Director of IT Strategic Initiatives

Texas Health & Human Services Commission•Austin, TX

23h•$8,488 - $14,333•Onsite

About The Position

Director IV, Director of IT Strategic Initiatives, reports to the Strategic Advisor to the CIO/Director of Executive Operations within the Information Technology division. The position provides strategic leadership, operational oversight, and direct management of the IT Strategic Initiatives section, including enterprise coordination of IT legislative activities, strategic initiatives, and executive priorities. The Director leads the development and execution of short- and long-term goals, strategies, and initiatives aligned with Health and Human Services Commission priorities and IT division objectives. The position advises IT leadership on legislative matters, strategic priorities, and emerging issues affecting IT operations. The Director operates with significant independence and exercises advanced judgment in managing complex, high-visibility matters with division-wide and agency-wide implications. The position oversees IT-related legislative activities, including exceptional item development, bill analysis, fiscal impact coordination, legislative inquiries, implementation planning, tracking, reporting, and related strategic initiatives. The Director ensures that IT legislative deliverables are timely, accurate, coordinated across stakeholders, and clearly communicate potential impacts to IT operations, resources, projects, and strategic objectives.

Requirements

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university. Experience may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis.
Five years of experience in a leadership or management role.
Five years of experience in business operations, strategic initiatives, organizational administration, legislative coordination, or a related field.
Five years of experience managing staff, complex projects, or initiatives involving multiple organizational areas.
Five years of experience with the Texas legislative process, including legislative analysis, fiscal impacts, exceptional items, inquiries, or implementation planning.
Knowledge of Texas legislative processes, timelines, requirements, bill analysis, fiscal impacts, exceptional items, and implementation planning.
Knowledge of state government operations, policy development, strategic planning, organizational administration, and business operations.
Knowledge of information technology organizations, governance structures, funding considerations, and operational dependencies.
Knowledge of leadership, management, workforce development, performance management, and organizational change principles.
Skill in leading complex legislative processes and enterprise strategic initiatives.
Skill in strategic planning, organizational analysis, problem-solving, project oversight, and resource prioritization.
Skill in interpreting complex information and translating it into actionable executive recommendations.
Skill in preparing and presenting executive-level briefings, reports, analyses, and decision materials.
Skill in establishing relationships and influencing outcomes across organizational boundaries.
Ability to lead effective and efficient operations in a fast-paced, high-visibility environment.
Ability to manage multiple competing priorities, identify risks, resolve barriers, and maintain accountability for results.
Ability to exercise sound judgment, initiative, discretion, and independent decision-making.
Ability to communicate complex issues, options, risks, and organizational impacts clearly and persuasively.
Ability to lead through collaboration and work effectively with executive leadership, program areas, administrative divisions, and external stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with or supporting the Texas Legislature, a Texas state agency legislative office, or a comparable governmental legislative function.
Experience developing or overseeing bill analyses, fiscal notes, exceptional items, legislative responses, or implementation plans.
Experience advising executive leadership in legislative, policy, strategic planning, or business operations environments.
Experience directing a multidisciplinary team responsible for high-visibility, time-sensitive deliverables.
Experience within HHSC, another large state agency, or a complex information technology organization.

Responsibilities

Develops and implements short- and long-term strategies, goals, priorities, and performance expectations.
Provides strategic direction for IT legislative coordination and other high-priority initiatives assigned to the section.
Ensures section activities align with HHSC priorities, the agency strategic plan, and IT division objectives.
Advises the leadership on strategic priorities and legislative topics.
Translates executive priorities into actionable plans, measures, deliverables, and recommendations.
Directs and oversees IT legislative activities, including bill analysis, fiscal impact development, exceptional items, legislative inquiries, implementation planning, and session-related deliverables.
Establishes processes, schedules, roles, and accountability measures to support IT activities before, during, and after legislative sessions.
Coordinates with agency leadership, HHSC Finance, HHS Government Relations, program areas, subject-matter experts, and legislative coordinators to obtain and align required information.
Ensures legislative responses and decision materials accurately present IT impacts, dependencies, risks, resource needs, and implementation considerations.
Monitors legislation affecting IT and advises executive leadership on potential operational and strategic implications.
Leads complex, high-visibility strategic initiatives involving multiple IT divisions, program areas, or agency stakeholders.
Establishes project objectives, governance structures, schedules, deliverables, and reporting expectations.
Monitors progress, identifies risks or barriers, and directs corrective actions or executive escalation when necessary.
Develops analyses, options, and recommendations to support executive decisions concerning IT priorities.
Provides strategic and operational support to and represents leadership in meetings, workgroups, and special initiatives as assigned.
Directs the operations of the IT Strategic Initiatives section and ensures work is coordinated, prioritized, and aligned with executive expectations.
Integrates activities across IT divisions and facilitates resolution of issues involving competing priorities, dependencies, or stakeholder interests.
Establishes productive working relationships with agency leadership, program areas, administrative divisions, legislative partners, and external stakeholders.
Promotes collaboration, accountability, effective communication, and responsible stewardship of public resources.
As needed, represents the IT division at meetings, legislative sessions, conferences, workgroups, and committees.
Provides leadership, direction, and guidance to section staff and establishes clear performance expectations and program goals.
Hires, manages, coaches, and develops staff while fostering accountability, collaboration, professional growth, and continuous learning.
Conducts performance evaluations, communicates management decisions, and ensures staff have the information, tools, and support needed to achieve assigned objectives.
Develops staff capabilities in legislative analysis, strategic planning, project coordination, executive communication, and organizational analysis.
Evaluates workload and assigns resources based on priorities, complexity, staff capabilities, and organizational needs.
Monitors section activities, performance measures, schedules, and deliverables to promote operational effectiveness.
Recommends staffing, timelines, and resources needed to achieve strategic and legislative objectives.
Identifies and implements opportunities to streamline processes, reduce duplication, control costs, and improve the quality and timeliness of deliverables.
Uses performance information to assess results, address barriers, and strengthen accountability.
Ensures responsible stewardship of public resources and maximizes value to the agency and the people of Texas.
Prepares and delivers executive briefings, presentations, decision documents, reports, and written recommendations.
Distills complex legislative, operational, financial, and strategic information into clear, concise, and actionable executive-level materials.
Communicates risks, impacts, alternatives, and recommendations to diverse internal and external audiences.
Responds to requests for information and assistance in a timely, accurate, and professional manner.
Ensures consistent communication of IT legislative priorities, strategic activities, decisions, and results.
Champions continuous improvement and organizational change within the IT Strategic Initiatives section.
Evaluates legislative coordination, strategic planning, reporting, and executive support processes and implements improvements.
Identifies opportunities to use best practices, data, and appropriate technologies to improve efficiency, visibility, collaboration, and decision support.
Adjusts priorities and operating approaches in response to changing legislative, executive, and organizational needs.