Executive Director

Overview:

The Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) is an agency within the Executive Office for Administration and Finance of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with a mission of serving diverse and small businesses and agencies of the Commonwealth. The mission of the SDO is to serve minority, women, veteran, service-disabled veteran, disability, LGBT-owned, and small businesses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, including the responsibility to certify eligible businesses. Learn more about the SDO at: http://www.mass.gov/sdo .

The SDO is seeking a dynamic, experienced and diversity-focused executive for the position of Executive Director with a high level of professionalism and integrity, strong communication and organizational skills, and desire to lead an innovative fast-paced, mission and performance driven agency. The Executive Director is the administrative head of the SDO pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 7, Section 59 and is responsible for enforcing SDO's statutes, Executive Orders and regulations and establishing, implementing and achieving agency strategic goals and priorities consistent with those of the administration.

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive):

Reporting to the Secretary of the Executive Office for Administration and Finance and on a dotted-line basis to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Access and Opportunity in the Office of the Governor, the Executive Director plays a vital role in leading government-wide efforts to expand opportunities for diverse and small businesses with state and local government entities. Through strategic leadership, stakeholder engagement, and management of SDO programs and staff, the Executive Director works to deliver a more inclusive and equitable procurement and contracting process while driving positive economic outcomes for diverse and small businesses and communities across the state.

Key Responsibilities:

The Executive Director will oversee the following SDO units:

• Diverse and Small Business Certification
• Programs and Engagement
• Communications, Marketing, Policy and Training
• Compliance and Quality Assurance
• Performance and Project Management
• Veteran Business Development and Partnerships
• IT Systems and Data Analytics
• Finance and Operations
• Legal

The Executive Director will also:

• Drive a cross-government strategy for expanding opportunities for diverse and small businesses to contract with state and local agencies.
• Develop and implement comprehensive strategies for identifying, evaluating, and engaging diverse suppliers and eliminating barriers to their participation.
• Develop annual goals and strategic plans to further legal mandates, priorities of the administration and the agency's mission.
• Partner with Commonwealth departments, quasi and independent public agencies to develop strategic roadmaps to incorporate supplier diversity principles into procurement activities.
• As the agency head, model the Agency's mission, vision, and values among senior leadership and agency staff and hold them accountable for the same.
• Lead all staff responsible for oversight of SDO programs, including the certification, compliance, supplier diversity, small business purchasing, persons with disabilities and municipal affirmative marketing programs for construction contracting.
• Ensure that all diverse and small certification applicants and already certified businesses receive quality customer service and support from the SDO.
• Supervise senior leadership members, holding them accountable for the operations and management of their divisions.
• Actively participate in meetings of the SDO Diverse and Small Business Advisory Board and provide support to the Board Chair and members, including meeting presentations, agendas and policy discussions.
• Oversee the preparation and issuance of the SDO Annual Report, including the Commonwealth overall and secretariat and agency performance against established benchmarks, spending and other key performance indicators.
• Oversee the agency's overall performance, including agency operations, finances, legal, procurement, policies, programs, communications, internal controls and overall agency management and make strategic adjustments as necessary.
• Maintain positive relationships with and meet with legislators, internal and external partners, constituents, and other governmental bodies and business organizations.
• Ensure that the SDO remains focused on and prioritizes community and stakeholder outreach, training and guidance to public buyers, diverse and small businesses and prime contractors on business opportunities and the logistics and available resources for navigating the public procurement and certification processes.
• In collaboration with the SDO's Diversity Officer and Leadership and in support of the Agency's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Vision Statement, maintain and promote a diverse and respectful culture, where we recruit, hire and retain diverse talent that reflects the diverse businesses that we serve and foster an environment where the unique skills, capabilities, viewpoints and opinions of all employees are valued in order to enhance belonging, empathy, creativity and innovation.
• Represent the SDO or delegate staff to represent the SDO in public meetings, legislative hearings, speaking engagements, conferences and in community and public relations events.
• Continue to establish and maintain strong strategic partnerships with diverse and small business organizations by identifying mutually beneficial opportunities to increase engagement, foster connections and increase impact.
• Implement measures to increase transparency in SDO programs, business opportunities, resources, and results and communicate successes, challenges, and opportunities to relevant stakeholders and solicit feedback for continuous improvement.
• Continue to monitor, identify and implement best practices in public and private sector supplier diversity programs, resources and reporting on key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure program effectiveness.
• Perform other duties, as needed.

Preferred Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will have:

• Significant professional experience in public administration and/or business administration/management.
• In-depth understanding of supplier diversity, as well as general knowledge of public procurement and contracting.
• Experience in organizational leadership including fiscal management, strategic planning, and management of executive level staff. Experience as an Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operating Officer (COO) or other head of an organization/agency head title is a plus.
• Proficient in use of Microsoft Office products including Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and Excel and comfortable with and able to quickly pick up new technology/digital tools.
• Demonstrated commitment to and experience in diversity, equity and inclusion as it relates to supplier diversity, procurement, and/or supply chain management, preferably in a public sector environment and demonstrated support of and commitment to maintaining Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in programs, policies, practices, and activities.
• Strong leadership skills and the demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategic initiatives to drive positive outcomes for the SDO and the Commonwealth as a whole.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, presentation, analytical and problem-solving skills and collaboration, and relationship-building skills, with the competency to engage diverse stakeholders effectively and develop and maintain meaningful professional working relationships with internal and external partners.
• Experience in public procurement, contracting, administration and/or purchasing, including knowledge of public contracting and procurement policies and procedures.
• Demonstrated skill in exercising a high degree of initiative, judgment, professionalism, ethical standards, discretion and decision making in achieving objectives, resolving problems and representing an organization, its people, and the constituents it serves.
• Goal-driven, creative and forward-looking skills.
• Strong organizational skills, highly motivated and able to manage multiple complex tasks at the same time, able to work independently and also collaboratively and to effectively listen to different opinions and recommendations and make independent and sound decisions.

Pre-Hire Process:

Education, licensure and certifications will be verified in accordance with the Human Resources Division's Hiring Guidelines.

Education and license/certification information provided by the selected candidate(s) is subject to the Massachusetts Public Record Law and may be published on the Commonwealth's website.

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, persons with disabilities and LGBT persons are strongly encouraged to apply.

Qualifications:
MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must have at least (A) seven (7) years of full-time or, equivalent part-time, professional, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in business administration, business management, public administration, public management, clinical administration or clinical management of which (B) at least four (4) years must have been in a managerial capacity.

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.