L&I IT Vendor Management - Senior/Specialist

Our Mission: Keep Washington Safe and Working! Our Values: Customer Focus, One L&I, Respect, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Learning and Growth, Reliability

The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), IT Division, is seeking an IT Vendor Management - Senior/ Specialist to join their team.

About the Division and Unit

The Information Technology (IT) Division is an internal service organization responsible for providing information technology products and services in support of the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) agency’s business priorities so that L&I can keep Washington Safe and Working.

The L&I Technology Business Management (TBM) program area reports directly to the Chief Information Officer (AD/CIO) and is responsible for managing, monitoring, tracking and reporting all IT expenditures for the agency, and establishing governance, policies, standards, practices, and processes needed to monitor IT investments on an ongoing basis. The program uses dedicated software products, mandated by WaTech, for reporting and modeling the L&I agency’s IT costs. The analysis of IT spend is used to align IT investments with the organization’s mission and strategic direction.

Additionally, the TBM Program is the lead program area for managing the agency’s software, inclusive of all desktop, end-user, and system software. These responsibilities include software portfolio management, contract and vendor management, asset management, licensing compliance, budget, and procurement. The program provides recommendations and implements changes for the IT purchase process, particularly for the agency’s software.

The TBM Program serves as the agency’s central authority for IT financial transparency, software portfolio management, software licensing compliance, vendor management, procurement coordination, and technology investment analysis. The program provides executive leaders, business stakeholders, WaTech, the Office of Financial Management (OFM), and legislative stakeholders with information necessary to support informed decision-making regarding technology investments, risk management, and operational sustainability.

About the Role

Reporting to the Technology Business Management (TBM) Director, you’ll serve as L&I’s expert on IT vendor management, software licensing, software asset management, and technology contracts. Your job is to make sure the agency’s investments in software, subscriptions, maintenance agreements, and vendor services are cost-effective, meet contract and licensing requirements, and support the agency’s business and technology goals.

Working with a high degree of independence, you’ll research, negotiate, and recommend vendor solutions, licensing options, and software purchasing strategies. You’ll set the standards and processes the agency follows for managing vendors, licenses, contract renewals, and the software lifecycle. You’ll also advise executives, IT leaders, and business partners on vendor relationships, software investments, compliance risks, and ways to save money over the long term. This work keeps L&I’s critical software available, compliant, and sustainable, so the agency can deliver reliable services to Washington’s workers, employers, and communities.

Who you are

You are an experienced IT vendor management professional and strategic thinker who works with a high degree of independence and exercises sound judgment on complex decisions. You take the initiative to learn the agency’s software portfolio, technology platforms, and business needs, and you use that knowledge to make sure every technology investment is cost-effective, compliant, and aligned with agency priorities.

You see beyond the immediate contract or renewal to the agency’s long -term technology direction, and you help set vendor and software investments strategy accordingly. You are skilled at negotiating software contracts and licensing agreements, analyzing costs and usage, and turning that analysis into clear recommendations for leadership. You build productive relationships with vendors, IT and business stakeholders, and procurement and budget partners, and you look for ways to improve how the agency manages its software and vendors., Some of what you will do: Enterprise IT Vendor & Contract Management, including:

• Lead vendor relationship management activities for enterprise software suppliers and technology service providers.
• Coordinate software contract renewals, amendments, maintenance agreements, and subscription services.
• Negotiate pricing, licensing terms, service levels, and contract provisions.
• Identify risks associated with vendor deliverables and develop mitigation strategies.
• Coordinate vendor procurement activities with Contracts & Purchasing staff.
• Develop cost estimates and budget projections for planned software acquisitions.

Software Asset & Licensing Management, including:

• Maintain oversight of enterprise software licensing inventories and usage.
• Review software deployments and licensing utilization.
• Identify opportunities to consolidate software products and reduce costs.
• Ensure compliance with vendor licensing terms and contract requirements.
• Track software maintenance, support agreements, and subscription renewals.
• Develop software expenditure forecasts and budget projections.
• Reconcile projected costs against actual expenditures.

Technology Vendor Strategy & Advisory Services, including:

• Research emerging vendor products, licensing models, and service offerings.
• Evaluate vendor solutions against agency business and technical requirements.
• Advise leadership regarding software acquisition and investment strategies.
• Assesses vendor capabilities and product viability.
• Develop recommendations for technology modernization and cost optimization.

