IT Contracts & Strategic Sourcing Manager

Job Code: 31004043
Salary Grade: DT09
Revision Date: 10/2024

Class Concept

This role is responsible for the strategic development, management, and oversight of the statewide IT procurement function. IT statewide procurement work includes strategic sourcing, contracts and vendor management, and procurement oversight for IT initiatives for all state agencies. Positions in this class supervise professional staff who are responsible for developing, reviewing, analyzing, evaluating, making recommendations to state agencies, and approving IT procurement and strategic sourcing initiatives for the State. Positions within this class typically represent the agency and the State's position to external organizations in relation to statewide IT procurement. Positions within the class assign IT procurement requests and tasks to optimize available strategic resources, utilize technical writing skills and procurement lifecycle knowledge to review and approve documents, and assist with RFP development to meet the objective of implementing the best practices for strategic sourcing. Positions in this class act as experts in the review and analysis of specialized IT procurement issues and procedures. Work includes consulting with agency management staff in budget planning, obtaining contract services, technical consulting services, training, guidance, and recommendations for improving procurement operations, all while ensuring fiscal responsibility. Positions assist in the development of Statewide IT Procurement Office policies and procedures and work with legal counsel to resolve outstanding contractual issues. Positions in this class assist agency upper management with strategic planning, organizing business functions, and quality assurance related to statewide IT procurement.

Recruitment Requirements

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Thorough knowledge of IT purchasing laws, policy, technology systems including automated procurement systems, e-commerce, e-procurement, digital business platforms, and digital collaborative platforms.
• Thorough knowledge of large-scale purchasing methods and procedures in an IT setting and thorough knowledge of sources of supply, market prices, and product characteristics
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to multitask and prioritize while maintaining close attention to detail
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, able to facilitate small and large meetings, comfortably present information, and recommendations in a clear and comprehensive format
• Demonstrates a high degree of initiative and the ability to manage deadlines; multi-task; and adapt well to changing priorities
• Ability to supervise professional IT procurement specialists and serve as a mentor/coach to procurement staff as needed
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with associates, officials, and vendors and ability to lead the execution of the strategic sourcing methodology for high-value, complex requisitions, collaborating with agency leadership, state business leads/owners, project managers, end-users, and other stakeholders as required to ensure procurement related decisions are made in an informed, strategic, and fiscally responsible manner
• Ability to investigate and resolve complaints from agencies and/or departments about products or equipment defects, order fulfillment issues, vendor, and agency invoicing issues
• Ability to coordinate IT bid protest resolutions and contract awards and ability to perform cost and price analysis of software, complex IT Systems, IT professional services, and IT equipment. Identifies total cost of ownership and/or life cycle cost analysis

Minimum Education and Experience

Bachelor's degree in business or related field from an appropriately accredited university and five years of experience in IT or public sector procurement or contracts; or Associate degree in business or related field from an appropriately accredited university and seven years of experience in IT or public sector procurement or contracts; or an equivalent combination of education and experience