Procurement Analyst

Location:

Hybrid (On-site training 3-4 weeks; 4 days/week remote)

We are seeking a high-caliber Procurement Analyst to lead the end-to-end acquisition of high-complexity IT projects. This is a project-based role requiring a blend of sophisticated procurement strategy, technical project management, and deep expertise in software ecosystems.

• Strategic Sourcing:
  Lead the evaluation and selection of vendors for complex IT initiatives, including Cloud Infrastructure, SaaS, Data Center Hardware, and Managed Services.
• Project Leadership:
  Act as the procurement lead on agency-wide technical projects, ensuring timelines, research, and stakeholder requirements are met with precision.
• Document Lifecycle:
  Direct the RFI, RFQ, and RFP processes for high-stakes contracts, providing data-driven recommendations to executive leadership.
• Contract Negotiation:
  Leverage market research and financial principles to negotiate pricing, service levels, and favorable terms for the State.

• Licensing & Entitlements:
  Advanced understanding of software licensing models, user entitlements, and usage restrictions to prevent compliance risks and optimize spend.
• IT Ecosystems:
  Deep knowledge of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Cloud deployments, and emerging technologies.
• Project Management:
  Proven ability to manage multiple complex procurement work streams simultaneously under general supervision.
• Regulatory Compliance:
  Ability to apply broad theoretical knowledge to navigate statewide procurement rules and financial regulations.

You are a self-starter who can influence stakeholders through data and policy expertise. You don’t just buy software; you understand the technical fine print and the long-term financial impact of the contracts you negotiate.

• IT Asset Lifecycle & Licensing Expertise:
  Deep functional knowledge of SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS licensing models. You must understand the difference between per-user, per-core, and consumption-based entitlements to prevent overspending and audit risks.
• Strategic Negotiation:
  Proven ability to negotiate high-value contracts. This isn't just about price; it’s about negotiating Service Level Agreements (SLAs), data sovereignty clauses, and renewal caps.
• Technical Project Management:
  Ability to manage a procurement pipeline as a project. This includes setting milestones, managing stakeholders across departments, and ensuring the procurement timeline aligns with the technical rollout.
• Complex RFP/RFQ Development:
  Experience drafting and scoring complex solicitations for enterprise-level IT services, ensuring that the "Statement of Work" (SOW) is technically sound and legally enforceable.
• Financial & Data Literacy:
  Ability to conduct Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and Return on Investment (ROI) analyses to justify multi-year technology investments to executive leadership.

• Cloud Governance Knowledge:
  Experience specifically with AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud commitment models (like Savings Plans or Reserved Instances) and how they impact state budgeting.
• State/Public Sector
  
  Experience:
  
  Prior experience navigating the specific "Red Tape" of government procurement codes, which are often more rigid than private sector purchasing.
• SLA & Performance Metric Design :
  Proven ability to draft custom Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with enforceable financial penalties for downtime, lag, or poor implementation performance.
• Benchmarking & Market Intelligence:
  Experience using tools (like Gartner, Forrester, or specialized IT price benchmarking software) to verify if a vendor’s quote aligns with current market "best-in-class" pricing.
• License Optimization & Audit Defense :
  Experience in performing "Internal Audits" of software usage to identify underutilized licenses (shelfware) and defending the organization during formal vendor audits (e.g., Oracle or Microsoft audits).