A key job opening for category management and wide-open (office) spaces

OMB seeks category manager for IT

The Office of Management and Budget wants to capitalize on the scale of the federal government's purchasing power in IT hardware acquisition and software licensing.

"We act too much right now like many, many different agencies as opposed to one federal government," OMB Director Shaun Donovan told a House panel in March. As part of that effort, OMB is now seeking to fill the post of IT category manager, per a recent listing on USAJobs.

The senior-level position pays $121,956 to $168,700 per year and comes with a two-year appointment that can be extended for two years. OMB is looking for candidates with more than 10 years of acquisition experience. A top-secret clearance is also required. The job reports to the federal CIO and the administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy.

The category manager will be responsible for developing plans to improve coordination, streamline acquisitions and eliminate redundancies across federal IT portfolios.

Applications are due by April 10.

GSA opens up in the heartland

Almost 1,000 General Services Administration employees who work at the massive Region 6 site in Kansas City, Mo., completed their move to a new workspace that uses open office space similar to what the agency implemented at its headquarters in Washington, D.C.

In an April 3 post on the GSA website, agency officials said Region 6's move from a World War II-era manufacturing facility to leased space in the heart of Kansas City's business district took three years. It concluded March 25 when all workers officially reported to the new building, known as Two Pershing Square.

The site has an open layout with workstation and room scheduling via the BookIT! System, telephone and collaboration rooms, "room wizard" touchpads in conference and meeting rooms, and state-of-the-art teleconferencing technology.