Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To supervise and lead the capital contract tendering process for the Ministry in compliance with related policy, standards and procedures.
To provide authoritative advice and guidance on capital contract tendering.
To participate in Section/Contract Management Office planning, decision-making, change, review and problem-solving.

Duties / Responsibilities :

1. Supervision & Leadership
- Participates in Section planning, resource estimating, operational decision making, review and problem-solving.
- Controls the deployment of allocated resources for the tendering process.
- Provides management with timely statistics, analyses, reports and recommendations regarding tendering.
- Provides technical supervision and leadership, including: providing orientation, training and development; assigning and scheduling work; monitoring work progress, resolving problems and providing guidance; and providing technical input to performance standards and performance assessments.

2. Tendering Operations & Framework
- Reviews tender documents prior to advertising to ensure quality (e.g. appropriate format, integrity of process, etc.), consulting within the Ministry as necessary, and making authoritative recommendations regarding acceptability and release of tenders.
- Controls the bid inquiry process and ensures timely, appropriate responses.
- Supervises the opening and publishing of bids, ensuring the confidentiality of contractors' sensitive information.
- Manages the award and signing process for successful bids.
- Manages internal audits and investigations (e.g. to clarify and resolve errors or omissions during tendering); assesses and makes authoritative recommendations for remedial/preventative action; and supervises and co-ordinates their implementation (e.g. cancellation, withdrawal of tenders, addenda, deadline extensions, etc.).
- Prioritises, co-ordinates, monitors, provides solutions, and ensures continuous improvement of tendering operations to ensure operational fairness, efficiency and effectiveness.
- Develops, recommends and implements the approved framework of tendering policies, standards and procedures, and ensures compliance.
- Consults with other Branch/Ministry stakeholders/partners to ensure co-ordination, timeliness, completeness, consistency and alignment in tendering frameworks and operations.
- Ensures the usefulness, efficiency and effectiveness of IT applications for tendering purposes (e.g. electronic bulletin board).
3. Expertise
- Provides the Ministry, interprovincial/federal counterparts, contractors, municipalities, etc. with technical engineering expertise and authoritative interpretations relating to MTO tendering.
- Leads and/or participates on committees, work groups, etc. to provide functional leadership, expert interpretations, opinions and advice.
- Develops, recommends, implements and ensures compliance with approved policy, standards and procedures for capital contract tendering.
- Remains apprised of current tendering practices and trends.

4. Relationship Management
- Develops and sustains harmonious working relationships with internal and external contacts at all levels.
- Represents the Ministry as a member of internal and external committees and work groups, and at professional/industry events and fora.
- Manages issues (e.g. provides expertise to respond to contractor challenges regarding tender documents, information and practices).

5. Undertakes special projects.

Knowledge :

- Comprehensive expertise in contemporary tendering operations; principles and application of highway construction related technology (e.g. civil, electrical, structural and architectural), and construction materials, testing, principles, practices, standards and trends; Ministry construction and design operations; and related legislation and jurisprudence, (e.g. re contracting/contract management, FIPPA, ODA), codes, agreements, policies, standards, practices, systems, procedures and methods, to ensure the quality and completeness of the function's deliverables, expert advisory services, and operating framework.
- Knowledge of the qualification process, Ministry organization and functions, and administrative and technical policies, procedures and practices to support decision-making and business relationships, and ensure compliance.
- Attention to detail, and analytical, evaluation and problem solving skills to ensure the integrity of tender document formats/process and make authoritative recommendations; assess deficiencies in bidders' tendered contracts; prepare addenda to tenders/contracts; analyse financial and technical information to provide authoritative information for contract administration; and interpret and advise on contract documents and the legal responsibilities of the contractor and Ministry.
- Work planning, prioritising, review, problem-solving and quality assurance skills to ensure the design and delivery of tendering operations and services that meet QA and fairness standards; achieve critical deadlines; comply with legislation and policy; and align with related areas.
- Supervisory and administrative skills to provide efficient and effective leadership for tendering personnel and to support change.
- Relationship management and all-round communication skills to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external contacts at different levels; prepare policies, official correspondence, reports and recommendations; make presentations; represent the Ministry and provide authoritative interpretations, advice and information for very diverse audiences.
- Proficiency with available customised databases and common office software to produce policies, correspondence, reports and recommendations; perform highly specialised technical research and analyses; track and manage work; and co-ordinate function's activities with other areas.

