Supplier Engagement Coordinator

Join the City of Chattanooga Team

Chattanooga, a vibrant and growing community of over 190,000 residents within a metropolitan area of nearly 600,000 is known as the "Scenic City" for a reason. Nestled along the Tennessee River and surrounded by the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, we are a hub of outdoor adventure and innovation. Home to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and Chattanooga State Community College, our city blends a rich industrial history with a tech-forward future—famously powered by the nation’s first community-wide "Gig" fiber-optic network.​  The City of Chattanooga was also recently designated as a "National Park City,” the first of its kind in the United States.  

Our Organization

As a City, we are powered by a dedicated workforce of approximately ​2,600 employees committed to excellence in public service and making Chattanooga the best community in the country. Our team ensures our city thrives through a wide range of municipal services, including:

• Public Safety: Chattanooga Police and Fire Departments.
• Infrastructure & Utilities: Public Works, Waste Resources, and specialized Stormwater management.
• Quality of Life: Award-winning Parks and Outdoors and Community Development systems and the Chattanooga Public Library.
• Transportation: The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) and citywide transit and pedestrian friendly initiatives.
• Innovation: Leading-edge  smart-city programs with a commitment to cutting edge workforce development policies to ensure all our residents can get ahead.

Why Choose Chattanooga?

The City of Chattanooga’s workforce is the heartbeat of our community. We don't just offer jobs; we offer careers with purpose: making Chattanooga the best city in America. We are committed to being the premier employer of choice in Southeast Tennessee by providing:

• Competitive Compensation: Robust pay scales that reflect our commitment to our staff.
• Work-Life Balance: Generous paid time off and flexible scheduling where possible.
• Exceptional Wellness: Comprehensive health benefits and wellness programs designed for you and your family that deliver savings to you beyond your paycheck, featuring a centralized health clinic and pharmacy for all City employees. .
• Growth: A focus on professional development and upward mobility within the organization.
• ​The Great Outdoors: Your Backyard Playground:  Chattanooga isn't just near nature, it's immersed in it.  As one of the most biodiverse cities in North America, the "Scenic City" offers an ecological richness that few places on earth can claim.  Whether you are an adrenaline junkie or a weekend wanderer, world-class adventure is always less than an hour away.
• ​Vertical Adventures: Scale legendary sandstone cliffs in what is widely considered the premier rock climbing hub of the Southeast.
• Water & Rapids: From the high-octane whitewater kayaking of the Ocoee River to world-class bass fishing and peaceful paddling on the Tennessee River.
• Trails for Miles: Explore a massive network of mountain biking and hiking trails that wind through lush ridges, hidden waterfalls, and deep river gorges.

In Chattanooga, "work-life balance" means you can finish your shift and be at a trailhead or on the water before the sun sets.

Our mission is to work together to build a safe, vibrant, and sustainable city for all Chattanoogans. To do that, it takes a team of skilled and passionate individuals. So, if you’d like to call Chattanooga home – or maybe you already do! – and want to further your career through meaningful work that makes a true impact where you live, we’d love to talk to you.

Salary: $52,517 - $57,437 annually (GS.9)

Work Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. (EST)
*Hours may vary due to work assignments or projects.*

Work Location: 101 E. 11th Street, Chattanooga, TN

FLSA Status: This is an Exempt position.

Department: Finance- Procurement Office

CLASSIFICATION SUMMARY:  

Incumbents in this classification are responsible for managing and facilitating Business Matchmaking initiatives by identifying potential suppliers for buyer demands, creating awareness about bidding opportunities with any potential suppliers, and establishing supplier qualification and interest to supply buyer demands, providing supplier procedural education, and maintaining a contract performance database. Work requires limited supervision and the use of independent judgment and discretion.

SERIES LEVEL: 

The Supply Engagement Coordinator is a stand-alone position.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
(The following duties ARE NOT intended to serve as a comprehensive list of all duties performed by all employees in this classification, only a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.)

Review new bid opportunities on a continuous basis; identify and act upon bid opportunities that require timely attention.

Identify qualified suppliers through a variety of sources, and match with buyer demands.

Encourage suppliers to participate in bidding, through emails, telephone calls and other documented means of communication.

Develop and facilitate systematic supplier education processes.

Manage buyer and supplier inquiries and concerns.

Manage buyer and supplier inquiries and concerns, so that successful bid opportunities may be realized (concluded within the required timeframes).

Build and maintain a good working relationship between the City and the existing supplier community, establishing contacts for key commodities that are able to meet buyer demands within a centralized database.

Facilitate Purchasing Division's portion of any City vendor certification programs.

Update reporting data daily, ensuring that the information is accurate, meaningful and communicated to the applicable employee(s) and/or supervisor(s).

Systematically review and update the City's suppliers' contact information, user information, business categories and email IDs, within the City database(s).

Develop and update related skills and knowledge on a continuous basis; relay relevant updates and available training to other Purchasing employees, as applicable, as well as establish and maintain knowledge reference relationships with regional area purchasing groups.

Participates in/on a variety of meetings, committees and/or other related groups in order to receive and convey information.

Facilitate or assist in the facilitation of Purchasing Division education, training and outreach events.

Monitor performance of City interns allocated to the Purchasing Department; identify and communicate learning needs and areas for improvement to managing City Department (Office of Multicultural Affairs).

Must meet regular attendance requirements.

Must be able to maintain good interpersonal relationships with staff, co-workers, managers and citizens.

Must accomplish the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations, in a timely manner.

Other duties as assigned.

DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC DUTIES (if any):

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Six years of any combination of relevant education, training or experience sufficient to perform the essential duties of the job will be considered. Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration or Finance and two (2) years experience in public- or private-sector purchasing activities such as bidding, responding, negotiating, procedure training, contract management, supplier recruitment and/or maintaining supplier databases, or any combination of equivalent experience and education.

LICENSING AND CERTIFICATIONS:

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

Knowledge of public procurement principles and methods; public relations principles; conflict resolution principles; document composition principles; promotional material development principles; public information principles, and applicable Federal, State and local laws, ordinances, codes, rules, regulations, standards, policies and procedures. 

Skills in public speaking; procedure development; instructional program development and implementation; monitoring budgets; preparing promotional or educational materials; informational survey development; using a computer and related software applications; communication and interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisor, the general public, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Positions in this class typically require: fingering, grasping, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT: 

Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body.  Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Safety Sensitive:  N
Department of Transportation - CDL: N
Child Sensitive: N

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:

This position requires pre-employment screening(s) that include: background check

The City of Chattanooga, Tennessee is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourage both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

JES 3.27.25

KJF