IT Director, Applications

The IT Director, Applications, will report to the Chief Information & Technology Officer in the Division of Innovation & Technology. The IT Director’s role is to plan, organize, and manage staff and overall operations to ensure the stable operation of the organization’s entire Technology Application portfolio. This includes developing, maintaining, supporting, and optimizing key enterprise and departmental application portfolio, particularly Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Enterprise Asset Management (EAM), Software as a Service (SaaS) Applications, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Business Intelligence (BI), Custom Application development, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), etc.

The Director of IT, Applications will work closely with decision makers for the San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans), the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (Caltrain), and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (TA) and other departments to identify, recommend, develop, implement, and support cost-effective technology solutions for the entire district. This individual will apply proven communication and problem-solving skills to guide and assist the user group on issues related to the design, development, and deployment of mission-critical information and software systems. In addition, the director of IT's primary goals are to develop and manage application portfolio for each department and to attain all IT service level agreements for the user community within the organization.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Sunday, May 12, 2024 (1st cutoff April 21, 2024)

Essential Functions & Duties:

• Develop, direct, and oversee the implementation of strategies, goals, objectives, policies, procedures, and work standards for the application department.
• Works closely with the Chief Information Officer and other District management staff regarding the development and implementation of long- and short-term strategies for the delivery of effective technology services, District-wide.
• Contribute to the department’s service quality through the development and implementation of policies and procedures to meet legal requirements, District needs, and strategic objectives.
• Conduct research and make recommendations on products, services, protocols, and standards in support of all infrastructure procurement and development efforts.
• Define and manage the technology roadmap for the applications portfolio, ensuring it supports the long-term goals.
• Establish service level agreements with business units.
• Ensure that goals, performance metrics, and other requirements associated with the day-to-day operations of the division are achieved.
• Conduct feasibility studies for various upgrade projects, improvements, and other conversions.
• Develop, Manage and Maintain Enterprise Application Architecture.
• Provide leadership on all project management activities. Plan, coordinate and monitor all aspects of projects that translate business objectives and requirements into workable plans.
• Direct the management of innovation and technology research, development, conversion, installation, and maintenance projects.
• Participate in planning processes to evaluate the operational functionality and recommend enhancements for operational effectiveness.
• Direct, plans and participate in systems design and oversees the development and implementation processes.
• Manage operational costs; conduct near- and long-term financial forecasts for expanded functionality/user base.
• Establish and maintain regular communications with the executives and , decision-makers, stakeholders, department heads, and end users regarding infrastructure activities.
• Develop, implement, and manage Service Level Agreements (SLAs), including coordinating discussions with stakeholder management regarding current and anticipated service requirements and alternative approaches.
• Develop and manage IT policies and procedures related to Enterprise & Departmental Applications and its security.
• Oversee major Project and IT Service delivery. Plans, coordinates, and monitors all aspects of internal information system-specific projects, which translate business objectives and requirements into workable plans, requirements documents, technical and functional design documents, and models.
• Supervise staff. Hires, mentors, and takes appropriate corrective and/or disciplinary action. Participate in selection, coordinates staff training, establishes performance objectives, monitors, and evaluates employee performance.
• Represents the IT department at district committees and regional committees.
• Inspects work for accuracy and completeness. Evaluates work techniques and methods for consistency with standards.
• Acquisition & Deployment, Prepare RFPs, bid proposals, contracts, scope of work reports, and other documentation for application projects and associated efforts.
• Negotiate with vendors, outsourcers, and contractors to secure software products and services.
• Assist with the planning and deployment of application security measures.

Examples of Duties

• Where necessary, re-engineer applications support to ensure it aligns with business processes, tactical planning, and strategic vision.
• Review performance of IT systems to determine operating costs, productivity levels, and upgrade requirements.
• Benchmark, analyze, report on, and make recommendations for the improvement of the IT systems.
• Develop bid requirements for all hardware and software upgrades, reviews submitted bids for compliance with stated requirements, and makes the appropriate award.
• Authorize and oversee the deployment, monitoring, maintenance, development, and support of all hardware and software based on department needs.
• Develop business case justifications and cost/benefit analyses for IT spending and initiatives.
• Direct research on potential technology solutions and implementations in support of new initiatives, opportunities, and procurement efforts.
• Manage IT application staffing, including recruitment, supervision, scheduling, development, evaluation, and disciplinary actions.
• Establish metrics for success, enhances Application deployment processes, and documents standard operating procedures.
• Guides technical design decisions, plans IT application architecture, and fulfills additional duties as assigned.
• Support audit and regulatory requests as well as maintain documentation to support those requests.
• Coordinate departmental activities and special projects to ensure quality, cost-effectiveness, and meeting deadlines.
• Manages deliverable estimation process, resource allocation and efficient utilization; negotiates resource conflicts with other project Directors or resources as appropriate.
• Perform all job duties and responsibilities in a safe manner to protect oneself, fellow employees and the public from injury or harm. Promote safety awareness and follow safety procedures to reduce or eliminate accidents.
• Leading technical design decisions by analyzing situations, identifying issues, advising staff, recommending solutions, resolving complex technological problems, and evaluating outcomes.
• Planning and implementing architecture for an agency?s IT application portfolio.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Advises CITO (Chief Information Technology Officer) regarding technology training needs.
• Perform all job duties and responsibilities in a safe manner to protect one’s self, fellow employees, and the public from injury or harm. Promote safety awareness and follow safety procedures in an effort to reduce or eliminate accidents.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

Sufficient experience, training and/or education to demonstrate the knowledge and ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the position. In lieu of a degree, work-related experience that demonstrates the skills and experience necessary to perform this role will be accepted. Development of the required knowledge and abilities is typically obtained through but not limited to:

• Master’s or bachelor’s degree in computer science/technology or closely related field.
• Seven (7) years of progressive full-time experience in deploying and managing IT Applications like ERP, EAM, BI, GIS, Microsoft platform, Custom Application development.
• Three (3) years of full-time senior management experience in the field of IT Applications.

Preferred Qualifications:

• The ideal candidate will be highly technical in nature and possess experience in complete lifecycle implementation of ERP systems.
• Experience in implementing complete lifecycle implementation of enterprise resource planning systems, Business Intelligence systems, GIS systems, custom application development.
• Exhaustive understanding of Protocols, databases, and Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) standards.
• Budgeting and forecasting experience in a technology environment is desired, along with vendor management experience.
• The ideal candidate will be fiscally responsible and budget-minded with a strong understanding of emerging technology trends and the opportunities and risks they present.
• Project management leadership experience.
• On-call availability and periodic off hours work.
• Any other technology certifications a plus.

Additional Information:

Selection Process May Include:

The process will include a panel interview and may include written and skills test assessments or supplemental questions. Only those candidates who are the most qualified will continue in the selection process. Meeting the minimum qualifications does not guarantee an invitation to continue in the process.