IT BUDGET & CONTRACT SPECIALIST

The Department of Social Services (DSS) is comprised of the administrative units of the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). HRA is dedicated to fighting poverty and income inequality by providing New Yorkers in need with essential benefits such as Food Assistance and Emergency Rental Assistance. DHS is committed to preventing and addressing homelessness in New York City by employing a variety of innovative strategies to help families and individuals successfully exit shelter and return to self-sufficiency as quickly as possible.
Information Technology Services (ITS) is DSS’s technology services organization. ITS mission is to support the daily, emergent, and long-term needs of both agencies. ITS creates and enhances the technology infrastructure and computer applications that support HRA and DHS and develops applications, including a variety of client eligibility and recertification systems, case management systems, housing systems, employment/work engagement services, revenue producing computer matches, claiming systems, and personnel systems.
Information Technology Services (ITS) is recruiting for one (1) IT Project Specialist, to function as an IT Budget and Contract Specialist, who will:
- Be responsible for planning, managing, and monitoring the financial, contractual, and procurement activities supporting the ITS technology investment portfolio. The selected candidate will partner with executive leadership, project teams, procurement, and finance organizations to ensure technology initiatives are appropriately funded, procured, and financially managed throughout their lifecycle.:
- Develop comprehensive IT project budgets, multi-year financial forecasts, cost estimates, and funding requests supporting enterprise technology initiatives. Prepare Statements of Work (SOWs), Independent Cost Estimates (ICE), procurement documentation, and executive funding justifications for submission to the Office of Budget Administration (OBA) and other oversight organizations.
- Lead development of Requests for Proposal (RFPs), Requests for Information (RFI), Statements of Work (SOWs), Task Orders, contract amendments, renewals, and other procurement documents. Participate in procurement planning, vendor evaluations, negotiations, proposal scoring, and contract award activities while ensuring compliance with City procurement policies.
- Administer the complete lifecycle of IT consultant and vendor contracts, including budget monitoring, contract modifications, renewals, invoice reconciliation, consultant utilization, vendor performance tracking, deliverable validation, and financial compliance.
- Coordinate with ITS program managers, ACCO, OBA, OMB, Finance, Legal, and vendor organizations to manage project financial milestones, procurement schedules, funding approvals, project risks, and contractual dependencies.
- Monitor financial performance across the ITS project portfolio by analyzing project expenditures, funding availability, budget variances, consultant utilization, total cost of ownership, and forecasted spending. Develop executive dashboards and portfolio reports supporting strategic investment decisions.
- Develop, maintain, and monitor Consultant Services Plans, technology spending plans, and fiscal year financial projections across multiple object codes. Prepare funding requests, monitor approved budgets, analyze spending trends, identify funding risks, and recommend corrective actions to ensure projects remain financially sustainable.
- Execute end-to-end IT invoicing workflows, ensuring strict alignment between contract budget documents and vendor billings. Manage comprehensive invoice tracking reports to monitor budget utilization and prevent overspending. Facilitate timely processing of IT invoices by conducting detailed reconciliations.
- Participate in year-end contract accrual exercises to ensure financial reporting complies with accounting standards by matching expenses to the period in which they were incurred.
- Monitor and track the lifecycle of all open encumbrances, reconciling outstanding invoices against actual expenditures, and preparing encumbrance requests, ensuring that all the invoices can be paid on timely manner.
Hours/Shift:
9:00am - 5:00pm
IT PROJECT SPECIALIST - 95710

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college in computer science, engineering, human computer interaction, interactive media, digital and graphics design, data visualization, communication or a related field, and four years of satisfactory full-time experience related to the area(s) required by the particular position and a specialization in a relevant technology, process, methodology and/or domain; or
2. An associate degree from an accredited college in computer science, engineering, human computer interaction, interactive media, digital and graphics design, data visualization, communication or a related field, and six years of satisfactory full-time experience related to the area(s) required by the particular position and a specialization in a relevant technology, process, methodology and/or domain; or
3. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, and eight years of satisfactory full-time experience related to the area(s) required by the particular position and a specialization in a relevant technology, process, methodology and/or domain; or
4. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1", "2", or "3" above.

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.