0000007376.Asst Dir, Software Engineering.Info Tech - Applications

Dallas County•Dallas, TX

About The Position

Provides strategic and operational leadership across multiple software engineering domains supporting Dallas County’s critical business functions, including Law Enforcement, Justice & Courts, Public Health, Digital Enablement, and Community Services. Leads the architecture, development, modernization, and delivery of enterprise systems and digital solutions aligned with the County’s technology strategy and business outcomes. Partners closely with business departments, enterprise architects, and technology directors to ensure Dallas County applications are secure, scalable, sustainable, and designed to meet the evolving needs of residents, employees, and leadership. Management Scope: Manages exempt employees.

Requirements

Education and experience equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Business Administration, Information Systems, Computer Science, or job-related field of study.
Seven (7) years of work-related experience in software engineering, including two (2) years in technical leadership or management roles overseeing enterprise application portfolios.
Individuals holding or considered for a position which has, or may have, access to criminal justice databases including the FBI Criminal Justice Information Systems, NCIC/TCIC and similar databases, must pass a national fingerprint-based records check prior to placement in such position and may be denied placement in such positions and/or access to such systems. Incumbents must also maintain the ability to pass the records check while in the position or until such time that the Commissioners Court and the County Civil Service Commission deem this position no longer has this requirement.
Must have a valid Class Texas Driver’s License and good driving record. Will be required to provide a copy of 10-year driving history. Must maintain a good driving record and remain in compliance with Article II, Subdivision II of Chapter 90 of the Dallas County Code.
Excellent leadership and team-building abilities.
Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and strategic planning skills.
Excellent leadership experience in managing multidisciplinary teams and complex projects.
Ability to advocate for emerging technologies that enhance efficiency and resident experience.
Ability to build high-performing teams and fosters an inclusive, results-driven culture.
Ability to implement disciplined processes for delivery, governance, and risk management.
Ability to deliver measurable business values through technology.
Ability to align technology initiatives with County priorities and measurable outcomes.
Knowledge of enterprise software development, modernization, and systems integration.
Knowledge of cloud-native development (Azure/AWS), APIs, microservices, and DevSecOps.
Excellent track record leading large-scale public sector or complex multi-domain projects.
Knowledge of IT governance frameworks, compliance requirements, and security best practices.
Knowledge of agile methodologies, DevOps practices, and data-driven decision-making.
Knowledge of ITIL, Agile, or other relevant project management methodologies.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Translates Dallas County’s business priorities into a cohesive software engineering strategy supporting modernization, AI enablement, and digital transformation.
Defines and executes multi-year roadmaps for legacy system replacement, cloud migration, and digital platform expansion.
Partners with the IT Director, Enterprise Architecture, and Data & AI divisions to shape technology direction and standards.
Drives adoption of modern application architectures, including microservices, API-first, and composable designs.
Serves as a technology thought leader—advising County leadership on emerging trends, opportunities, and risks.
Establishes engineering metrics and success indicators tied to County performance goals and resident outcomes.
Leads cross-functional planning to align projects, staffing, and budgets with strategic priorities.
Fosters a culture of innovation, agility, and continuous improvement within software delivery teams.
Oversees full software lifecycle management—requirements, design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance.
Implements DevSecOps pipelines, automation, and infrastructure-as-code practices to improve speed and reliability.
Ensures solutions are secure, scalable, and aligned with IT service management (ITIL) and change control standards.
Directs multiple agile teams to deliver enterprise-grade applications for mission-critical County functions.
Establishes SLAs and performance metrics to monitor application uptime, user satisfaction, and service quality.
Leverages analytics to identify and resolve performance bottlenecks, incidents, and recurring system issues.
Optimizes technology investments through portfolio rationalization and cost-effective design choices.
Promotes consistency, reusability, and standardization across all applications and technology platforms.
Enforces software development lifecycle (SDLC) policies, architectural standards, and documentation requirements.
Ensures compliance with CJIS, HIPAA, ADA, PCI, and other applicable federal, state, and County regulations.
Participates in the Architectural Review Board (ARB) and other governance forums to evaluate new technologies.
Establishes robust controls for access, code review, and data protection within engineering processes.
Conducts regular audits of software assets and third-party solutions to ensure security and compliance.
Manages vendor contracts and ensures partner deliverables adhere to County quality and security expectations.
Aligns development and release practices with change management, configuration, and release governance standards.
Mitigates risk through proactive assessment, vulnerability remediation, and policy enforcement.
Defines, monitors, and reports KPIs for system uptime, incident response, defect density, release cadence, and customer satisfaction.
Uses analytics and dashboards to evaluate engineering efficiency, delivery velocity, and technical debt reduction.
Conducts root cause analysis of incidents and post-mortems to implement sustainable corrective actions.
Establishes a framework for benchmarking performance against public-sector and industry standards.
Drives continuous improvement through automation, standardization, and reusability of software assets.
Facilitates quarterly operational reviews and annual performance assessments for all major systems.
Incorporates user feedback loops, surveys, and usability testing to enhance digital service quality.
Reinforces a culture of measurable excellence—turning insights into action for ongoing service improvement.
Leads, mentors, and develops high-performing engineering teams across multiple technical domains.
Defines clear roles, responsibilities, and success measures for team members and supervisors.
Fosters a culture of accountability, collaboration, and knowledge sharing across onshore and offshore teams.
Promotes continuous learning through professional development, certifications, and emerging technology exposure.
Builds internal leadership capacity by coaching senior engineers and team leads toward management readiness.
Implements workforce planning strategies to ensure sufficient coverage for critical County systems.
Builds strong partnerships with County departments to understand needs, challenges, and service opportunities.
Translates complex technical concepts into business-relevant terms for executives and department leaders.
Collaborates with IT peers (Infrastructure, Data & AI, Cybersecurity, Quality Engineering, Strategy & Engagement) to deliver integrated solutions.
Represents Software Engineering in governance committees, program reviews, and Commissioners Court briefings.
Ensures timely communication of project milestones, risks, and dependencies across stakeholder groups.
Champions transparency in priorities, progress, and performance across all projects and initiatives.
Engages vendors and implementation partners to ensure alignment with County standards and outcomes.
Serves as a trusted advisor and escalation point for software-related initiatives across all departments.
Performs other duties as assigned.