IT Category Procurement Specialist

Position Summary:

The IT Category Procurement Specialist (ICPS) is an individual‑contributor position within the Procurement Services Unit under the Finance and Administration Division. Reporting to the Associate Director of Procurement Operations Support, the ICPS serves as the primary procurement liaison to PCORI’s DIGITAL Division and supports the planning and execution of procurement strategies across assigned information technology categories. The ICPS manages end‑to‑end (“cradle‑to‑grave”) procurement activities for both non‑complex and complex IT procurements, while applying category management principles—such as market analysis, supplier segmentation, and lifecycle planning—to support informed sourcing decisions. Working closely with DIGITAL leadership and business owners, the ICPS aligns procurement strategies with technology roadmaps, security requirements, and organizational priorities to deliver best value, mitigate risk, and ensure sustainable vendor relationships.

The IT Category Procurement Specialist is empowered to exercise high-level judgment to provide independent advice to departmental clients and resolve complex contractual issues. The role is responsible for devising evaluation methodologies, weighting, and sourcing strategies for assigned IT categories, including SaaS, cloud services, and professional services—while serving as the negotiation lead for hardware, software, and enterprise licensing agreements. Furthermore, the Specialist is authorized to analyze, collect, and prepare all documentation required to reconcile data and settle matters regarding costs, deliverables, and payments. To ensure organizational resilience, the position is also empowered to conduct risk compliance analyses and recommend alternative procurement methods to effectively mitigate vendor or service risks.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Acts as a trusted, strategic business partner for DIGITAL by providing consultative procurement guidance, enabling business owners to make informed decisions on their requirements, resulting in agreements (“contracts”) in support of their Business Unit’s goals and objectives.
• Executes the full procurement life cycle process to include: pre- and post-award activities; deployment of appropriate strategies, considering the size, risk, and complexity of the procurement; and recommendations to internal clients on procurement best practices.
• Leads IT‑specific procurement activities, including sourcing and evaluating enterprise software, hardware, cloud services, SaaS solutions, and IT professional services that are tied to implementation, integrations and managed services; partners closely with the DIGITAL department, Information Security, and Data Governance teams to ensure compliance with technical requirements, cybersecurity standards, data‑protection policies, and system‑integration needs.
• Reviews procurement requests to determine that proper specifications or descriptions are included in RFX (RFI/RFQ/RFP) documentation. Conducts offeror and contractor responsibility/risk compliance analysis using established PCORI procedures.
• Possesses expert level understanding of commerciality and can demonstrate achieving value for money through strategic planning, solicitation, and negotiations. Possesses good understanding of risks, analyses service risk as well as vendor risk and works with business partners to mitigate risks through sourcing and managing risk during the facets within the procurement process.
• Performs and completes contract closeouts involving simple and complex contracts (supporting firm fixed price, cost reimbursable, time and material payment mechanisms). Works independently to analyze, collect, and prepare all documentation; reconcile data; and perform all other required activities. Works with the Project Leader and Contractor to resolve and settle all matters including, but not limited to, costs, deliverables, and payments.
• Advices and supports internal clients on any new contract requirements, conducting market research on prospective/qualified vendors/suppliers, current procurements, and/or issues/problems with existing contracts. Recommends alternative methods of procuring complex procurements based on the internal customer’s needs. Resolves contractual issues, supports clients in monitoring vendor performance and timely delivery and quality of services, expedites delivery as appropriate.
• Proactively manages internal client relationships, including leveraging expectations, participating in regular meetings / consultation, providing updates as needed and on request, and anticipating customer needs, where possible.
• The Specialist will operate with minimal oversight on routine procurement activities. The candidate must demonstrate a thorough level of judgement and application of best practices; ability to adapt and apply lessons-learned; a proactive personality; and capacity for critical thinking and making recommendations in situations with limited precedent will be beneficial in this role.

Incumbent(s) in this position may be required to perform other duties and special assignments not specifically stated above.

Statements outlined in this section are designated as essential job functions in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Required Skills:

• Proficient understanding of the concepts, principles, and practices of the broad field of procurement to determine and establish procurement strategy and to develop and manage the negotiations, execution and management of contracts and agreements
• Proficient understanding of negotiation techniques to serve as the lead negotiator in developing pre-negotiation strategy in conducting negotiations for the procurement and in directing or performing post-award negotiations involving contract amendment/modifications.
• Demonstrated ability to operate in a consultative advisory role, balancing procurement policy requirements with business needs to deliver practical, customer‑focused solutions.
• Strong stakeholder management and client‑service orientation, with the ability to build trust, manage expectations, and influence outcomes without direct authority.
• Proficient in managing RFX (Request for Proposal, Request for Information, Request for Quote)/competitive procurement/proposal evaluation experience, and contract close-out-related services and activities.
• Proficient understanding of contracting methods and contract types, including cost and incentive contracting, award fee, multiple awards, special provisions relating to proprietary rights and rights in data to manage and coordinate activities sufficient to control a variety of contractual actions of a major department/office occurring concurrently, in an overlapping fashion, or sequentially and to control several simultaneous interrelated contracts with different contractors.
• Solid understanding of IT hardware, software, support services, networks and infrastructure and data center technology
• Strong problem-solving, attention to detail, organizational, and analytical skills.
• Intellectual curiosity and a professional commitment to excellence.

Required Experience:

• A minimum of 3-5 years of progressive procurement lifecycle management experience related to contracting, sourcing contract administration, negotiating technology contracts (hardware and enterprise software licensing agreements), coaching and training internal clients & procurement, particularly with nonprofits, foundations and/or universities in a fast-paced environment.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college and/or university. Master’s degree, relevant certifications (Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM), Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO), Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB), NIGP Certified Procurement Professional (NIGP-CPP), Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) etc.) or professional designations, and general knowledge of contracting law preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary Range: $85,000 - $100,000

The above range represents the salary range expected for the position; however, final offers are based on several factors such as the position’s responsibilities; the candidate’s experience, education, and skills; location; travel required; and current market conditions.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans then in effect, eligible employees may participate in PCORI-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance plans for the employee and the employee’s eligible dependents.

Conflict of Interest.

PCORI wants to ensure that prospective employees are aware of its conflict-of-interest policies so that employment deliberations take into consideration this aspect of PCORI employment. PCORI requires all PCORI employees to disclose upon commencement of their employment and on an annual basis all individual and close relatives financial, business, and personal association with the potential to bias or that have the appearance of biasing one’s decisions relating to PCORI. All disclosures made by employees are made publicly available on PCORI’s website. Disclosures must include all financial and business and personal associations with any health or healthcare-related organizations and include all associations with any other organizations that have the potential to bias or that have the appearance of biasing one’s decisions relating to PCORI, including but not limited to vendors or other third parties with whom PCORI has a contract or that PCORI has funded. For more information please visit PCORI-Conflict-of-Interest-Policies-Outside-Employment-Policy.pdf

PCORI conducts reference and background checks on all applicants.

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