Procurement Officer Chief
Resume:
James W. Novello
Weston, MA
*******@*****.***
Procurement Manager / Sourcing Officer / Buyer Planner
Government Purchasing - Federal Regulations
Highly proficient and results oriented team leader offering high level knowledge and experience in Procurement and Property Management. Proven ability to forecast, develop, plan, and implement comprehensive project and business management objectives. Recognized for a successful track record in organization, development,
and adherence with government compliance initiatives.
Core Competencies
Strategic Sourcing
Department Management/Administration
Budget/Forecast Administration
Financial/Data/Cost Analysis
Team Leadership
Software System Implementation
Development and Implementation of Procurement Policies and Procedures
Process and Project Management
Materials Planning and Management
Presentations/Executive Briefings
Vendor Management/Negotiations
Top Secret Security Clearance
Contract Review
Information Technology Procurement
MBA / Certified Professional Property Specialist / Certification in Purchasing and Materials Management/Massachusetts Certified Public Procurement Official (MCPPO)
Professional Experience
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) 2022-Present
Director of Procurement and Operations
Oversight responsibility of all procurement, contracting, and purchasing functions of MRC, totaling $199 million dollars, as well as the development and implementation of policies and procedures related to these functions. Supervision and support of nine (9) Office of Financial Management and Budget (OFMB) staff and the provision of procurement, contracting and purchasing-related support to all other MRC staff in the Administrative Office, various departments in Community Living, three (3) District Offices, and twenty-one (21) Area Offices.
Key Aspects:
Act as the key liaison to all oversight and regulatory agencies including Executive Offices of Health and Human Services. (EOHHS), Operational Services Division (OSD), and Office of the Comptroller (CTR), as well as to sister agencies such as Department of Disability Services (DDS), Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB), Department of Mental Health (DMH), Department of Children & Families (DCF), and MassHealth in collaborative efforts to develop more efficient and effective approaches for the Commonwealth's procurement, contracting and purchasing activities.
Responsible for overseeing the Commonwealth's prequalification and registration processes for MRC vendors, as well as oversight of duties related to ongoing financial health of the contracted providers.
Oversee MRC's IT and commodity purchasing activities, and the supervision of two (2) employees functioning as the IT liaison for the agency, addressing facilities related items and inventory management. This includes oversight of the Associate Director of Administration and Finance, and the areas of agency health and safety, IT and facilities, and asset management.
Ensure the Agency's procurement, contracting, and purchasing activities comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and standards and lead the development of internal controls, policies, processes and procedures that ensure compliance with all applicable requirements and oversee all related training and technical assistance efforts.
University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA 2017 – 2022
Category Manager
Manage procurement and sourcing policies and activities, including overseeing specific contracts. Adherence to State and University Procurement Protocol. Conduct market research, create estimates and forecasts, and identify cost reduction strategies. Train, and manage users of procurement process. Regularly review and negotiate vendor contracts to mitigate risk to the University and to ensure goods and services are provided on time, at fair market prices and in compliance with State and Federal regulations.
Key Aspects:
Development and enforcement of procedures pertaining to the use of the University procurement system BuyWays to procure all materials, supplies, equipment.
Prepare public solicitations including request for proposals, request for qualifications and request for quotes, including:
Developed scoring methodology and evaluation criteria associated with requests for proposals and qualifications.
Assist Finance Department with maintenance of current inventory listing and inventory / supply catalogue(s).
Recently completed work with Communications Department in Advertising campaign to attract students to matriculate at the University.
Developed cost saving measures for goods purchases with savings of approximately 10-15 %, through University contracts and usage of purchasing consortiums, electronic ordering process.
Monitoring and updating Procurement Policy according to changes in compliance with Massachusetts state procurement laws.
Procurement of Information Technology related goods and services. Analysis, review, and implementation of a University solicitation for value added resellers and manufacturers to determine the best value, based on price, technology, supply, and service. Analysis involving campus constituent participation in development and proposal development to incorporate specific department requirements for research and administrative purposes. Garnered a 25% reduction in cost, a continued stream of supply, and uninterrupted service to University cohorts leveraging s significant level of business. Outcome also facilitated a consolidation of sources to effectively service University needs.
Lowell Housing Authority, Lowell, MA 2016 – 2017
Chief Procurement Officer
Direct all procurement activities including the purchase of all materials, supplies, equipment, and contractual services. Responsible for the inventory of expendable and non-expendable items, developing policies and procedures for Property Management, Facilities and Capital Planning, and ensures compliance with state and federal procurement laws. Plays key role in assisting the Chief Financial Officer with the development of budgets and expense control, also assist with special projects at the direction of the Executive Director.
Key Aspects:
Established procedures and statutory requirements to procure all materials, supplies, equipment, and contractual services including design and construction for the Authority.
