AQR Manager

State of Washington•Multiple Locations Statewide, WA

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Architecture, Quality, and Risk (AQR) Manager oversees the AQR program and its services within the Office of the Secretary of State’s Information Technology Division. The role leads IT architecture, quality assurance, and risk management outcomes that support IT governance, policy, standardization, and best practices. It ensures design, regulatory, and quality requirements are met and that effective measures are in place to mitigate security risks identified by the Information Security and Response team. The manager connects architectural expertise with quality assurance and risk management so IT solutions meet business needs, follow established standards, and proactively address security risks. The position coordinates the IT Architecture program with enterprise IT goals, business priorities, and applicable laws, rules, and policies. It develops and maintains strategic planning, governance frameworks, technology roadmaps, service-level agreements, and reporting mechanisms. The role also oversees program services, budgets, staffing, contracting, and resource capacity. The manager establishes and oversees enterprise architecture, technical governance, security integration, quality standards, and risk management practices. This includes ensuring that IT systems and services are secure, scalable, compliant, reliable, and aligned with agency needs; coordinating security reviews and remediation; and developing disaster recovery and business continuity plans. The position works with IT programs, agency leadership, the Information Security and Response Division, and other stakeholders to communicate findings and resolve issues. The standard schedule is Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with availability beyond those hours—including evenings, weekends, and holidays—expected during emergencies. The work is predominantly office-based, with prolonged sitting and keyboard use. Remote work is permitted under office policy, but the employee must work in the office full-time during the six-month trial services/probationary period and in person three days per week afterward. Travel to state office locations on short notice and the ability to handle objects weighing up to 50 pounds are required.

Requirements

At least 10 years of Information Technology experience in roles leading to the stated knowledge, skills, and abilities; alternatively, a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field and at least 6 years of relevant Information Technology experience.
At least 3 years of experience in a supervisory or lead role leading multiple staff and teams.
Experience translating business needs into structured, scalable designs, ensuring compliance with standards, and leading cross-functional teams.
Ability to ensure designs meet technical, safety, and regulatory standards and embed quality processes in the design and delivery lifecycle.
Deep understanding of architecture frameworks, quality standards (such as ISO 9001 and ISO 13379), and risk management frameworks (such as ISO 31000).
Ability to integrate design, quality assurance, and risk mitigation into project planning; lead multidisciplinary teams; and communicate complex technical and compliance issues to nontechnical stakeholders.
Strategic thinking, decision-making under uncertainty, change leadership, and continuous improvement capabilities.
Ability to use a personal computer and applicable software to perform the essential functions of the position.
Ability to read and write English.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team, meet stringent deadlines, adapt to changing web development and website security needs, execute tasks thoroughly and precisely, manage multiple tasks, and communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
Availability beyond standard work hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, particularly during emergencies.
Ability to travel to different office locations within the state on short notice.
Ability to handle objects weighing up to 50 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Must possess work authorization that does not require employer visa sponsorship now or in the future.
Must provide a letter of interest, current resume, three professional references, and completed supplemental questions as part of the application; veterans seeking preference must provide a redacted DD214.

Nice To Haves

Five or more years of supervisory or lead leadership experience.
The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) certification.
Certified Agile Developer (CAD) certification.
Certified Quality Manager or Certified Quality Engineer certification.
Certified Six Sigma/Lean Green, Orange, or Black Belt.
Certification in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC).
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).

Responsibilities

Oversee the AQR program and its services, leading architecture, quality assurance, and risk management outcomes that support OSOS IT governance, policy, and standardization.
Coordinate the IT Architecture program to align with enterprise IT goals, business priorities, and applicable laws, rules, and state policies.
Develop and maintain strategic planning for IT architecture, quality assurance, and risk management, including lifecycle costing and service-level agreement inventories.
Integrate program services into project and operational processes, supporting data-driven decision-making and test-driven development.
Manage program budgets, staffing, and contracting, and optimize resources for capability, capacity, and performance.
Establish transparent reporting mechanisms for IT architecture performance, quality assurance, and managed IT risks.
Maintain an enterprise architecture strategy, plan, and technology roadmap that sustain an enterprise-wide view of technology.
Design, develop, and implement IT governance frameworks aligned with the IT Strategic Plan, business objectives, and compliance requirements.
Establish structures for Operating Level Agreements and service-level agreements for IT services.
Oversee IT systems, networks, and applications to meet business needs and quality standards, and ensure architectural solutions meet security, compliance, and operational requirements.
Integrate hardware, software, and network systems into scalable, cost-effective, and secure solutions.
Develop and maintain disaster recovery and business continuity plans and frameworks.
Integrate security requirements into enterprise architecture, reference models, segment and solution architecture, and supporting systems.
Develop cybersecurity designs for systems and networks, including environments with multiple security or classification levels.
Document and address information security, cybersecurity, and systems security engineering requirements throughout the acquisition lifecycle.
Conduct security reviews, identify gaps, develop risk management plans, and ensure compliance with agency cybersecurity architecture guidelines.
Coordinate with system owners, common control providers, and system security officers to allocate security controls and follow state security standards.
Work with IT programs and the Information Security and Response Division to prepare security designs for applicable state Security Design Reviews.
Develop and maintain quality assurance structures and processes for OSOS IT and partner division programs where applicable.
Define and enforce quality standards for IT deliverables, including testing, validation, and performance metrics.
Implement peer code reviews, deployment gate validations, test-driven development, performance monitoring, and quality gate verification practices.
Lead quality reviews of IT projects, processes, and documentation, and implement continuous improvement to improve reliability and user experience.
Ensure compliance with the state’s Software Quality Best Practices guidelines and Project Quality Assurance Policy.
Ensure security findings from internal and external audits are documented for remediation across applicable IT programs and services, and report results to appropriate parties.
Identify, assess, and mitigate cybersecurity, data privacy, compliance, and operational risks; maintain related policies, procedures, and control frameworks.
Conduct regular risk assessments, audits, and control-effectiveness reviews with IT program services to assess system readiness.
Advise leadership on application and technology risk posture and mitigation strategies.
Work with IT, business, legal, RCQC, and Information Security and Response teams to address risks and improve IT systems and processes.
Communicate risk findings and quality issues to partners and leadership, ensuring remediation plans are documented and completed to root cause resolution.
Lead training and awareness initiatives on IT risk and quality practices.
Ensure compliance with state Information Security Risk Management and IT Security Incident Response policies.
Work with division leadership to implement disaster recovery plans and frameworks aligned with business continuity.