Ascension LLC is seeking a senior-level Procurement Transformation Program Manager to serve as the Project Lead for a College-wide procurement centralization and modernization initiative.

This Independent Contractor will lead Frederick Community College’s transition from a decentralized procurement structure to a centralized, policy-driven, Level-3 standardized procurement environment aligned with Maryland COMAR Title 21 and higher education best practices.

The selected contractor will function as the primary engagement lead responsible for delivering defined project outcomes across governance, policy development, workflow modernization, contract management, and institutional change adoption.

This is a project-based consulting engagement requiring executive-level communication skills, regulatory fluency, and demonstrated success leading complex public-sector procurement transformation initiatives.

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Scope of Services

The Project Lead will direct and oversee all phases of the procurement transformation engagement, including:

• Assessment validation and project foundation setting
• Development of a College-wide Procurement Policy
• COMAR Title 21 crosswalk and regulatory alignment
• Governance model and Steering Committee framework establishment
• Future-state procurement workflow and approval design
• Development of internal and external Procurement Manuals
• Terms and Conditions modernization
• Contract management framework design
• KPI framework implementation aligned to Level-3 maturity objectives
• Role-based training strategy and stakeholder adoption support
• Executive reporting and risk mitigation oversight

The contractor is responsible for delivering outcomes aligned with the Performance Work Statement and phased implementation roadmap.

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Core Responsibilities

Program Governance & Executive Interface

• Serve as primary College-facing engagement lead
• Establish governance cadence and executive reporting framework
• Develop and manage phased 12–36 month roadmap
• Deliver executive-level briefings and milestone updates
• Maintain RAID logs, project dashboards, and reporting artifacts

Policy & Regulatory Alignment

• Lead development of Procurement Policy aligned to COMAR Title 21
• Develop comprehensive Procurement Policy Manual
• Produce COMAR crosswalk documentation
• Recommend thresholds, delegations, and approval structures
• Ensure compliance with Maryland regulatory requirements

Workflow & Process Modernization

• Direct future-state design for requisitioning, sourcing, approvals, and contracting
• Develop workflow diagrams suitable for ERP/eProcurement integration
• Establish RACI models and internal control checkpoints
• Align workflows with Level-3 maturity capabilities.

Change Management & Institutional Adoption

• Develop stakeholder engagement and communication strategy
• Facilitate executive workshops and SME working sessions
• Coordinate training framework and adoption support
• Mitigate resistance and drive campus-wide behavioral alignment

Performance Measurement & Continuous Improvement

• Design KPI framework covering compliance, efficiency, and adoption
• Establish measurable success criteria
• Track progress toward Level-3 maturity outcomes
• Implement continuous improvement mechanisms

Contract Management & Risk Oversight

• Develop contract management framework aligned to COMAR
• Strengthen oversight, monitoring, renewal, and closeout practices
• Modernize standardized Terms and Conditions library
• Embed risk mitigation protocols into governance model

Accessibility & Compliance

• Ensure Section 508 compliance across deliverables
• Maintain confidentiality and compliance with institutional data requirements