State of Idaho - Department of Administration Opportunity

The Division of Purchasing is seeking a Bureau Chief to provide executive leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for one of the State of Idaho's most complex procurement portfolios. This position leads a team of procurement professionals responsible for administering high-value, high-risk, and highly visible procurements and contracts, with primary responsibility for Medicaid procurements requiring advanced procurement expertise.

The Bureau Chief ensures procurements comply with Idaho procurement law, federal regulations, agency requirements, and procurement best practices while promoting fair and open competition, fiscal stewardship, transparency, and accountability.

This position serves as the Division's subject matter expert for complex procurements involving managed care, information technology, healthcare, professional services, and federally funded programs. The Bureau Chief collaborates with executive leadership, agency directors, legal counsel, financial management, federal partners, and vendors to develop procurement strategies that minimize risk while supporting successful program delivery. The position provides executive oversight of procurements valued in the billions of dollars and ensures procurement processes protect the State's financial, legal, and operational interests.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership:

• Provides leadership, direction, and supervision to procurement professionals responsible for complex Medicaid procurements and contract administration.
• Establishes strategic goals, priorities, workload expectations, and performance standards while developing initiatives that improve procurement efficiency, consistency, transparency, and customer service.
• Fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, continuous improvement, and professional development.

Procurement Strategy:

• Leads the planning, development, and execution of highly complex competitive procurements by providing strategic oversight throughout the procurement lifecycle, including procurement planning, solicitation development, evaluation processes, negotiations, contract award, protest resolution, and contract administration.
• Directs procurement activities supporting the Department of Health and Welfare's Division of Medicaid, including procurements for comprehensive managed care organizations (MCO), Medicaid Management Information Systems (MMIS), healthcare technology systems, professional services, pharmacy benefit management, third-party administrators, and federally funded initiatives.
• Ensures procurements comply with Idaho procurement law, applicable federal regulations, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements, state purchasing policies, and grant requirements while promoting fair and open competition, minimizing financial and operational risk, protecting the State's interests, and advancing strategic procurement objectives.

Contract Administration:

• Provides executive oversight of complex Medicaid contracts by monitoring vendor performance, ensuring compliance with contractual requirements, negotiating contract amendments, overseeing corrective action plans, resolving contract issues, and directing contract renewals and closeout activities.
• Ensures contracts protect the State's interests through appropriate performance standards, service level agreements, liquidated damages, risk allocation provisions, financial safeguards, and other contractual protections designed to promote accountability and successful contract performance.

Stakeholder Engagement and Strategic Collaboration:

• Serves as the Division of Purchasing's primary liaison with agency leadership, Division of Medicaid personnel Deputy Attorneys General, Risk Management, financial management, federal partners, vendors, legislative stakeholders, procurement officials, and other key stakeholders to foster collaborative relationships, provide strategic procurement guidance, and resolve complex procurement and contractual issues.
• Represents the Division during executive meetings, legislative briefings, vendor negotiations, procurement protests, and other public forums while collaborating with internal and external partners to develop procurement strategies that minimize financial, legal, and operational risk, ensure regulatory compliance, protect the State's interests, and support successful contract outcomes.

Minimum Qualifications

Good knowledge of:

• Experience managing staff and programs;
• administering policies and procedures;
• assessing program/project outcomes;
• interpreting and applying federal and state laws, regulations and/or directives;
• preparing and presenting oral presentations to executives or governing boards;
• writing business documents and report.

PreferredExperience:

• Interpreting and applying federal and state laws, rules, and regulations
• Advising executive leadership on procurement strategy
• Managing multiple competing priorities and complex projects
• Preparing and delivering presentations to executive leadership, public officials, and stakeholder groups
• State government procurement principles and practices
• Conducting highly complex competitive procurements
• Contract administration and supplier relationship management
• Project management
• Management and leadership principles

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience leading Medicaid procurements or healthcare contracting.
• Knowledge of CMS procurement requirements.
• Experience with Information technology procurement
• Professional procurement certification (NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPPB, CPSM, or equivalent).
• Working knowledge of technology, such as AI, ERP, and Microsoft 365 applications

Please note: The successful candidate will be required to pass a fingerprint-based background check.

This position will also interact with a diverse customer base and must be able to interact in a non-partisan manner when working in political environments.

Thank you for your interest in employment with the Department of Administration!

If you have questions about this position please contact us at:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 208.332.1819

Benefits:

The State of Idaho offers a robust total compensation package, including medical, vision, and dental insurance; PERSI retirement benefits; paid sick, vacation, and parental leave; and 11 paid holidays per year. For additional information related to benefits and/or State programs, please visit https://dhr.idaho.gov/StateEmployees/Benefits.html.*