Vendor Governance, Compliance & Process Improvement, including:

• Develop and maintain vendor management procedures and best practices.
• Establish standards for software procurement and contract administration processes.
• Supports audits and compliance reviews involving software assets and vendor agreements.
• Monitor compliance with state policies, procurement requirements, and vendor contract obligations.
• Develop reporting and performance metrics related to software expenditures and vendor performance., * Completion of Washington State Purchasing and Procurement Ethics training
• Completion of Washington State Purchasing and Procurement 101 or equivalent public-sector procurement training.
• Professional certification or training in one or more of the following:
• Contract Management
• Vendor Management
• Software Asset Management (SAM)
• Information Technology Asset Management (ITAM)
• Technology Business Management (TBM)

• IT Service Management (ITIL)

• Experience working within Washington State government technology, procurement, budget, contract, or vendor management programs.

Required:

• Ten (10) years of qualifying experience working full-time within a professional IT environment.

For this position qualifying professional IT experience is defined as: Four (4) years of professional experience in IT vendor management, Contract administration, Software asset management, Software licensing management, Technology procurement, Supplier relationship management, and/or Technology financial management. This must include experience analyzing, negotiating, administering, or managing technology contracts, software licensing agreements, software subscriptions, maintenance agreements, or vendor relationships.

Also required

• Three (3) years of experience performing analysis, planning, budgeting, forecasting, cost management, or financial evaluation related to information technology products, software assets, contracts, or technology investments.
• Intermediate to advanced level Microsoft Excel experience such as the ability to manage large data sets, write complex formulas, and automate tasks.

NOTE: Education may substitute for IT experience up to six (6) years for a master’s degree, up to four (4) years for a bachelor’s degree, and up to two (2) years for an associate’s degree in Information Technology, Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Contract Management, Supply Chain Management, or a closely related field.

Required Competencies

• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others., **Applications with incomplete work history, missing employment information, references to a resume in place of detailed work experience, or fewer than three (3) professional references with current telephone numbers may be considered incomplete and may not be considered for further review., To learn more about our hiring process timeline at L&I please visit our L&I recruiting page at Hiring Process at L&I. If you would like to read our website in a language other than English, scroll up to the top of the page to select your language of choice from the banner.

At L&I, your voice matters. In addition, L&I is a diverse state agency dedicated to the safety and health and security of Washington’s 3.3 million workers. Take a look at this brief video and learn more about why L&I is an employer of choice.

L&I provides a modern work environment and excellent benefits including paid leave, tuition reimbursement, Infants at Work Program and a generous retirement package for qualified employees at the end of their career. Click on the “Benefits” tab to learn more.

We value our employees and their work-life balance. We support a hybrid work model and offer flexible custom work schedules. This position is eligible for a flexible schedule (4/10’s, 9/80’s, 5/8’s, etc.) upon approval by management.

For this position, teleworking may be up to full time with the expectation of attending in person meetings and training occasionally or upon business needs. The assigned duty station for this position is Tumwater, WA. Remote work from a state outside of WA requires approval.

• IT position applicants selected to move forward in this hiring process will receive an email skills assessment invitation within 3 weeks of your application being accepted. An applicant may complete the assessment when ready, but the invitation to complete the assessment will expire 5 days after the invitation was sent. Once you start the assessment, you will be required to complete it. You cannot start your assessment and then come back to it later. Please look in your email inbox or spam as these invitations are sent by CodeSignal.
• For positions requiring travel, you must have a valid unrestricted driver’s license and have insurance if driving a privately owned vehicle on state business.
• This position is represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).
• Candidates who are offered a job with L&I must possess work authorization that does not require sponsorship by the employer for a visa now or in the future.
• The Department of Labor & Industries complies with the employment eligibility verification requirements of the federal employment eligibility verification form, I-9. The selected candidate must be able to provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the United States consistent with the requirements of that form on the first day of employment.
• Please note: L&I may use this announcement to fill multiple permanent and/or non-permanent positions.

Did You Know?

Washington is America’s Top State to live, play, and work, according to U.S. News (2021). Join the L&I team and enjoy all the Evergreen State has to offer.

In addition to offering a positive balance between life and work, L&I provides one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation. We also believe your voice matters. We value our employees and their work-life balance by encouraging flexible schedules. L&I is a diverse state agency dedicated to the safety and health and security of Washington’s 3 million workers.

Veterans Preference

Applicants wishing to claim Veterans Preference should attach to their application a copy of their DD-214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or signed verification of service letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Please blackout any personally identifiable data such as Social Security numbers. For further information, contact L&I’s Jobs@lni.wa.gov.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employer

L&I employees come from all walks of life. We strive to hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

We believe in the importance of recognizing the value each of us contributes to the success of the agency mission. Having a diverse workforce is this agency’s greatest source of strength and knowledge. It is through the combination of talents and abilities that we can pursue finding effective measures to provide the best customer service. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace for everyone and we strongly mean everyone.