Join a vibrant campus community whose excellence is reflected in its diversity and student success. West Chester University of Pennsylvania's Finance and Administration Division invites applicants for the position of Manager of Construction Procurement (Manager 180).

West Chester University, a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, is a public, comprehensive institution committed to offering high-quality undergraduate education, selected post-baccalaureate and graduate programs, and a variety of educational and cultural resources for its students, alumni, and citizens of southeastern Pennsylvania. We are a community of educators dedicated to developing graduates who succeed personally and professionally and contribute to the common good.

WCU proudly offers a positive and purposeful work environment; comprehensive employee benefits including health, vision, and dental insurance along with generous retirement plans; many wellness programs; a commitment to work-life balance including generous paid vacation, paid sick time, military leave and paid time off for most major holidays; and a University mission to support employee personal and professional growth including a tuition waiver for self and family members, training and development, and advancement opportunities. 

The Division of Finance and Business Services provides a wide range of support functions that are vital to the operation of the University and to the success of students, faculty, and staff. The division strives to provide timely, accurate and meaningful financial information and advice to the University community to support management decision-making, and to demonstrate fiscal responsibility, accountability, and regulatory compliance to the University's constituents.  

Reporting to the Director of Business Services, the Manager of Construction Procurement works with members of the WCU Facilities Division to determine the proper acquisition strategy and confirms the proper contract form and format are used; conducts "risk assessments" of anticipated contract procurement to ensure the proper safeguards and protection for the University are in place; participates in the pre-bid, electronic bidding, bid evaluation, and award phases of the acquisition process to ensure compliance with Commonwealth statutes, system manual procedures, University policies and advice and direction from legal counsel; prepares, processes and reviews procurement documents;   and verifies that the project closeout procedures have been completed for all contracts at the completion of the work. This position manages the full lifecycle of procurement policies and collaborates with internal and external partners to ensure fiscal responsibility and compliance with procurement policies. 

The ideal candidate will demonstrate experience working with construction projects and knowledge of public bidding requirements including projects that involve prevailing wages; the ability to communicate and collaborate with a diverse campus community including vendors, staff, faculty, and other campus partners; and the ability to work independently,  problem solve and manage multiple priorities with excellent attention to detail in a high-volume, and deadline driven environment.

Responsibilities include:

• Operationalize and enforce contractual procurement policies in the procurement of feasibility, design, and construction services for projects of alteration, construction, repair, maintenance, and renovation of facilities
• Supervise the Construction Procurement Contract Specialist
• Participate in meetings including planning meetings, committees, pre-bid conferences, and bid evaluation meetings
• Preparation and processing schedules
• Select proper contract forms and develop procurement strategies 
• Solicit Prevailing Wage determination from Dept. of Labor & Industry, if required
• Advertise solicitations in specialized trade publications and appropriate internet websites
• Assist project managers to develop general requirements, bid form, table of contents, liquidated damage amounts, and notice to contractors
• Assemble bid packages, including the preparation and issuance of solicitation documents
• Accept requests for and release/transmit bid packages to prospective bidders, bidder exchanges, and other interested parties
• Prepare and issue addendums
• Conduct public bid openings and evaluate bid proposals for responsiveness and responsibility, coordination, negotiations, and withdrawals
• Investigate and respond to bid protests
• Obtain performance, payment, maintenance and other required bonds and insurance certifications
• Issue Award notices
• Prepare and route final contract through the review (signatory) cycle executed agreement by contractor, University approving authorities, System authorities, Attorney General's Office, General Counsel's Office
• Issue notices to proceed
• Process change orders, amendments and fiscal adjustments
• Investigate and respond to claims, protests, disputes
• Implement and manage open-ended professional and construction contracts
• Collaborate with Facilities to identify the needs of each area regarding open-ended agreements
• Attend training workshops to achieve and maintain the Institutional Contracting Authority Level l of PASSHE Facilities Project Authority
• Other duties as assigned

• Bachelor's degree 
• Five years of competitive procurement contracting experience 
• Experience working with federal, state, and local officials
• Experience working with architectural and engineering firms, and construction contractors 
• Proficiency using Microsoft Office Suite

• Knowledge of Public Fund Policies
• Knowledge of Ethics Standards related to construction projects
• Knowledge of Basic Contract Law and Negotiations
• Excellent written communication skills
• Experience using Microsoft Excel to create complex reports and manage data
• SAP/ BI/ SourcePoint experience
• Bidding systems experience (PennBid, Discovery)

About West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester University (WCU) of Pennsylvania is among the top regional comprehensive public universities in the nation, serving more than 17,500 students at the undergraduate and graduate levels with a national reputation for excellence, value, and student success. Founded in 1871 as an institute for teacher preparation, West Chester offers more than 118 undergraduate and 103 graduate programs in more than 50 fields of study. In addition to the main campus in West Chester, the University offers programs through its graduate center, the Philadelphia campus, and online. Five colleges and two schools comprise the University: Colleges of Arts and Humanities, Business and Public Management, Education and Social Work, Health Sciences, and the Sciences and Mathematics, as well as the School of Music, and the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies. Located in Chester County (25 miles from downtown Philadelphia) the area combines the best of enjoyable daily living with easy access to the full spectrum of country and city attractions. We are a community of educators dedicated to developing graduates who succeed personally and professionally and contribute to the common good.

Connections working at West Chester University of Pennsylvania