Judgement :

Work is performed under the general direction of the Head, Capital Award. Completed work is accepted as authoritative and is reviewed for compliance with related legislation, agreements, policies, practices and standards.

Judgement is required to:
- Review and approve/reject tender documents prior to advertising, and determine when to consult with other branches.
- Ensure appropriate responses to inquiries pertaining to contracts during the tendering period.
- Assess the impacts of tendering errors and omissions on the subject tender and related tenders and contracts, and provide authoritative solutions and advice that ensure compliance, integrity, fairness, efficiency and effectiveness.
- Assess tendering-related information (e.g. technical, legal, financial, administration) to provide authoritative interpretations, advice and recommendations, etc.
- Determine how to conduct internal audits and investigations, and assess/recommend best options as a result of findings. Ensure the protection of contractors' private information.
- Provide technical supervision, develop and motivate staff, including providing technical input to the selection process, setting priorities, managing technical performance and supporting change.
- Develop, recommend and implement changes to the function's operating framework of policies, standards, systems, procedures, etc., ensuring their legality, integrity and integration with related frameworks.

Accountability - Programs :

- Ensuring the integrity, timeliness, quality and completeness of the Ministry's capital and maintenance contract tendering process and formats.
- Providing authoritative advice, interpretation and functional expertise that influence internal and external decision-making and commitments(e.g. providing technical and process responses to enquiries from senior officials in the Ministry, municipalities and/or construction companies regarding tenders during the tendering period).
- Ensuring the provision of legal and practical technical and administrative solutions that directly affect the integrity and compliance of tender processes, such as assessing need for and preparing addenda during the tendering period..

Accountability – Personnel :

- Supervising the tendering staff, including: orienting, training, development, granting time off, managing technical performance, and recommending merits.

Accountability - Finance and Materials :

- Participating in Section strategic and Results-based Planning and reviews.
- Developing plans and estimates, and controlling fiscal and material resources, and authorising payments (e.g. for publications).
- Ensuring confidentiality of contractors' private information

Accountability - Impact of Errors :

- Ineffective decisions and advice could result in excessive construction costs, inefficient use of Ministry resources, loss of credibility with the construction industry and embarrassment to the Ministry.
- Technical and administrative errors and advice could adversely effect the achievement of the Ministry's construction and maintenance programs (e.g. create delays that impact on related operations and projects; set undesirable legal and process precedents in tendering and contracting; result in exclusion from bidding and/or financial hardship for contractors), and cause significant embarrassment for the Ministry/Government.
- Failure to ensure complete confidentiality of highly sensitive personal and business competition information could render contractors vulnerable to unfair market practices and leave the Ministry open to law suits.

Contact - Internal :

- Frequent contact with managers up to the ADM level and specialists in wide variety of related areas (e.g. estimating, engineering claims, qualification control, regional planning and design, regional construction, procurement), to interpret tendering policies and contracts, provide authoritative advice and recommendations, consult and exchange information, co-ordinate and resolve problems.
- Chairs and/or participates as an expert on various MTO committees, task forces and work groups.

Contact - External :

- Daily contact with colleagues, associates, engineers and senior officials of municipalities, other OPS ministries, Federal departments, consulting firms and construction companies to exchange information, resolve mutual problems and provide authoritative advice on MTO's tendering/contracting policies and processes, and specific tenders/contracts as appropriate.
- Regularly participates as an expert and represents the Ministry on a variety of external committees, task forces and work groups, and makes presentations at industry fora.
- Maintains contact with contacts and professionals in the industry to remain current with trends, developments and issues.