IT Specialist

Job Title: IT Specialist (Data Management)

This is a National Guard position that requires membership in a compatible military grade in the Alabama Army National Guard.

Responsibilities:

• Reviews existing and anticipated future database systems, including current automated systems, data shortcomings, and data requirements of the organization.
• Serves as the lead on teams assigned to study and resolve broad-based data management problems.
• Coordinates studies and plans with organization managers and administrative and technical personnel at all levels.
• Recommends conversion to automated systems/databases where none currently exist or recommends modifications or workarounds to facilitate the satisfaction of organizational and functional needs.
• Develops strategies to accommodate managers' data needs and prepares drafts for their review.
• Prepares study summaries for comparison of alternatives pertinent to the economic justification of costs, time, and equipment usage.
• Generates complex queries and reports and develops recommendations concerning major project ramifications.
• Develops work plans, program logic, special instructions, and data management needs.
• Monitors program development and tests and debugs programs.
• Develops and implements database management strategies for the backup and recovery of database information.
• Assigns studies or portions of studies and program development to team members or analysts hired under contract.
• Technically reviews completed work projects and provides technical assistance and guidance as required.
• Manages contracts with private computer firms concerning data systems application studies.
• Prepares scopes of work and cost estimates for the work to be contracted.
• Ensures that the contractors' progress complies with contract terms.
• Certifies work accomplishment, reviews, and approves requests for payments.
• Ensures compliance with the terms and provisions of contracts and compliance with specifications.
• Recommends approval or disapproval of completed contractor work and takes necessary action to resolve problematic issues.
• Accomplishes all contract administration functions related to data management contracts.
• Provides assistance, advice, and guidance to organizational users concerning the use of multiple database management systems.
• Coordinates with specialists and managers at higher National Guard Bureau levels to obtain information to interface with systems at those levels.
• Serves as the state's data management representative at meetings and seminars designed to arrive at solutions to mutual database management problems.
• Interfaces with personnel within the same organization, local users, NGB, other agencies, and vendors in resolution of problems and recommendation of database application changes.
• Provides interpretations of limited and/or conflicting regulations and guidance concerning database management and coordinates with appropriate personnel concerning the resolution of problem areas encountered.
• Interacts nationally with peers, vendors, and other information systems (IS) sources to resolve database hardware/software problems.
• Ensures project coordination for the administration of all RDBMS software products in support of required functions.
• Responsible for the introduction of new applications and ensures and establishes required users access and security procedures.
• Ensures compliance with plans, policies, standards, infrastructures, and architectures of RDBMS.
• Coordinates with other project leaders and managers at higher levels to obtain information to interface with systems at those levels.
• Reviews and recommends operational procedures and software usage for the generation of alternate site file copy of essential Agency data files for continuity of operations.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• Military Requirements: This is an excepted service position that requires membership in a compatible military grade in the Alabama Army National Guard.
• Minimum Military Rank: SGT
• Maximum Military Rank: CW2
• Other Requirements: For positions requiring the operation of motor vehicles, candidates must have a valid state driver's license.
• Experience Requirements: Each applicant must fully substantiate that he/she meets the requirements of the Specialized Experience listed below.

Specialized Experience:

• 1-year specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade.
• Specialized experience includes experience, education, or training that approaches techniques and requirements appropriate to an assigned computer applications area or computer specialty area in an organization.
• Experience planning the sequence of actions necessary to accomplish the assignment where this entailed coordination with others outside the organizational unit and development of project controls.
• Experience that required adaptations of guidelines or precedents to meet the needs of the assignment.
• Experience preparing documentation on cost/benefit studies where is involved summarizing the material and organizing it in a logical fashion.

Education Substitution of Education for Specialized Experience:

• Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

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