Release Date: September 22,2020
Mayor Horrigan Now Accepting Applications for the Newly-Created Contract Compliance and Supplier Diversity Officer Position
Akron, Ohio, Sept. 22, 2020 — In June of this year, Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan released the City of Akron Procurement and Inclusion Report to Akron City Council and the Akron community. The report was the result of 18 months of research and comparative analysis aimed at developing strategies to increase access to opportunity for minority-owned, women-owned, disadvantaged, and local businesses looking to do business with the City of Akron. One recommendation that came from the report was to recruit and hire a Contract Compliance and Supplier Diversity Officer to develop a business program which reflects municipal best practices. After months of additional research, a job description has been developed, and qualified applicants can now apply.
“I strongly believe that this position will help to increase access to opportunity and eliminate some of the institutional barriers that previously existed in our procurement process,” said Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan. “We know that our local minority-owned and disadvantaged businesses offer high quality products and services, but often face challenges breaking into new markets. The creation of this position is one step in creating lasting, equitable change in our community and I'm happy to be working towards a more diverse and inclusive City government.”
The Contract Compliance and Supplier Diversity Officer will establish and direct the overall Supplier Diversity program direction in both the Purchasing and Engineering Divisions. They will also manage the review of contracts, projects and plans, and development of policies and programs to enhance opportunity for small, local, and minority businesses. They will establish goals and other metrics for procurement, contracting and subcontracting with the City of Akron’s Disadvantaged/Minority/Women Business Enterprise (D/M/WBE) programs.
The successful candidate should have a baccalaureate degree in business, public administration, purchasing, economics or a related field and five years of increasingly responsible professional experience performing procurement, contract compliance, or supplier diversity activities including contract negotiation, development, and administration. For a full list of responsibilities and qualifications, or to apply for the position, please visit the job posting here.
The Contract Compliance and Supplier Diversity Officer is an appointed position. There is no deadline to apply, but applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and interviews will be scheduled, starting October 12, 2020, until the position is filled. The pay will be negotiated based on experience and qualifications.
Please contact Shelley Goodrich, Deputy Director of Finance, at SGoodrich@akronohio.gov or 330-375-2316 with any questions regarding the position.