IT Operations Manager - State of Washington : Job Details

The Office of Secretary of State (OSOS) offers some of the most unique and diverse job opportunities in state government. Its critical responsibilities include: ensuring a fair and accurate elections process; connecting Washingtonians through the power of libraries; protecting our important government records; and registering corporations and charities. The Secretary of State also administers vital community programs that inspire giving, document our history, and assist crime survivors in avoiding further abuse. This independent office under the state Constitution operates from facilities in the Olympia area and statewide.

The OSOS is looking for top-performing employees who embody its core values of integrity, service excellence, visionary leadership, collaboration and teamwork. It is committed to both employee growth and work-life balance. The benefits of working in state government also include potential eligibility for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Visit our website at: www.sos.wa.gov.

The Division of Information Technology (IT) is a support arm of the entire organization-touching every program, every division, all staff members, and most stakeholders. IT is a division comprised of several programs that drive OSOS operations. These programs include: Applications Development, Systems Administration, Service Desk Support, IT Project Management and IT Policy and Planning. This IT position maintains expertise in a wide range of technology and their application to customers.IT Operations ManagerPermanent, Full-TimeThis position provides technical and organizational direction to the three IT Operations teams – One of them provides office wide desktop support and the two other teams provide infrastructure support for both on-prem and SaaS solutions. This position is responsible for strategic planning, communication, leadership, employing project management principles and executing a change control process. This position is a subject matter expert in multiple IT disciplines in order to effectively advise and support the office. The primary responsibilities for this position include providing strategic and long-term planning for the teams that provide IT Operations support that includes supporting network, storage and backup infrastructure, disaster recovery, O365 platform and overall cloud and physical infrastructure and desktop support. This position directs the operations and maintenance of system platforms to attain the maximum potential and performance in order to achieve OSOS's business goals.Each of the three teams that report to this position, perform critical functions in support of the office's mission and business objectives. The IT Operations Manager is responsible for organizing and prioritizing the work for the three teams to ensure quality, efficiency and alignment with the needs and functions of the divisions in the office. This position also develops, maintains and implements standards, guidelines and procedures. The incumbent also serves as the office's main point of contact for escalation of enterprise IT operations issues. The Operations Manager must establish and maintain strong working relationships with OSOS's vendors and partners (e.g WaTech, DES, Microsoft).Manages IT Operations StaffTasksinclude:

• Perform supervisory duties that include onboarding, orientation and training.
• Understands the director's vision for the division. Establish new positions as well as updates existing positions accordingly, by writing accurate position descriptions that reflect the roles and responsibilities.
• Conducts Performance Development Plans annually.
• Coordinates and implements work assignments and project plans.
• Consults and provide expert technical guidance and advice to the team.
• Acts on leave requests; approves overtime, travel, purchases and equipment.
• Resolves workplace conflicts; manage work and remote work schedules.
• Makes recommendations to division director and deputy director regarding hiring, discipline and termination actions.
• Engages with team members through mentoring and coaching to help them advance their technical skills and abilities; explain the reasoning and benefit of project priorities and program commitments.

Applies independent judgement in performance and delegation of the following tasks to manage the Systems AdministratorsTasks include:

• Develops, interprets, and applies policies and procedures governing the overall delivery of IT services.
• Works with the architects to establish the office's technical vision and leads technological development and strategic planning for both short term and long-term goals.
• Build a roadmap for secure, integrated and cloud-based technical services.
• Creates and maintains a governance process within the Operations unit to ensure high-quality delivery of IT operations and projects.
• Creates and maintains the technical specifications and design documents for applications and systems.
• Provides technical expertise and recommendations to Chief Information Officer and Executive Leadership.
• Solves most complex technology problems related to IT infrastructure; Builds streamlined solutions by consolidating and integrating new initiatives with the existing internal systems and with partner agencies.
• Gather business requirements from program managers and stakeholders to design to evaluate multi-system technological solutions, as needed that meet business needs.
• Participates in WaTech workgroups with other state agency representatives as WaTech creates and updates state policies, standards and guidelines.
• Conducts research and understands the diverse business and their technological needs.
• Creates and evaluates multi-system technical designs for implementing and managing technology by collaborating with the architects in the design process.
• Propose and implement new technology services and service delivery methods to support an increasingly collaborative and mobile workforce.

