Group Category Manager - IT
(Hiring salary will be based on experience, credentials, pay equity, and statewide rules.)
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
The Georgia Department of Administrative Services (DOAS) serves as the state’s enterprise partner for fleet, human resources administration, risk management, state purchasing, and surplus property. With over $2 billion in spend under management, the State Purchasing Division (SPD) leads procurement strategy and sourcing initiatives, policy development, training, and compliance, enabling state entities to achieve operational excellence.
We are seeking a Group Category Manager – Information Technology (IT) to oversee IT sourcing strategies and solicitations for statewide sourcing initiatives. Reporting to the Deputy State Purchasing Officer, this leadership role manages a team of procurement professionals, leads and provides direction for complex negotiations, and builds strong partnerships across agencies and suppliers.
The selected candidate will interface with DOAS legal, policy, audit, information technology, finance, and other professionals from various state agencies and departments statewide. Applicants must be self-starters, analytical, and results-oriented, having achieved significant milestones during their professional careers. The ideal candidate is a collaborative, results-oriented leader with expertise in IT procurement, strategic sourcing, and cost optimization, who thrives in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
Key Job Responsibilities:
- Lead and oversee sourcing strategy and pipeline development for the IT Category Group, ensuring alignment with statewide objectives.
- Guide and approve sourcing projects, ensuring best practices and compliance.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners.
- Deliver year-over-year cost savings and optimize total cost of ownership (TCO).
- Lead high-level negotiations to maximize value and mitigate risk.
- Mentor, coach, and develop staff to strengthen expertise and support career growth.
- Apply project management principles to track, evaluate, and execute sourcing initiatives.
- Prepare and manage the planning of solicitation events, identify new statewide contract opportunities, and ensure timely execution.
- Promote adoption of best practices such as cost modeling, benchmarking, and risk analysis.
- Ensure procurement activities are conducted with the highest professional and ethical standards.
- Serve as a key approver of solicitation documents, supplier agreements, and major negotiations
- Respond and answer protests and supplier questions for specific solicitations in accordance with established timeframes.
- Support statewide initiatives, industry engagement, and Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) procurement activities.
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Strong leadership and people management skills, including team development.
- Excellent negotiation, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
- Strong oral, written, and presentation skills.
- In-depth knowledge of procurement strategies, pricing models, and cost-savings analysis.
- Strong category, sourcing, and procurement background
- Expertise in major supply markets and IT-related categories.
- Proficiency with eProcurement and ERP systems (e.g., PeopleSoft, Jaggaer, Workday).
- Experience with SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, or equivalent applications.
- Ability to think strategically, build consensus, and lead through ambiguity.
- Experience in the application of modern procurement techniques such as the “7-step procurement methodology” and management of complex solicitations with multiple constituents.
- Familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, or Agile approaches is desirable.
This position may require some travel.
Completion of a pre-employment background check is required.
DOAS participates in a hybrid work environment and
Telework is encouraged with some days in the office required.
MINIMUM ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor's degree in relevant field from an accredited college or university and eight years of experience in procurement/purchasing sourcing, three years of which were in a managerial capacity
OR Three years of experience at the lower level Mgr 2, Purchasing/Inventory (FEM051) or position equivalent
*Note: An equivalent combination of education and job specific experience that provided the knowledge, experience and competencies required to successfully perform the job at the level listed may be substituted on a year-over-year basis.
**Note: Some positions require Georgia Procurement Manual area specific certification(s).
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Preference will be given to applicants who, in addition to meeting the minimum qualifications, possess one or more of the following items below.
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- Completion of a Master's degree in business administration (MBA) or public administration (MPA) or a related field AND five years of professional procurement/sourcing experience, three years of which were in a managerial capacity.
- Relevant procurement certification such as a Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO), or a Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM or CPSM).
- Master’s degree (MBA, MPA, or related field) with at least five (5) years of professional procurement experience, including three (3) years in a leadership role.
- Professional certifications such as CPPO, CPM, or CPSM.
- Leadership experience in procurement with the State of Georgia or a large, diverse organization.
- Working knowledge of public procurement and higher education/university system procurement.
- Experience with Jaggaer or other catalog management systems.
- Experience with Asana or other project management system
- IT procurement experience in areas such as cloud services, software, hardware, consulting, telecommunications, or related categories.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook).
- Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, or Agile practices.
- Familiarity with PeopleSoft Financials and/or Team Georgia Marketplace.
- Completion of a Master's degree in business administration (MBA) or public administration (MPA) or a related field AND five years of professional procurement/sourcing experience, three years of which were in a managerial capacity.
Applications accepted at Team Georgia Careers
Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information on application status by phone or email. Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted by the hiring agency.
This position is subject to close at any time once a satisfactory applicant pool has been identified.
DOAS is an equal opportunity employer
When applying for this position, you will be asked if you meet the minimum qualifications for this position as stated below and may possibly be presented with additional questions to assess preferred qualifications. Preference will be given to applicants who meet one or more of the preferred qualifications and have demonstrated experience clearly indicated in their work history.
