BDI CONSULTANT
POSITION SUMMARY

The BDI (Business Diversity & Inclusion) Consultant is responsible for the coordination of supplier diversity and inclusion policies, guidelines, and procedures. The role serves as a vital liaison between Mecklenburg County and the business community, focusing on identifying diverse businesses/MWSBEs and providing supportive services through consultations, outreach, and training.
The workload is centered on managing a portfolio of projects and opportunities which may include architecture and engineering, construction, services, and/or goods, through planning, outreach, bidding, contract administration, and compliance auditing, monitoring, stakeholder engagement, dispute resolution, reporting, process improvement, etc. The consultant advises management on data analysis and research results and recommends adjustments to policies, procedures, processes, and practices. As a proven leader, the BDI consultant delivers services to diverse communities and manages special projects as assigned.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Technical Assistance: Assist firms with navigating certifications, vendor registration, and other processes required to do business with the County and other entities.
Compliance & Monitoring: Track, monitor, analyze, and report project and contractor utilization and contract compliance systems and spreadsheets to ensure agreement terms are met.
Systems Management: Use and maintain technology systems for project management, program, tracking and reporting.
Data Maintenance: Maintain certified diverse businesses/MWSBE availability list and review bid forecast to determine firm opportunities.
Consultation and Coaching: Provide daily guidance to diverse businesses/MWSBE firms, including one-on-one or group business counseling and capacity building efforts.
Audit & Review: Lead compliance reviews, pre /post-contract award audits, informal mediations, compliant investigations.
Liaison Support: Act as a bridge between prime contractors, subcontractors and service providers.
Inclusion Goals: Assist with setting, monitoring, and enforcing business inclusion participation goals and good faith effort reviews.
Evaluation: Review and evaluate submissions, bids, proposals, and solicitations as part of selection teams.
Community Engagement: Organize and participate in public speaking, presentations, trainings and community meetings to build rapport with the diverse businesses/MWBEs, business community and ecosystem partners throughout Mecklenburg County and occasionally outside of the County, which may include days and hours outside of the normal business day.
Market Awareness: Review bid notices and create promotional efforts to increase awareness of purchasing and contract opportunities.
Field Work: Travel frequently to meetings and project site locations, which may include days and hours outside of the normal business day
Operational Integrity: Identify barriers to contractor opportunities and implement plans to address them while ensuring compliance with Federal, State. and Local procedures.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Experience: Two years of related professional experience.
Education: Bachelor's degree
Combination of relevant education and relevant experience accepted? Yes
Licenses and Certifications: N/A
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 1-3 years’ experience in project management, purchasing/procurement/contract management, supplier diversity, diversity programs, and small business consulting
• Excellent written, oral and interpersonal skills
• Strong communication and collaborative skills with other team members and departments
• Self-motivated work habits and the ability to work independently as well as work effectively with all members of a technical project team
• Has a passion for working with diverse communities
• Bilingual proficiency in Spanish

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

• Principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction
• Business and management principles involved in strategic planning, project management, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources
• Structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar
• Principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems
• Modern office practices, procedures, and equipment
• Maintaining confidentiality
• Research principles

Skilled in:

• Using patience, tenacity, and grit to communicate and lead effectively and efficiently
• Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times
• Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Talking to others to convey information effectively
• Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions
• Building and leading talented, creative, productive, high-energy, collaborative and diverse teams
• Building trust and creating followership across the organization
• Making others around them better
• Leading and facilitating change
• Thinking critically
• Learning technology and new processes quickly
• Solving problems and making important decisions quickly
• Communicating effectively verbally and in writing
• Planning - operating, strategic, long-range visioning
• Coaching and managing performance
• Multi-tasking and time management with a focus on deadlines

Abilities:

• Collaboration – Working effectively and cooperatively with others; establishing and maintaining good working relationships
• Managing Work – Effectively managing one’s time and resources to ensure that work is completed efficiently
• Building Strategic Relationships – Developing and using collaborative relationships to facilitate the accomplishment of work goals.
• Adaptability – Maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment; adjusting effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements or cultures.
• Information Monitoring - Setting up ongoing procedures to collect and review information needed to manage an organization or ongoing activities within it.
• Build Customer Loyalty - Effectively meet customer needs; build productive customer relationships
• Quality Assurance - Accomplish tasks by considering all areas involved, no matter how small; show concern for all aspects of the job; accurately check progress, processes, and tasks
• Contribute to Team Success - Actively participate to move the team toward successful completion of a goal
• Stress Tolerance - Maintain stable performance under pressure or opposition; handle stress in a manner that is acceptable to others and to the organization
• Creativity - Be creative and innovate in your approach, solution, and recommendations
• Communication - Clearly conveys information and ideas through a variety of media to individuals or groups in a manner that engages the audience and helps them understand and retain the message
• Customer Focus - Ensures that the customer perspective is a driving force behind business decisions and activities; crafts and implements service practices that meet customers’ and own organization’s needs.
• Decision Making - Identifies and understands issues, problems, and opportunities; compares data from different sources to draw conclusions; uses effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; takes action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, and probable consequences.
• Driving for Results - Sets high goals for personal and group accomplishment; uses measurement methods to monitor progress toward goals; tenaciously works to meet or exceed goals while deriving satisfaction from that achievement and continuous improvement.
• Planning and Organizing - Establishes courses of action for self and others to ensure that work is completed efficiently.
• Managing Conflict - Deals effectively with others in an adversarial situation; uses appropriate interpersonal styles and methods to reduce tension or conflict between two or more people.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

In addition to a competitive salary, Mecklenburg County offers a generous benefits package which greatly increases your total compensation. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life, short term disability, long term disability, accident, cancer, critical illness, medical bridge and pet insurance; dependent care, healthcare and commuter flexible spending accounts; health savings account; paid holiday, vacation and sick days; near site clinics for preventive care and illnesses; an employee discount program which provides discounts for retail, dining, shopping, travel, tickets and more; an employee assistance program including financial and legal counseling; access to Mecklenburg County fitness and aquatic facilities; paid family leave; tuition reimbursement; a 5% employer match on retirement savings plan contributions and a defined benefit plan for retirement.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT

To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.