Manages IT Operations Budgets and ProjectsTasks include:

• Reviews budget allotments and expenditures for IT Operations by working closely with the budgeting and accounting teams.
• Supports project efforts which vary in scope from program/division to multi-agency partnerships outside of OSOS.
• Ensures the delivery of assigned project tasks necessary for successful, on time, project completion.
• Applies project management principles, methods and practices to assigned projects and initiatives such as Kanban, Scrum, S.M.A.R.T. objectives, etc.
• Evaluates and approves purchase of hardware, software or vendor supplied services.
• Conducts analysis and prepares short-range roadmap of IT services and projects and adjusts as necessary.
• Supports senior IT positions in Architecture, Application Development and Project Management Office, by doing or reassigning senior level tasks when those staff members are out, or unavailable.
• Aligns IT Operations with Applications Development and PMO by working in close partnership with the other managers and senior architects in the division.
• Reports out to peers on the IT management team on progress and performance of IT projects and support functions, including metrics on customers served, quality of support, and unmet support needs.

Strategic planning and development of IT Policies, Standards and Procedures that impact the IT operations unitTasks Include:

• Reviews and updates policies, standards and procedures. Collaborates with architects very closely as these are being developed. Ensure written policies are written in plain talk that is understandable by non-technical staff.
• Creates standards and guidelines to supplement and streamline policies and procedures.
• Communicate policies, standards and procedures to enforce governance.
• Make exceptions to policies and procedures when needed.
• Re-write and recommend updates to state and agency policy.
• Develop and deliver technical recommendations on the design, standardization and organization of the OSOS IT operations model to best align with the office's mission and business objectives.
• Develop strong working relationships with oversight and partner entities including both state and federal agencies (e.g. OCS, SAO, OFM, DHS, FBI, etc.)

Manage contracts, vendors and purchasingTasks:

• Manages contracts with vendors and contractors related to IT operations functions within OSOS.
• Assists with the development of baseline software, system, and device requirements and configurations in the development of formal documents like RFQ, RFI, RFP, contracts, memorandums of understanding, service-level agreements.
• Researches, evaluates, and provides recommendations to management on software and hardware being considered for purchase.
• Responsible for the creation of proposals or quotes for all IT related purchases.
• Provides input for the budgeting, procurement and replacing of IT systems office wide.

Required Qualifications:

• Ten years of progressively more responsible experience analyzing, designing, managing, and operating server, network, and storage infrastructure.
• A minimum of four years of experience managing in an IT environment, holding various leadership or management roles leading technology teams providing a wide spectrum of services.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to read and write English Language.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A bachelor's Degree in computer science, information technology, or related field, and six years of progressive experience analyzing, designing, managing, and operating server, network, and storage infrastructure.
• Master's Degree in computer science, information technology, or related field.
• A minimum of three years of experience designing, managing, supporting, and maintaining cloud infrastructure.

PLEASE READ: If you have gotten this far and are thinking you do not qualify, consider again. Studies have shown that members of historically marginalized and underrepresented communities, specifically women and people of color, are less likely to apply to jobs unless they clearly meet every single qualification. At the Office of the Secretary of State, we are dedicated to building a diverse and authentic work force with a foundation of belonging. If you are excited about this role and have relevant experience and skills, but question whether your experience aligns perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply regardless. You may just be the ideal candidate this office needs.Working ConditionsIn this position, the incumbent works primarily in an office setting, which will require the ability to sit and/or stand for extended periods of time. The standard work hours are Monday-Friday 8am - 5pm; however, work can be required outside of standard hours to include evenings, weekends, and holidays.Travel to all office sites located in the state when needed. This could involve overnight trips and/or extended stays.The incumbent in this position must be able to represent the Office of the Secretary of State in a competent, confident, and professional manner, including professional dress, and be able to clearly and effectively communicate ideas and information both verbally and in writing, and work successfully with a wide variety of people in a team environment.The incumbent in this position must have the ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, and coordinate with other operational areas to resolve complaints or conflicts; and be able to move and maneuver objects weighing approximately 50 lbs with or without reasonableaccommodation.Special Requirements

• This position is in a bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) and is subject to the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the State of Washington, The Office of the Secretary of State, and the WFSE.
• Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal record history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position.
• Must have current Washington state driver's license or have requested and obtained an appropriate accommodation.

How to Apply

• Required:To be considered for this position you must attach the following:
  • Letter of interestdescribing how your experience and qualifications relate to the duties and qualifications of the position.
  • Current resume
• Three Professional references.Personal references will not be considered.
• You must complete the supplemental questions at the end of this application. Incomplete responses such as see resume will not be considered.
• All veterans must include a copy of your DD214 to receive preference in the hiring process. You must black out your social security number before attaching it to your application.

The Office of the Secretary of State is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). We do not discriminate on the basis of religion, age, gender, marital status, color, creed, national origin, political affiliation, military status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any sensory, mental or physical ability. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply.#J-18808-Ljbffr