Prepare all public solicitations including request for proposals, request for qualifications and request for quotes, including:
Preparation of all ancillary materials in conjunction with competitive solicitations including advertising, vendor communications, required forms, et al.
Developed scoring methodology and evaluation criteria associated with requests for proposals and qualifications.
Assist Finance Department with maintenance of current inventory listing and inventory / supply catalogue(s).
Oversee inspection of materials, supplies, equipment and services for quality, quantity and conformance with specifications and/or scope of work.
Oversee the administration of a central storage warehouse and the related receipt and disbursement of materials and project stock.
Develop efficiencies and cost saving measures that include; bulk purchasing, Just-In-Time delivery services, drop
shipments, usage of purchasing consortiums, streamlined requisitioning processes, electronic ordering and communications, preferred vendor listings.
Monitoring and updating Procurement Policy for the Authority to ensure compliance with state and federal procurement laws.
DRAPER LABORATORY, CAMBRIDGE, MA 2013 – 2015
Property Supervisor 2014 – 2015
Buyer 2013 – 2014
Managed vendor contracting and proposal development with IT architects, business, finance, procurement, legal units to acquire software, hardware or service resources. Supervised, managed, and trained staff ensuring best practices and compliance. In the procurement role, negotiated service level agreements, licensing agreements, and assigning compliance levels.
Key Aspects:
Developed, organized and lead successful compliance initiative obtaining a favorable property system rating by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) and met the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). This rating allowed Draper to pursue government and commercial business opportunities without further scrutiny by outside auditing agencies.
Established asset database system checks that ensured property records were in accordance with all federal agency requirements for record management posed by auditing agencies such as DCMA and Defense Contract Auditing Agency (DCAA).
Completed annual inventory company and government owned assets with a minimum of 98% accuracy rating. Designed an inventory process to record, capture equipment and train staff that successfully achieved compliance and reporting measures of the DCMA and DCAA.
Team Lead for multi-disciplinary project to establish communication network within organization to streamline RFP process, vendor contracting and awarding. Optimized interoperability of communication network within organization to ensure effective decision-making process throughout the company. Due to better more effective communication, decision making process was significantly enhanced as a result.
MITRE CORPORATION, BEDFORD, MA 2000 - 2013
Property Administrator 2003 – 2013
Senior Buyer 2000 - 2003
Administered assets via system software to ensure accuracy for business operations use in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation and American Society of Testing and Measurement Standards. Lead contact for Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) and Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). Serve as point of contact for specific issues related to company and government owned property throughout the project lifecycle. Administered and processed critical purchases adhering to procurement protocol, and FAR requirements.
Key Aspects:
Team lead for planning and organizing internal and external surveillance audits of property system. Consistently and accurately oversaw equipment listed was properly designated in the property database. The result was clean and clear records which with backup needed to support claim of a 98% inventory record accuracy in database.
Increased the throughput of replacement equipment by 90% by devising a tracking tool to monitor and provide regular status updates of lifecycle equipment to end users. A pivot table was devised from an Access database to track equipment and time frames -this graphical tool significantly reduced the amount of losses by 10-15%
As Lead Buyer, reduced equipment costs by 20-30% and lowered overall project tasks by identifying strategic suppliers in vendor pipeline and selecting partners with lowest total cost to the organization based on price, delivery, quality, delivery, and service. These pre-screened “Tier 1” suppliers were identified as strategic sources of supply and utilized internally for purchasing throughout the company.
BDX CORPORATION, BEDFORD, MA
Buyer/Planner 1996-2000
Administered company procurement function as a purchasing agent combining the talents of a buyer and production planner. Ensure materials are being purchased at cost and quantity to meet requirements in the production process. Contribute to the overall business model to ensure that the enterprise is competitively positioned in its marketplace.
Key Aspects:
Key member of ISO 9001 implementation and certification team. Organized, developed, and published purchasing department standard operating procedures. Lead auditor during initial phase of certification process. Main point of contact for purchasing operation during ISO audit. Organization’s first division to be awarded certification and gained recognition company – wide.
Led purchasing team responsible setting raw material costs and annual forecasts of finished goods. Established the annual demand management parameters that set the groundwork for the development of a cost model to set competitively positioned product costs.
Education/Certification
Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) - University of Phoenix, June 2008
Bachelor of Arts and Sciences, Major-Economics - Boston College, Boston, Ma
Certification in Purchasing & Materials Management - Northeastern University, Boston, MA
Certified Professional Property Administrator - National Property Management Association
Certified Professional Property Specialist - National Property Management Association
Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Officer – Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Board Affiliations/Leadership
Past President; Membership and Finance Committee Chairperson
National Property Management Association – North Atlantic Chapter
Member – Institute of Supply Chain Management – Greater Boston
Treasurer, Massachusetts Chapter American Society of Public Administration
Treasurer, Knights of Columbus, St John Vianney Council, Winchester, MA
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