Senior Director, Technology Acquisition

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maryland department of information technologyCrownsville (MD)

Purchasing Managers Other General Government Support

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About the role

Introduction The Department of Information Technology (DoIT) provides support to state agencies, the Executive Office of the Governor, the Governor’s coordinating offices, and a variety of independent agencies within the Executive Branch. Striving to provide the highest level of customer service to its internal and external customers, DoIT supports Maryland’s agencies and commissions through its leadership and strategic direction for Information Technology and Telecommunications, establishing a long range, target technology architecture, encouraging cross agency collaboration and advocating best practices for operations and project management. Main Purpose of Job The Maryland Department of Information Technology is building a modern technical procurement capability to help State agencies obtain effective information technology solutions faster, more clearly, and with stronger competition and stewardship. The Senior Director, Technology Acquisition will create and lead a new department-wide capability that connects validated agency needs to the right acquisition strategy, procurement pathway, solicitation approach, and contract outcome. This role is not a traditional transaction-only procurement position. It operates across IT buy types and organizational boundaries, combining public-sector procurement expertise, technology fluency, user-centered methods, and operational leadership. The Senior Director will work in partnership with DoIT's emerging front-door and needs-analysis function. That upstream function helps agencies clarify the IT problem, assess options, and identify a recommended path. The Senior Director leads the downstream acquisition work when procurement judgment is required: evaluating fulfillment paths; determining whether to reuse, license, build, buy, or use an existing vehicle; translating validated requirements into a sound acquisition strategy; and enabling staff to execute through fit-for-purpose templates, terms, training, and operating guidance

Job Duties: Serve as DoIT's senior advisor on acquisition strategy for complex state agency technology needs, including commercial software, SaaS, digital services, agile delivery, IT professional services, enterprise platforms, and other technology procurements. This includes: Evaluating and recommending IT procurement pathways, including reuse of existing capabilities, license agreements, existing contracts and vehicles, cooperative agreements, new solicitations, or other appropriate approaches. Supporting agencies and DoIT teams in translating IT mission needs into clear, outcome-focused, evaluable requirements. Advising executive leadership on complex procurements, organizational risks, procurement modernization priorities, and relationships with DGS, OSP, the Attorney General's Office, the Board of Public Works, and other partners as appropriate. Lead DoIT's technical procurement capability and establish the operating model, priorities, measures, governance, and service standards for the function; partner with the front-door and needs-analysis function to establish a clear, durable handoff from validated need to acquisition strategy and fulfillment; and build a strong, collaborative team culture across procurement, intake, portfolio management, security, architecture, product, data, and agency stakeholders. Lead the modernization, governance, and continuous improvement of DoIT's procurement templates, including acquisition-strategy question sheets, solicitation templates, terms-and-conditions resources, and supporting job aids. Ensure templates and procurement tools are designed around the work practitioners actually perform and the decisions they need to make. Oversee development of IT-specific procurement training, playbooks, standard operating procedures, and knowledge-management resources. Represent DoIT in cross-agency and statewide discussions related to technology acquisition, procurement policy, innovation, and modernization. Use performance measures to improve predictability, transparency, procurement quality, reuse of existing solutions, and the experience of agency requestors and internal practitioners.

Minimum qualifications: Seven or more years of progressively responsible experience in public-sector procurement, technology acquisition, contracting, strategic sourcing, digital-service procurement, or a related field. Demonstrated experience leading or advising complex technology procurements from problem definition or requirements development through award and contract execution. Demonstrated knowledge of procurement strategy, solicitation development, evaluation design, contract terms, vendor management, and public-sector compliance requirements. Experience with one or more of the following: SaaS and cloud acquisition, agile services, digital services, commercial software, enterprise technology, cooperative purchasing, statewide contracts, or multi-award contract vehicles. Demonstrated ability to translate technical, operational, and user needs into clear procurement strategies and evaluable requirements. Experience leading cross-functional teams and facilitating decisions among technical, legal, procurement, security, program, and executive stakeholders. Strong written, verbal, facilitation, and executive-briefing skills. Demonstrated judgment, integrity, and ability to operate effectively in a complex public-sector environment. Preference will be given to candidates who have one or more of the following skillsets or experience: Experience in Maryland State government procurement or another state, local, or federal public-procurement environment. Experience applying human-centered design, user research, product management, or agile methods to procurement or technology-delivery work. Experience modernizing procurement templates, playbooks, operating procedures, or training programs. Familiarity with COMAR procurement requirements, Maryland IT procurement structures, and/or Statewide Procurement processes. Experience leading procurement transformation, digital transformation, or organizational-change initiatives. Professional certifications in procurement, contracting, project management, agile delivery, product management, or related fields.

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