Job Summary - Why you'll love this position

The Office of General Counsel is seeking a highly responsible individual to fill the role of Chief Counsel of IT and Procurement.

Job Posting Number:

Semi-monthly salary: The current rate for this position is $5,077.48. Individual(s) selected for this position may receive a higher rate based on a pay differential (e.g. shift, or time-of-service pay).

Annual Salary: $121,859.50Work Hours: The work hours for this position are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

Job Location: This position will be located at 3418 Knipp Drive, Jefferson City, MO.

Responsibilities - What you'll do

What you'll do:
The Chief Counsel of IT and Procurement acts as the principal legal architect, strategist, and executive advisor for the Department of Social Services (DSS) digital infrastructure, commercial portfolios, and financial operations. Operating at the intersection of agency finance and technology, this position reports directly to the Department General Counsel with a dotted line to Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Information Officer (CIO).

The mandate for this role is clear: proactively mitigate enterprise risk, safeguard state and federal funding architectures, and streamline complex technology and procurement systems so the department can safely scale programs that protect families, youth, and communities across Missouri.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Sourcing, Technology and Procurement

• Commercial Architecture: Structure, review, and negotiate high-impact Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs), and enterprise-level vendor contracts to ensure total legal sufficiency and risk mitigation.
• Contract Protest Defense: Act as the lead legal authority on formal contract awards; defend the department against vendor protests, formulate protest response strategies, and represent the agency in administrative appeals or related litigation stemming from procurement disputes.
• IT & Data Governance: Serve as the legal lead on data management strategies, software licensing, and technical system procurement, ensuring robust guardrails around data security and operational continuity.
• Process Engineering: Modernize contract workflows, designing scalable playbooks and legal structures that allow the CFO and CIO to execute programs rapidly without compromising compliance.

Regulatory Compliance and Financial Advocacy

• Federal & State Interpretation: Analyze, interpret, and implement highly complex federal regulations and state rulemaking to ensure program parameters are unassailable.
• Audit Defensibility: Lead the legal response, risk assessment, and defense strategies for complex state, federal, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audits or formal requests for information.
• Cross-Functional Advisory: Provide highly polished, rapid-response verbal and written legal opinions to departmental leadership to isolate exposures and bypass administrative obstacles.

Executive Leadership and Case Management

• Dual-Report Alignment: Act as the core legal bridge between the finance and IT divisions, ensuring a unified agency stance on technical infrastructure investments, personnel, and financial allocations.
• Caseload Optimization: Manage a diverse, complex portfolio of administrative, financial, and regulatory issues with razor-sharp time management and organizational efficiency.

Qualifications - All you need for success

Minimum Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited institution.
• Active membership and good standing with The Missouri Bar.
• Five (5) or more years of post-bar experience practicing as a licensed attorney.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Executive Agility: Prior experience practicing as an in-house counsel, deputy general counsel, or a senior special counsel role within a large state or federal agency (DSS or related health/human services background is highly prized).
• Administrative & Litigation Depth: A proven background navigating administrative law, public benefit structures, contract/procurement disputes, and administrative litigation.
• Technical & Financial Literacy: A strong understanding of modern data management practices, digital transformations, and the specific legal nuances of technical/IT purchasing and public appropriations.
• Core Competencies: Elite legal research, writing, and advocacy skills; a high degree of professional integrity to handle sensitive personnel issues; and an adaptive, collaborative spirit when working with support staff and core legal teams.

Lack of post-secondary education will not be used as the sole basis denying consideration to any applicant.

Job Details - More reasons to love this position

The State of Missouri offers an excellent benefits package that includes a defined pension plan, generous amounts of leave and holiday time, and eligibility for health insurance coverage. Your total compensation is more than the dollars you receive in your paycheck. To help demonstrate the value of working for the State of Missouri, we have created an interactive Total Compensation Calculator. This tool provides a comprehensive view of benefits and more that are offered to prospective employees. The Total Compensation Calculator and other applicant resources can be found here.

Contact Details - If you have questions or require any accommodations to participate in the application or interview process please contact:

If you have questions about this position, please contact: Human [email protected] you experience accessibility issues while applying, please contact Courtney Hall at [email protected] or call 573-751-4244.

Recruitment Area: All qualified applicants.

Application Deadline: July 26, 2026