Deputy Commissioner of Operations

Job Location: This position will be located in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Why you’ll love this position:

Created by the General Assembly in 1973, the Office of Administration (OA) serves as the administrative and managerial arm of the Office of the Governor and coordinates the central management functions of state government to help executive departments operate efficiently and effectively. OA has an executive team (Commissioner of OA and Deputy Commissioner of OA) who oversee OA’s seven divisions (Accounting, Budget and Planning, Facilities Management Design and Construction, General Services, Information Technology Services, Personnel, and Purchasing) and various boards, commissions, and programs assigned to it.

To achieve OA’s vision of excellent customer service, every time, OA’s executive team and leadership are implementing policy changes, innovation solutions, and process improvements within OA to better serve our statewide team members and citizen customers. To support these initiatives, OA is expanding our executive team to include a Deputy Commissioner of Operations to support and work with the current Deputy Commissioner of OA. This executive will function as the department's Chief Operating Officer (COO), bringing a strong background in operational excellence, process re-engineering, and strategic project management.

A critical and immediate priority for this role will be to provide oversight for MOVERS (Missouri Vital Enterprise Resource System), the state's largest-ever government reform initiative. This massive, multi-phase project is replacing disparate legacy systems (including SAM II, MissouriBUYS, and SAM II HR) with a single, cloud-based enterprise solution. The MOVERS Project Director will report directly to this position. We are seeking a proven operational leader who can "lean in," stabilize this complex project, and drive it and other key initiatives to a successful conclusion.

• Serve as the department's functional Chief Operating Officer (COO), working closely with OA leadership on day-to-day operations. You will translate executive strategy into actionable operational plans, measurable goals, and a culture of data-based decision making.
• Implement and champion continuous improvement methodologies, such as Lean Six Sigma, to increase efficiency, reduce waste, and improve service delivery. Develop performance metrics and analyze operations to evaluate agency performance and ensure a customer-centric approach.
• Facilitate, lead, and oversee high-priority, state-level strategic initiatives. This role will assume direct executive oversight for the MOVERS project, providing strategic leadership to the Project Director, diagnosing project challenges, addressing performance issues, and implementing a clear path for stabilization and success.
• Coach and lead directors and state team members towards a culture of teamwork, continuous improvement, high performance, and accountability, modeling excellence in leadership and acting with urgency to achieve results.
• Provide information and advice to OA leadership, the Governor’s Office, and the Cabinet on planning, development, and operations. You will participate in the legislative process by conferring on policy priorities, assisting in the implementation of legislative changes, and representing the agency at meetings with legislators.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Professional skills such as those that may be learned through a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited college or university in Business Administration, Public Administration, Operations Management, Finance, or a similar field, OR four to eight years in a high-level operational leadership role.
• Additional education and/or experience may substitute for these qualifications. Lack of post-secondary education will not be used as the sole basis for denying consideration to any applicant.
• Proven history of serving in senior leadership roles with the ability to work as part of a fast-paced, high-performance team.
• Verifiable expertise in business process re-engineering, change management, and operational efficiency methodologies.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Formal certification in Lean Six Sigma (e.g., Green or Black Belt), Project Management (PMP), or Agile/Scrum methodologies.
• Demonstrated, hands-on experience leading at least one large-scale, complex enterprise system implementation (e.g., ERP, financial system, HRIS).
• Must be action-oriented, demonstrate superior organizational abilities, and have strong facilitation and excellent communications skills.
• Excellent leadership abilities: an effective collaborator with energy, enthusiasm, and a can-do attitude who can empower others, gain buy-in, and achieve results.
• A creative problem-solver who thrives when presented with a challenge and has experience leading the "turnaround" of at-risk projects.
• Experience in public sector or government operations, particularly with state-level procurement, finance, or HR systems.
• Excellent ability to conceptualize long-term goals and develop orderly processes to accomplish those goals.

Successful background check results are required for employment in this position. This may include background checks involving a candidate's name and/or fingerprints and other screenings as needed for the specific position.

Authorization to work in the United States is a prerequisite of employment. The Office of Administration will not sponsor applicants for work visas.

The State of Missouri offers an excellent benefits package that includes a defined pension plan, generous amounts of leave and holiday time, and eligibility for health insurance coverage. Your total compensation is more than the dollars you receive in your paycheck. To help demonstrate the value of working for the State of Missouri, we have created an interactive Total Compensation Calculator. This tool provides a comprehensive view of benefits and more that are offered to prospective employees. The Total Compensation Calculator and other applicant resources can be found here .

OARecruiters@oa.mo.gov

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• State of Missouri

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