Special Assistant; Director IT Procurement Services - VID

duties description

under the direction of the deputy chief procurement officer (dcpo), the incumbent serves as a senior leader responsible for the strategic oversight, execution, and modernization of the state’s centralized technology procurement portfolio. The incumbent leads enterprise-wide procurement activities related to technology contracts – including hardware, software, cloud, software as a service (saas), and related services – and supports the development and implementation of procurement policies, sourcing strategies, contract management practices, and management systems.

This role carries significant responsibility for driving procurement transformation through digitization, standardization, and the implementation of an enterprise eprocurement platform.

specific duties include but are not limited to:

• plan, manage, and direct the solicitation, negotiation, award, administration, and close-out of centralized technology procurement contracts and related agreements administered by ogs.
• provide subject‑matter leadership for complex technology procurements, including enterprise software, hardware, saas solutions, cloud services – infrastructure as a service (iaas), platform as a service (paas), saas – cybersecurity solutions, data platforms, and emerging technologies, ensuring contract structures, terms, and pricing models align with industry standards, technology risks, and delivery models.
• apply deep knowledge of it contracting and commercial models—including subscription licensing, consumption‑based pricing, managed services, agile and iterative delivery, and multi‑vendor ecosystems—to inform procurement strategies, negotiations, and lifecycle management of statewide technology contracts.
• lead procurement modernization initiatives within the technology contracts portfolio, including the application of project and procurement management principles; use of data and analytics for decision‑making; mentoring and coaching staff; strengthening technical judgment and negotiation capability; and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and strategic thinking.
• lead the transition to a saas‑enabled procurement environment, ensuring that solicitations, evaluations, awards, contract administration, and lifecycle execution are designed for and executed through an enterprise eprocurement platform.
• drive the transformation of procurement workflows by replacing manual and paper‑based processes with standardized, automated, and digitized workflows that improve efficiency, transparency, compliance, auditability, and data integrity.
• establish governance over the digital contract lifecycle for technology contracts, including structured data capture, metadata standards, reporting requirements, and integration with purchasing, financial, and contract‑management systems.
• design and standardize solicitation and contract frameworks for technology procurements to ensure consistency, scalability, and alignment with statewide procurement modernization goals.
• partner with authorized users, executive stakeholders, and oversight entities to support adoption of centralized technology contracts and eprocurement processes through change management, training strategies, communication, and continuous improvement informed by performance metrics and user feedback.
• ensure technology procurement practices address risk and compliance requirements, including cybersecurity, data privacy, system access controls, vendor risk management, and governance considerations within a cloud‑based procurement environment.
• monitor technology market trends and procurement best practices to continuously evolve centralized contracts, pricing models, and sourcing strategies while maintaining fiscal discipline and statutory compliance.
• serve as the approving authority for technology procurement contracts, financial assistance instruments, and interagency agreements, consistent with delegated authority and applicable statutes and policies.
• represent ogs in negotiations with commercial vendors, nonprofit organizations, government entities, and educational institutions, and engage senior executives in government and the private sector to communicate ogs…