- Originally Aired
- September 25, 2015
- Event Type
- Webinars
- Presented By
- Lesley Field
- Location
- online
- Recordings
- Movie Audio Other
Federal contracting officers help the government buy nearly half a trillion dollars’ worth of goods and services every year – from paper to engineering services to aircraft carriers. Contracting officers work with agencies to negotiate complex deals on behalf of the American people; successful officers need strong analytical abilities, interpersonal skills, and writing talent, in order to develop acquisition strategies, substantiate contracting decisions, evaluate proposals and awards, and manage contracts. Lesley Field (Com ’90), from the Office of Management and Budget, discusses the opportunities that a career in federal contracting offers, and gives examples of how the right people – and a little innovation – can make all the difference. This webinar, and pursuit of a career in federal contracting, is suitable for all ranges of experience.
About Lesley Field
Lesley Anne Field (Com ’90) is the Deputy Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Executive Office of the President, and has served as the Acting Administrator periodically since September 2008. Prior to joining OMB, Lesley served at the U.S. Department of Transportation as a contracting officer and procurement policy analyst in the Office of the Secretary. She received her Bachelor of Science in Commerce from the University of Virginia, her Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Virginia Tech, and she completed the Senior Executive Fellows Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Ms. Field is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, and a winner of the Fed 100 Award.
Ms. Field led the government’s acquisition workforce professionalization efforts to develop the core standards for qualifications, training, and development that are now used by all civilian agency contracting officers, program managers, and contracting officer’s representatives. She also led the development of the government’s first generation of strategic sourcing policies and practices, and continues to lead multiple efforts to further leverage the government’s buying power and reduce duplication through OMB’s Category Management Leadership Council.