-line gatekeeper for the procurement program; escalate contract-ready businesses to the Procurement Relationship Manager and other senior procurement staff for advanced services
• Actively engage and collaborate with staff of PACE Business Development Center, community partners, consultants and other PACE departments, consultants, speakers, interns, and volunteers

Responsibilities & Duties:

• Filter and review client inquiries and leads from the Program Assistant's database on a regular basis to determine which businesses are contract-ready versus in need of foundational counseling and TA
• Serve as the first point of contact and front-line gatekeeper for procurement inquiries, triaging leads and directing clients to the appropriate PACE staff or resources
• Provide one-on-one counseling and technical assistance to business owners who are not yet contract-ready, helping them build the foundational capacity needed to pursue government contracts
• Help business owners develop a capability statement and guide them through the basics of the government contracting bid process
• Guide businesses through the process of assessing their capacity/suitability for government contracting
• Assess firms training and technical assistance needs and develop a plan outlining recommendations for how that client can most efficiently meet their strategic objectives for succeeding in the government market
• Assist businesses with government registrations (i.e. and certifications (SBA's HUBZone, 8(a), SDVOSB, etc.) related to selling to the government, finding opportunities, marketing to government buyers, bidding, getting paid, proposal development, interpretation of regulations, and more. Assistance is primary provided through workshops and one-on-one counseling
• Support the coordination of workshops and events that increase knowledge of government contracting
• Attend outreach events to ensure awareness of procurement technical assistance services
• Review and disseminate bid opportunities and subcontracting opportunities to clients
• Responsible for supporting clients through to landed contracts, tracking contract awards as a key outcome of the counseling and TA provided
• Support the department's relationships with federal, state and local government agencies, and prime contractors
• Support the department's relationships with other business resource providers throughout the region
• Meet or exceed key performance indicators (KPIs) and contract deliverables required under PACE's ProcureLA and California GO-Biz program funding, including landed contracts, counseling sessions, referrals, and events. Maintain accurate records of client interactions and referral outcomes in the reporting database.
• Complete training courses that are relevant to the needs of clients and attend Association of PTAC training events
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications, Experiences and Skills:

• Bachelor's in Business Administration, Contract Management or related field or equivalent experience
• At least one to two years of work experience in procurement, business counseling, or a related customer-facing role, with a working knowledge of business and government contracting principles
• Excellent organizational and management skills
• Strong computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office and/or Google Workspace, CRM or case-management/database systems, video conferencing tools (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams), and government vendor portals (e.g., SAM.gov, Cal eProcure) to research the government market and navigate registrations and online government systems
• Ability to multi-task, ability to management multiple tasks and projects
• Ability to listen critically to identify needs and solve problems
• Demonstrated ability to share skills and knowledge with others
• Strong, professional written communication skills
• Strong verbal communication skills, including public speaking
• Work well within a team environment
• Valid California driver's license, reliable transportation, and ability to travel locally as needed

Special Requirements:

• Must pass pre-employment physical examination including drug and alcohol screening
• Proof of Covid vaccine

Preferred Experience:

• Experience providing procurement assistance to small businesses
• Bilingual in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Thai, or another language spoken by PACE's client base is preferred, but not required
• Experience working for a business that sells to the government
• Experience as a contracting officer for a federal or state government agency

PACE is a private not-for-profit corporation that provides employment, small business assistance, and education, housing, energy and environmental and other community services in the Los Angeles City and County areas. PACE is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.