Software Asset Manager

Seattle Public Schools•John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence, WA

About The Position

The Software Asset Manager is responsible for overseeing the entire lifecycle of software applications and processes across the district. This includes intake requests, evaluation, procurement, licensing and subscription monitoring, compliance, and contract renewal management. This role ensures that the district’s software portfolio is cost-effective, secure, compliant, and aligned with instructional, operational, and strategic goals. This role is responsible for ensuring the district is in compliance with state and federal data privacy regulations for student and staff data. This role also serves as the central point of coordination with business stakeholders, IT, procurement, finance, security, legal, vendors, and data teams. The Software Asset Manager coordinates with multiple business personas in highly cross-functional processes and procedures that includes, but not limited to, Information Technology, Information Security, curriculum, finance, legal/compliance officers, and school leaders to ensure all software used in the district is compliant to improve visibility into software usage, redundancy, and support data-informed decision making. This role will be an essential part of the drafting and executing of data sharing agreements and will support the integration of digital workflows, including platform-based software and inventory management systems. This role will be responsible for maintaining the back-end database to support a customer-facing catalog of approved software. This role will assist in leading a software steering committee composed of highly cross-functional business partners to review and monitor intake queues, provide situational awareness on any blockers or concerns and manage as well as monitor ADA exceptions for software that require annual review.

Requirements

Knowledge of Software Asset Management (SAM) principles and lifecycle stages (intake ? evaluation ? procurement ? renewal/retirement)
Knowledge and skill in reviewing software contracts, licensing terms, vendor agreements, renewal provisions, usage restrictions, data protection obligations, and service commitments to identify legal, financial, operational, privacy, and compliance risks.
Ability to partner with Legal, Procurement, Security, Privacy, Finance, and business stakeholders to ensure software purchases, renewals, and usage remain aligned with contractual obligations, organizational policies, and applicable requirements.
Knowledge of software inventory management systems/database structures.
Knowledge of state and federal data privacy laws pertaining to student information (e.g., FERPA, COPPA, RCW 19.255.005, and applicable state regulations), data sharing agreements (DSAs), and vendor compliance requirements.
Knowledge of digital accessibility standards (WCAG, ADA Title II requirements).
Knowledge of K–12 or public sector governance structures and procurement processes, contract management, and renewal processes.
Understanding of IT service management (ITSM) platforms (e.g., ServiceNow or similar systems) and knowledge of software inventory management systems/database structures.
Strong data interpretation skills to inform cost optimization and renewal decisions and ability to identify redundancies and inefficiencies across large portfolios.
Analytical thinking, reporting skills, and attention to detail in documenting and reporting for audits, compliance reviews, and executive summaries.
Strong interpersonal, communication, and facilitation skills across diverse stakeholder groups.
Three (3) to five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in IT operations, IT software asset management, procurement or contract management, vendor management, technology operations, or compliance
Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Business Administration, Finance, Supply Chain Management, Technology, Public Administration, or a related field.
Any equivalent combination of education, experience and training that provides the relevant knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the work will be considered.
Criminal Justice fingerprint and background check

Nice To Haves

Preferred Experience leading steering committees or advisory boards and contribute to development digital governance and policies.
Strategic thinking to align software investments with long-term organizational goals.
Knowledge of EdTech interoperability standards (e.g., Clever, LTI, OneRoster).
Skilled in designing, managing, and improving workflows (intake, approvals, renewals).
Awareness of cybersecurity risk concepts and vendor risk assessment practices.
ITIL Foundation certification preferred
CIPP/US (certified information privacy professional) preferred
SAM certification preferred

Responsibilities

Manage centralized intake process for all new software requests
Review submissions for completeness, instructional alignment, and duplication
Coordinate cross-functional evaluation workflows (IT, security, curriculum, data privacy, deployment, and integration – data extracts and single sign on)
Track request volume, status, cycle times, and approval outcomes
Maintain standardized intake criteria and documentation requirements
Facilitate prioritization of requests based on district needs and risk levels
Lead structured evaluation of digital tools across instructional, operational, and technical criteria
Coordinate risk assessments (security, privacy, accessibility, interoperability)
Support and facilitate a cross-functional Software Steering Committee
Surface risks, blockers, and exceptions to committee members
Manage and maintain records around ADA accessibility exception reviews and annual reassessments
Ensure alignment with district technology standards and policies
Maintain centralized inventory of licenses, agreements, subscriptions, contracts, and vendors
Track and provide reporting on contract terms, start/end dates, and renewal conditions
Manage renewal calendar and proactively flag upcoming decisions
Coordinate stakeholder-based renewal reviews using usage and cost data
Support vendor negotiations and procurement processes
Ensure compliance with licensing terms and usage rights
Help define and maintain approved software lists, restricted software lists, and retired software records supporting a user-facing software catalog
Track license counts, allocations, and entitlements
Monitor software spend across schools, departments, and funding sources
Identify cost-saving opportunities (i.e., consolidation, elimination of redundancy, etc.)
Maintain the backend data to ensure data accuracy, completeness, and reporting consistency
Ensure compliance with state and federal student/staff data privacy regulations
Ensure adherence to accessibility standards (Title II, WCAG) and monitor for regulatory updates
Coordinate drafting and execution of Data Sharing Agreements (DSAs)
Maintain repository of vendor compliance documentation and audit artifacts
Work with IT security and legal teams on risk mitigation strategies
Assist with internal controls, audit preparation, and policy compliance
Identify and track unauthorized or non-approved applications
Analyze software usage metrics (logins, active users, license utilization)
Support annual budgeting and forecasting for software and subscription costs
Identify underutilized or unused applications and recommend action
Evaluate software effectiveness in collaboration with IT and instructional teams
Connect usage trends to instructional and operational strategies and outcomes where possible
Develop and deliver dashboards and reports to support data-driven decisions
Inform renewal, consolidation, and acquisition strategies
Serve as liaison between leadership, schools, departments, IT, procurement, finance, security, legal, business teams, and vendors
Support development and enforcement of software processes, policies, and procedures
Provide guidance on approved tools and procurement pathways
Deliver training and communication on software lifecycle including approval and exception processes and procedures
Support ServiceNow (or equivalent) software lifecycle workflow development and cross-functional integration (e.g., integration with financial system for procurement automation)
Ensure transparency and visibility into the district’s software portfolio
Promote consistent processes to reduce risk, redundancy, and inefficiency