IT Purchasing Specialist / Agency Internal

State of Washington•Thurston County – Olympia, WA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The IT Purchasing Specialist researches technology solutions to identify technology that best fits within the DES IT ecosystem. This role serves as the internal and external contact for acquired software and hardware solutions; oversee contracts, contract management, purchasing, vendor, and asset management for TSD. The position establishes the procedures and standards for IT vendor management, consistent with state and agency procurement and financial policies. The IT Purchasing Specialist will ensure that all contracts with IT suppliers and vendors meet their contractual commitments to DES by providing technical vendor direction on research, consultation, hardware procurement, system maintenance, and lifecycle management through the terms of the contract. This role researches and evaluates hardware, software, and cloud technologies, and is responsible for providing recommendations for IT funding priorities that best align with business strategy and fit within the agency architecture, security, and budget constraints. This position assists in providing technical guidance to the DES IT Support Team and works directly with our DES leadership. This position reports to the Vendor Management Manager within the TSD.

Requirements

Six (6) years of experience in information technology, such as business analysis, managing and procuring information technology assets and experience with developing and managing IT budgets.
Experience with IT purchase reporting, reporting and managing IT SLAs.
Work also includes working with IT, business units, and contract managers in identifying and evaluating technology services providers that are consistent with the organization’s business strategy and architecture.
Associate's degree or completion of an accredited vocational training program in an information technology or related program AND Four (4) years’ experience in information technology, such as business analysis, managing and procuring information technology assets and experience with developing and managing IT budgets.
Experience with IT purchase reporting and managing IT SLAs.
Work also includes working with IT, business units, and contract managers in identifying and evaluating technology services providers that are consistent with the organization’s business strategy and architecture.
Bachelor’s degree in information management, computer science, business administration or related field AND Two (2) years’ experience in information technology, such as business analysis, managing and procuring information technology assets and experience with developing and managing IT budgets.
Experience with IT purchase reporting and managing IT SLAs.
Work also includes working with IT, business units, and contract managers in identifying and evaluating technology services providers that are consistent with the organization’s business strategy and architecture.
Knowledge of software, hardware and peripheral installation and configuration and technical specifications experience to research IT solutions, manage IT vendors, and collaborate on the renewal of maintenance agreements.
Understand the complexities of how software, hardware and infrastructure interact.
This role works directly with IT technicians and all levels of business staff to analyze business problems and develop IT solution options.
Understand, interpret, and communicate a wide range of financial and operational data.
Familiar with the technical research of IT solutions.
Familiar with the licensing processes of a Microsoft EA Agreement.
Familiar with working within a regulated environment when purchases and procurements are made.

Nice To Haves

Minimum of 4 years of Advanced skills and experience in modern business intelligence tools such as Microsoft Excel, Power Query, Power Pivot, and Power BI to extract, transform, and analyze data.
Use DES internal standard business intelligence tools to clean and create data sets and produce data visualizations.
Minimum of 2 years’ Experience with the State project oversight and procurement policies and standards.
Familiarity with State RCWs, policies, processes and guidelines to be able to work within Washington State purchasing and procurement laws.
Experience with information technology implementations.
Understand how to manage the challenges and risks that come with implementing procured IT solutions.
Ability to clearly communicate both verbally and written, technical problems, solutions and utilize plane talk to deliver information to non-technical staff and management.
Ability to use active listening skills to truly understand the customer’s problem or request, using curious questions to ensure a complete understanding of the issue.
Strategize and Planning: Ability to direct effective strategies for achieving and maintaining excellent customer service, including well-developed negotiation and communication skills.
Management Principals: Ability to apply quality management principles including using data to support decisions.
Judgement and Problem Solving: Ability to analyze and be adaptable to new and demanding situations and receptive to new ideas.
Openness: Actively listen, use open-ended questions to gain an understanding to promote communication, common understanding, transparency and trust.
Integrity and Ethics: Act with honesty, fairness, accountability and the highest ethical standards.
Collaboration : Supports teammates by sharing knowledge and experiences to promote team unity and information sharing.
Respect: Treat everyone professionally and value each other’s efforts and ideas.
Excellence: Exemplify teamwork, commitment and responsiveness in the pursuit of quality.
Innovation: Encourage creativity and informed risk-taking.
Build and Maintain Relationships: Establishes and maintains good working relationships with multiple IT teams, colleagues, partners, vendors and customers by possessing sophisticated communication skills including clear “plain talk” writing.
Project Champion: Understanding there is a need for change, think outside the box and explore creative options.
Able to learn and understand the language and concepts of our DES DEI culture and commit to being a part of creating and maintaining a diverse, equitable, respectful and inclusive workplace.
Demonstrate a commitment to growth, learning and self-awareness when provided training and opportunities to participate in improving our work environment.
Participate and behave in a manner that creates trust and builds working relationships, promoting teamwork and collaboration in the work environment.
Demonstrate the understanding that all people are valued; contribute to an equitable, inclusive and respectful environment when working with members of the group, team, organization or community.
Commit to being an active participant in continually evaluating and improving strategies that promote equity and inclusion in our organization.

Responsibilities

Primary point of contact for vendor management.
Responsible for working with IT.
Responsible for the workflows and business processes for tracking and managing work.
Engage all business stakeholders and subject matter experts.
Responsible for developing processes and workflows.
Manage vendor relationships.
Partner with small, diverse, and veteran-owned businesses.
Analyze data to oversee vendor performance.
Review and update information technology software license renewals.
Facilitate TSD purchases and IT budget.
Evaluates business needs.
Identify shared solutions.
Manage requests.
Compare purchasing options and purchases.
Coordinate large IT procurements.
Produce complex reports in collaboration with finance and IT leadership.
Act as a customer liaison and advocate to foster positive relationships between multiple IT teams, agency programs and customers as well as ensuring customers and IT staff are prepared for implementation of IT services and support.
Collaborate with TSD and DES programs.
Maintain thorough knowledge of the business.
Proactively solves conflicts and addresses issues.
Ensure delivery and services and product implementations align with agency.