IT Strategic Sourcing Specialist

IT Strategic Sourcing Specialist

Perform as a Strategic Sourcing Specialist by providing sourcing project management, vendor management, contract negotiations and daily administration for all IT hardware, software and service contracts. Provide domain expertise in the strategic sourcing process. Lead, manage and administer the contract throughout its lifecycle process. Initiate engagement and coordinate effectively with state business leads/owners and project managers as required to ensure contract related decisions are made in an informed, legally defensible and fiscally responsible manner. Review and modify entity solicitations, contracts, amendments, or renewal options that do not adhere to state policies and guidelines involving project management, technical architecture, security, procurement and other standards as required. Serve as the contracting liaison (single point of contact) to support the creation and development of RFPs, bids and agreements. Provide process and technical expertise to the offer evaluation and award process. Provide IT procurement expertise on major IT projects involving complex IT projects to ensure a successful bid process, contract finalization and appropriate utilization. Ensure compliance with requirements of procurement laws and regulations for information technology, including compliance with and negotiation of contract terms and conditions.

Contract/Sourcing Management

• Develop, source, implement and manage IT contracts including but not limited to amendments, renewals and change orders.
• Leverage communication and negotiation skills to effectively engage with business owners, end users and vendors on contractual procedures, terms and conditions, disputes, periodic contract reviews, and other management areas as required.
• Maintain a centralized contract information repository.
• Obtain, reconcile and analyze IT contract metric data from agency and other points of contact.
• Coordinate contract and vendor issues through collaboration with appropriate department or other agency organizations, as well as the Attorney General's office.
• Meet with Directors and Managers to discuss IT contracts to ascertain their intentions for existing contracts and any new contracts to be created.
• Provide information and suggest courses of action on IT contracts to entity management.
• Demonstrate knowledge or experience with Federal and State statutes, regulations, policies, and rules
• Ensure all contract activities are tracked in order to continually monitor efficiency and cost effectiveness of each IT contract.
• Manage, maintain, and update IT contracts through a database system.

Communication

• Ability to comfortably develop and offer recommendations on complex issues to senior and executive management.
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills and the ability to develop strong working relationships with representatives from agencies, vendors and other key stakeholders
• Maintain excellent customer service to internal and external customers
• Demonstrated ability to understand and resolve complex problems and the ability to read, interpret and make recommendations based on complex State, Federal and Departmental rules, laws and regulations.

Purchasing and Contracting

• Ensure compliance with State procurement rules, statutes and procedures.
• Create, review, and modify entity solicitations, contracts, amendments, or renewal options that do not adhere to state policies and guidelines involving project management, technical architecture, security, procurement and other standards as required.
• Work with IT Legal officers, entity Purchasing Departments and the IT Strategic Sourcing Office to review, revise, approve and award of IT contracts as required
• Conduct negotiations of appropriate terms and conditions based on business and legal requirements.
• Demonstrate strong analytical skills and experience in data analysis with attention to detail

Special Projects

• Participate as directed by management.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES / COMPETENCIES:

Ability to perform in a complex, cross-functional business environment. Ability to develop, edit, review, and revise IFBs, RFQs, and RFPs of varying complexity. Ability to negotiate contracts and RFP documents. Global perspective of business environment and technology. Have a basic understanding of IT product and service needs, as well as maintain general knowledge of changing technologies.

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

Bachelor's Degree in Business or related area from an appropriately accredited institution and 5 years of progressively responsible experience in the area of procurement specifically related to strategic sourcing, including experience with vendor management, solicitation, evaluation and negotiation of contracts or an equivalent combination of education and experience.