Please Note: This is a temporary, full-time position.
Position Summary: Reporting to the Executive Director, Procurement Strategy, the Project Manager will develop trackers, reporting, and procedures to ensure each item in the team's entire portfolio of procurements has a strategic plan that allows for a reduced procurement cycle time and the appropriate reduction in reliance on extensions and renewals. The Project Manager will liaise with each member on the team to keep track of each procurement item, both active and pending, to ensure progress towards timely registration and new competitive solicitation. The Project Manager is also the team's ombudsperson on case escalations, responding to inquiries from the Chief of Staff and senior leadership.
Given the insight into the details of each procurement within the portfolio, this position provides strategic direction and makes recommendations to senior leadership regarding improvements to workstreams and processes that balance the integrity of the procurement process with the need for the timely procurement of goods and services. The Project Manager will own weekly / biweekly / monthly invitations and coordination of prep work for meetings between the procurement team and the client offices and schools. They will partner with other teams in DCP to ensure contract items are making progress with vendor investigation, cost-price analysis, panel approval, and registration.
The Project Manager will support the Deputy Executive Director in the operations and logistics of implementing the team-, division-, agency-, and citywide strategic vision for procurement. Working collaboratively with all project managers across the division to support division- and agency-wide initiatives related to contracts and procurement, the Project Manager develops and maintains project plans to ensure success. They will also work collaboratively across the division to support projects related to implementation and protocols for all parts of the procurement process. Performs related work.
Reports to: Executive Director, (Various teams within DCP) - Curriculum Instruction and School Support, Health and Human Service (HHS), Technology, Transportation, Facilities and Food (TFF).
Direct Reports: N/A
Key Relationships: All levels of DCP staff, including the Chief and Deputy Chief Procurement Officers; NYCPS Office of General Counsel, Office of Supplier Diversity; New York City Comptroller's Office, New York City Law Department, New York City Office of Management and Budget, New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), Mayor's Office of Contract Services, New York State Office of General Services (OGS), various NYCPS Central Offices, Superintendents' Offices, Division of School Leadership, NYC Public/Non-Public Schools, vendors, and others as assigned.
Responsibilities - Maintains a comprehensive tracker of every procurement item within the team's portfolio. Organizes and leads weekly check-in meetings to ensure progress is made on each pending item and a strategy is established for each active contract.
- Develops implementation and project plans for new procurements; customizes schedules and SLAs for distribution by the procurement team.
- Works across the procurement team to ensure the timely and accurate compilation and submission of documentation to the cost price analysis, vendor investigation, and registration teams.
- Actively monitors, tracks, and communicates the submission and approval status of contract actions.
- Manages multiple projects and supports initiatives under the direction of the Director.
- Responds to and implements ad hoc project requests from the Deputy Executive Director, Executive Director, and senior DCP / NYCPS leadership.
- Coordinates resolution of high-priority situations and handles with the highest level of professional discretion and independent judgment.
- Schedules weekly / biweekly / monthly review meetings of active contracts and upcoming solicitations with client offices and schools to ensure proactive planning and execution of division-wide procurement strategy. Takes and disseminates notes and next steps.
- Ensures the procurement team has developed materials for meetings with NYCPS senior leadership to discuss contract actions prior to the public posting of contract agendas; attends these meetings to obtain action items and ensures follow-ups are addressed.
- Coordinates the creation of talking points on each contract item proposed to Panel for the Chief Procurement Officer; manages across to ensure completion.
- Coordinates, reviews, and submits any procurement team responses to contract-related inquiries received from Panel and COC members and other interested parties.
- Provides project coordination and technical assistance to other teams within DCP and other offices to ensure successful policy implementation and programmatic initiatives.
- Participates in team, office, and cross-divisional meetings, representing the team and providing project management support.
- Supports strong, productive working relationships with client offices and schools to ensure effective, cohesive, and consistent policy implementation and protocols.
- Ensures that process development and communications are aligned and cohesive by working with the other project managers in the other procurement units on the development of standard operating procedures, training, and resources.
- Prepares briefs and memos for leadership, providing recommendations on how to create efficiencies in the procurement processes to improve cycle times of procurements and outcomes.
- Reviews and relays contract status information to appropriate parties, utilizing the division's contracts systems as well as PASSPort and other relevant systems.
- Produces reports on various attributes of the procurement items in the portfolio and develops summaries for leadership review and action.
Preferred - Self-starter with a sense of urgency who can adapt to changing priorities and work effectively in a fast-paced environment
- Able to work under pressure and to meet deadlines consistently, which requires evening hours on posting deadlines, Panel days, and as needed.
- Ability to collaborate on a team and with a diverse set of stakeholders
- Strong interpersonal skills in dealing with education and non-education personnel, internal and external to NYCPS
- Demonstrated strong project and event management skills
- Organizational skills, with a high attention to detail
- Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, including 365 and especially Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint
- Attention to detail and able to follow-through
- Time management skills, especially when handling multiple high-priority projects simultaneously
- Excellent problem solving and analytical skills, especially with data analysis
- Ability to evaluate documents for financial and chronological inconsistencies.
- Experience with technology and process redesign initiatives, from definition through implementation and change management.
Salary: $40/Per Hour (Internal candidates who are selected for this position and who currently hold comparable or less senior positions within the DOE will not earn less than their current salary.)
Please include a resume and cover letter with your application. NOTE: The filling of all positions is subject to budget availability and/or grant funding. * New York City Residency is NOT Required * We encourage all applicants from the New York City tri-state area to apply. 
