Work in Washington Veterans Jobs

Req #: 240020

Department: UW FACILITIES: BUSINESS DIVERSITY & EQUITY

Appointing Department Web Address: https://businessdiversity.uw.edu/

Job Location Detail: UW Tower: 4333 Brooklyn Ave NE; eligible for remote/hybrid work

Posting Date: 01/06/2025

Closing Info: Closes On 01/21/2025

Salary: $5810 - $6667 per month

Shift: First Shift

Notes: As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website, click here. (https://hr.uw.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/02/benefits-professional-staff-librarians-academic-staff-20230119_a11y.pdf)

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

UW Facilities (UWF) is one of the largest and most diverse administrative units on the Seattle campus supporting a large urban campus. UWF manages the University’s buildings, infrastructure and land, with more than 1,100 employees in a variety of fields. Our teams can be organized into four main groups: Finance & Administration, Asset Management, Operations, and Business Intelligence. UWF Finance & Administration provides financial, procurement and sourcing, human resources, and communications leadership to all of UW Facilities (UWF).

Finance & Administration has an outstanding opportunity for a Business Diversity Outreach Specialist .

Reporting to the Director of UW Facilities Procurement & Business Diversity, within the Business, Diversity and Equity Program, Specialist will also work closely with the Business Diversity and Equity Program Manager (BDEPM), providing extra support for identifying women-and minority-owned business enterprises (WMBE), outreach events, and the development of supplier diversity outreach initiatives.

Position Complexities

UWF is one of the largest and most diverse administrative units on the Seattle campus supporting a large urban university campus. The BD&E program provides subject matter expertise in inclusion of small and diverse businesses in UW’s public procurement and contracting and strives to maximize outreach and engagement to businesses whose ownership is representative of the richly diverse community UW serves. The BD&E Outreach Specialist will serve as frontline communication to inform small, diverse, Veteran-owned, and other historically disadvantaged businesses on how to do business with UW. The BD&E Outreach Specialist will focus on building and fostering relationships with small business community and connecting them with departments and units across all three UW campuses to foster connections and business opportunities, as well as prime contractors who work on UW Facilities capital construction projects.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Work directly with the Director of Finance, Assistant Directors of Finance, and Senior Analysts to provide financial analysis and reporting on various UWF projects, with an emphasis on Minor Capital.

Supplier Management and Outreach (50%)

• Performs the identification, outreach and inclusion of contractors and vendors, with specific focus on small, minority and women business enterprises (MWBE) in the procurement of supplies and services. • Plan, budget, and manage UW Business Diversity outreach events. Regular and routine review of effectives of outreach plans. Determine if outreach efforts are effectively resulting in new contracts for small businesses, or an increase in small business utilization. • Implements best practices across UW units to increase minority participation in contracting and other business • Meets with potential suppliers and community organizations representing local businesses to encourage participation in UW business opportunities • Work with BDE partners to creates, develop and implement supplier diversity initiatives and MWBE procurement goals • Work with UW BD&E team to conduct quarterly and annual UW spend analysis to determine business opportunities for small businesses. This role will use standard KPIs such as % of total spend, dollar amount of spend, and spend by commodity or spend category to justify annual goals. • Attend, volunteer, and/or present workshops at community outreach events. Represent UW on outreach events planning committees, collaborating with peer agencies. • Document and manage outreach efforts in the state B2Now system. Include continuous efforts to attend new and different events. • Assist in determining the best use of UW resources for outreach efforts, including which events to attend, professional memberships and participation for small business advocacy group, public advertisements. • Advise Director and BD&E Program Manager on business efforts and how to include on executive and Board-level reports. • Represent UW at meetings with industry partners or small business advocacy organizations • Work with OMWBE to continuously receive and disseminate information on newly state certified firms to campus buyers

Procurement Support (25%)

• Collaborate with UW Facilities, UW Procurement Services, and UW Medicine on small/diverse supplier community engagement and inclusion in business opportunities • Support BD&E Program Manager in reviewing and discussing individual UW department spend with campus stakeholders. Assist campus partners with connecting with the right WMBE and small suppliers based on their spend and business needs. • Attend UW supplier orientations meetings • Participate and plan meetings and/or events highlighting bid advertisements and upcoming business opportunities. Events may be virtual, on-campus, or off-site. • Send targeted emails/communications for business opportunities in construction, consulting, supplies, and other solicitations. • Design and develop communication materials such as website, flyers, and promotional materials to market the BDE program to various sectors of the business community.

Compliance and Technical Support (25%)

• Assist small businesses with general questions about doing business with UW. This role will provide technical support to potential small suppliers on how to earn business UW, while balancing UW and state procurement guidelines for open and fair competition • Promoting established best practices for supplier diversity, especially use of outreach strategies in inclusion plans, monitoring KPI's, and adherence to the current and future UW Diversity Blueprint • Provides specific strategies for increasing business and spending with WMBE firms, which currently represents 2% of our total spend. • Monitor compliance with small business participation goals as needed • Assist campus partners with reporting on small business utilization and goals • Maintain information on BD&E website. • Other duties as assigned.

Core Competencies

• Demonstrate personal integrity and trustworthiness. • Manage stressful situations and changing priorities effectively. • Anticipate, recognize and resolve problems. • Be responsible and accountable. • Use organizational skills and provide attention to details. • Maintain a positive, optimistic, and success-oriented attitude. • Exercise professionalism, which includes being tactful and courteous. • Exhibit a professional work ethic. • Continuously promote a safe work environment.

Requirements include:

• Bachelor’s Degree. • Three or more years' experience working in procurement, finance, supplier outreach or other role involving regular contact with vendors / suppliers. Other combination of experience/education involving DEI efforts may be considered. • Proficient user of Microsoft Office software suite. • Excellent written and oral communication skills. • Excellent public speaking skills. • High degree of professionalism, integrity and a commitment to equity and inclusion.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

Desired:

• Experience working with outreach to underserved communities. • Experience with supplier management, procurement, contracting, and/or small business mentorship preferred • Event planning and/or meeting management experience a plus.

Conditions of Employment:

• Must be able to work in a non-smoking environment. • Regular and predictable attendance is required.

Application Process:

You will be asked to submit your responses (in a separate “Supplemental Questions Assessment” to the following (limited to 7900 characters):“1. Why do you feel it is important for organizations to be intentional in their efforts to support small, local, and disadvantaged businesses? Please feel free to share examples from your experience.2. Please explain how you education, experience, and/or interests make you a good candidate for this position.”

The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter or Supplemental Questions and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, among other things, race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.