Senior Purchase Card Consultant

The Senior Purchase Card Consultant is responsible for providing leadership, guidance, and technical and regulatory expertise to the Purchase Card Analysts in conducting their oversight role for the NIH Purchase Card Program.  Responsibilities also include providing support services to the NIH Agency Program Coordinator and serving as the Team Lead for the On-Site Review Method for assessing compliance to be conducted annually on 10% of the cardholders (CH) and card approving officials (CAO) as described below.

The Senior Purchase Card Consultant is responsible for assisting the NIH Agency Program Coordinator (A/OPC) in the coordination and program administration of various support activities including: revising, updating, and implementing NIH Purchase Card policies and guidelines including updating the NIH Purchase Card Supplement and Standard Operating Procedures and other NIH Purchase Card documentation; attending and assisting with coordinating and planning the monthly NIH Institute and Centers (ICs) Purchase Card Coordinator's Meetings; preparing briefing materials and presentations required by the A/OPC; assisting in special reviews and in documenting and preparing responses to the OMB, the GAO, the GSA, the DHHS, the OIG, the NIH Office of Management and Assessment, and other external and internal entities; assisting the NIH Purchase Card Program Office in developing and updating training materials in accordance with the OMB Circular A-123, Appendix B Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act; assisting with other Purchase Card training not run by the NIH Training Office such as online Refresher Purchase Card Training, Training for NIH IC Purchase Card Coordinators, and training for Card Approving Officials.

 The Senior Purchase Card Consultant assists the Senior Manager in developing the monthly report and annual report deliverables required by the NIH Purchase Card Program.

The Senior Purchase Card Consultant is responsible for conducting an annual On-Site Review on 10% of the CHs and CAOs by coordinating and implementing a detailed review of for the selected CHs and CAOs on all purchases made by the respective CH and CAO within a three (3) month period.  Briefly, the On-Site Review Method consists of the following:
The major tasks of the Senior Consultant for the On-Site Review Method are:

- Selection and Scheduling of Compliance Reviews:  Responsible for providing to NIH a proposed schedule for compliance reviews and obtaining NIH Purchase Card Program approval including any proposed travel.

- Conduct IC Entrance Conference: Responsible for contacting the IC Purchase Card Coordinator to discuss the upcoming reviews within their IC and address any known concerns with the respective IC.

- Perform the Cardholder/Card Approving Official Review:  Responsible for performing the reviews using the NIH Purchase Card Checklist and/or CAO Checklist.   Document findings of non-compliance by gathering supporting documentation while on-site from CH and/or CAO purchase card files.

- Perform Exit Briefings with Cardholder/Card Approving Official:  Responsible for performing an exit briefing with the CH/CAO to discuss preliminary findings and provide justification of proposed findings to be in final report.

- Finalized Review Report:  Responsible for preparing and submitting individual standardized letters describing all instances of non-compliance to the NIH Purchase Card Program Office for approval.  Responsible for issuing all review reports within 30 calendar days from actual review date.

- IC Debriefing:  Responsible for preparing a summary report of the findings and scheduling a briefing to include the IC Purchase Card Coordinator, Contractor and Agency Program Coordinator or COR.  Responsible for facilitating and participating in the briefing.