Description
About the Texas Workforce Commission:
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is the state agency charged with overseeing and providing workforce development services to employers and job seekers of Texas. Our mission is to promote and support a workforce system that creates value and offers employers, individuals, and communities the opportunity to achieve and sustain economic prosperity.
TWC is not considering applications from individuals who require sponsorship for an employment visa, including those with H1B visas or those currently on student or postgraduate visas. You must be a Texas resident to work for the Texas Workforce Commission or willing to relocate to Texas.
Position Summary:
The Texas Workforce Commission is seeking a highly collaborative individual to serve as our Chief Procurement Officer (Director IV) reporting to the Director of the Business Operations division. All aspects of agency procurement including specific focus on Information and Technology (IT) goods and services. This critical role demands a balance of strategic foresight and mastery of the complex legal, regulatory, and budgetary realities inherent to public procurement. The Director will lead TWC’s comprehensive procurement operations, steer complex public purchasing cycles, and ensure compliance with state laws and agency rules regarding procurement and contracting. Works under minimal supervision, with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. This position is located at 101 E. 15th Street, Austin, Texas.
As a key strategic partner to agency executives, the Director must understand core procurement and contract management methodologies, drive digital first initiatives, including leveraging data analytics and AI tools to streamline processes and foster a culture of accountability and continuous professional growth.
Who You Are:
You are highly collaborative and thrive in public service and strategic leadership. As a champion of efficiency and transparency, you lead with an analytical, digital-first mindset, ensuring procurement efforts are compliant, timely, and fiscally responsible. You are not just a manager of contracts and budgets; you are a cool-headed leader who knows how to cultivate talent, build strong vendor relationships, and successfully navigate high-pressure procurement timelines.
Your Core Capabilities:
- Strategic Leadership & Vision: You have a proven track record of building trust with internal stakeholders and statewide partners. You excel at streamlining cumbersome policies and ensuring that all contract development and procurement processes comply with state purchasing standards, laws, and agency rules.
- Mastery of state agency IT purchasing: Experience working with the Texas Department of Information Resources and a thorough understanding of state agency IT procurement rules and contract management.
- Digital Procurement Mastery: You are a digital-first leader who champions modern software and automation. You leverage data to streamline solicitation reviews, ensure consistency, reduce rework, and successfully oversee Electronic Data Exchange (EDE) contract efforts.
- Operational Excellence & Service Delivery: You drive on-time service delivery and procedural efficiency, targeting aggressive solicitation schedule milestones. You are highly adept at identifying areas for process improvement, optimizing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and can successfully lead and execute major organizational or operational shifts without disrupting service delivery.
- Financial & Risk Stewardship: You excel at directing complex operational budgets and reviewing major capital expenditures. You are skilled at managing Enhanced Contract Monitoring plans and assessing contract-related remedies when necessary to protect agency funding.
- Relationship & Vendor Management: You bring strong executive presence to vendor relations and HUB (Historically Underutilized Business) services. You know how to collaborate with statewide coordinators to drive HUB attainment, manage team dynamics under pressure, and foster productive relationships with external partners and service providers.
Experience and Education:
- Required Experience: Seven (7) years of full-time experience in the oversight and direction of an agency procurement, contract management, or business operations program, OR seven (7) years in strategic planning and policy development and implementation.
- Required Experience: Five (5) years of full-time experience in the oversight and direction of an agency IT procurement, IT contract management.
- Management Experience: At least five (5) years of the required experience must have been in an administrative management or supervisory capacity.
- Educational Substitution: Relevant academic credits may be applied toward the non-supervisory experience qualifications for this position.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Comprehensive knowledge of local, state, and federal laws and regulations relevant to public procurement, state contracting guidelines, and public administration.
- Expert skill in establishing long-range plans, unit goals, and operational strategies that support an overall public service business strategy.
- Deep understanding of modern procurement workflows, contract management practices, risk assessment methodologies, and emerging digital tools (including AI and data-driven reporting systems).
- Skill in fiscal planning, budget management, and cost-benefit analysis for large-scale agency solicitations and grant administrations.
- Skill in negotiating, evaluating vendor performance, enforcing contract compliance, and managing corrective action plans.
- Proven ability to communicate effectively, build cooperative consensus across agency divisions, and deliver clear, actionable reports to executive leadership.
- Advanced ability to identify complex operational risks, evaluate alternatives, and implement robust, timely solutions under tight timelines.
- Proven ability to plan, assign, organize, and supervise the work of procurement professionals, contract managers, and analysts while actively supporting professional certifications (e.g., CTCM, CTCD).
You Gain:
- A Family Friendly Certified Workplace
- Competitive salary: $13,500.00/month
- Defined Retirement Benefit Plan
- Optional 401(k) and 457 accounts
- Medical Insurance
- Paid time off, including time for vacation, sick and family care leave
- Additional benefits for active employees can be found at https://www.ers.texas.gov/Active-Employees/Health-Benefits.
Veterans:
Use your military skills to qualify for this position or other jobs! Go to www.texasskillstowork.com to translate your military work experience and training courses into civilian job terms, qualifications, and skill sets. Also, you can compare this position to military occupations (MOS) at the Texas State Auditor's Office by pasting this link into your browser: https://hr.sao.texas.gov/Compensation/MilitaryCrosswalk/MOSC_ProgramManagement.pdf
How to Apply:
To be considered, please complete a State of Texas Application for Employment and apply online at www.workintexas.com or on Taleo (Job Search). TWC is not considering applications from individuals who require sponsorship for an employment visa, including those with H1B visas or those currently on student or postgraduate visas. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire. A position utilizing this classification will be designated as security sensitive according to the Texas Labor Code, Section 301.042.
