IT Commodity Manager

The MITRE Corporation•McLean, VA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Why choose between doing meaningful work and having a fulfilling life? At MITRE, you can have both. That's because MITRE people are committed to tackling our nation's toughest challenges—and we're committed to the long-term well-being of our employees. MITRE is different from most technology companies. We are a not-for-profit corporation chartered to work for the public interest, with no commercial conflicts to influence what we do. The R&D centers we operate for the government create lasting impact in fields as diverse as cybersecurity, healthcare, aviation, defense, and enterprise transformation. We're making a difference every day—working for a safer, healthier, and more secure nation and world. Our workplace reflects our values. We offer competitive benefits, exceptional professional development opportunities for career growth, and a culture of innovation that embraces adaptability, collaboration, technical excellence, and people in partnership. If this sounds like the choice you want to make, then choose MITRE - and make a difference with us. Department Summary: MITRE’s Finance Business Operations is seeking to hire an IT Commodity Manager to lead and manage all phases of the procurement process for software/hardware acquisitions. The IT Commodity Manager will be responsible for the planning, organization, and administration of the team and ensuring compliance with MITRE's Corporate Policies and Practices and Federal Acquisition Regulations in all purchasing activities. You will report to the Senior Manager and will serve as a trusted business partner with internal customers. The role will be a hybrid position working 60% of the time in person on campus.

Requirements

Typically requires a minimum of 10 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 8 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 5 years’ experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
Proven track record of successful contract negotiations, driving cost savings, and securing favorable terms and conditions.
Strong analytical skills to assess supplier proposals, perform total cost analysis, and identify areas for negotiation.
Commercial contracting experience (i.e., SaaS solutions, Hardware & Hardware Maintenance, Software & Software Maintenance).
Strong leadership, negotiation, and analytical skills are required.
Experience with continuous process improvement methodologies.
Exercise independent judgement and meet deadlines in a fast-paced organization.
Demonstrate flexibility and agility to work and set priorities in an environment in an environment with competing and changing demands.
Ability to handle multiple concurrent work streams while producing high quality output.
This position requires a minimum of 3 days a week on-site.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated proficiency in Windows environment including Microsoft O365, SharePoint, Word, and Excel.
Demonstrated experience in the negotiation of agreements and contract terms.
Demonstrate flexibility and agility to work and set priorities in an environment in an environment with competing and changing demands.
Ability to handle multiple concurrent work streams while producing high quality output.
Confident self-starter who can work under pressure, using their own initiative and with the drive to work to aggressive deadlines and to see tasks through to completion
Strong problem solving and troubleshooting skills with the ability to exercise mature judgment
Strong communication and interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to interact at all levels of the organization

Responsibilities

Understand the business and build partnerships (foundation).
Ensure compliance, risk management, and governance (non‑negotiable).
Partner closely with internal customers to understand business needs, develop procurement strategies, and deliver value-focused solutions.
Collaborate with IT teams to understand their specific needs and requirements.
Strategic procurement and vendor management (core value creation).
Responsible for performing strategic procurement activities aiming to find better deals and more profitable suppliers.
Monitor vendor performance and support resolution of issues related to software licensing, terms and conditions, and service levels.
Conduct Quarterly Business Reviews (QBR) for our strategic contracts.
Proven ability to build effective partnerships with internal customers and cross-functional teams.
Review and resolve issues on assigned tasks which affect company compliance and ensure that legal requirements, and company and customer objectives are adequately addressed.
Ensure that all agreements/contracts comply with company policies and FAR.
Provide guidance to project teams to address difficult purchasing actions and proactively educate project leaders on various purchasing and compliance issues.
Strategic procurement and vendor management (core value creation).
Responsible for performing strategic procurement activities aiming to find better deals and more profitable suppliers.
Develop and execute procurement strategies and track metrics to reduce expenses.
Negotiate contracts, pricing, terms, and service level agreements.
Solution evaluation and sourcing activities (supporting the strategy) - Research and evaluate hardware and software options for the company's IT
Communication and critical/strategic thinking (enabler across all areas) - Demonstrate solid critical and strategic thinking skills, and excellent verbal and written communications skills.
Partner closely with internal customers to understand business needs, develop procurement strategies, and deliver value-focused solutions.
Work closely with senior leaders to present renewal options and to discuss contract strategy and terms.