Director of Systems and Programming

Ascension Federal Services•Tallahassee, FL

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Systems and Programming will provide daily leadership, technical direction, workload prioritization, and senior-level escalation support for the WIC Information Technology team and its supported systems. This role involves leading and coordinating a team including a Product Manager, Development Supervisor, Project Manager, and Network Systems Administrator. The Director will manage priorities, resolve cross-functional dependencies, provide coaching and performance feedback, and support workforce planning. They will direct the full systems development life cycle for various critical systems including FL-WiSE, Electronic Benefits Transfer interfaces, Florida ACCESS interfaces, IBM Cloud and artificial intelligence services, office automation solutions, and other supported WIC technologies. The Director will serve as the senior technical and operational point of contact throughout project initiation, implementation, customer acceptance, transition to operations, and ongoing support. Key responsibilities include developing and maintaining technology strategies, roadmaps, governance procedures, standards, staffing plans, project plans, risk and issue logs, priorities, and performance reports. The role also involves monitoring the availability, performance, security, capacity, and integration of various IT components, directing troubleshooting and corrective actions, and coordinating cybersecurity, data privacy, and disaster recovery activities. The Director will evaluate and recommend new technologies, support technology procurements and contracts, build relationships with stakeholders, communicate technology status effectively, identify process improvements, and maintain comprehensive documentation. Compliance with data-security and confidentiality policies is essential, along with providing monthly services and reporting as per the statement of work.

Requirements

At least eight years of recent experience with Oracle 12c SQL/PLSQL, API libraries, HTML, ASPX, VB.NET, JavaScript, Toad for Oracle, Visual Studio, and Microsoft Team Foundation Server/Azure DevOps.
Strong Oracle PL/SQL experience is required.
At least six years of current experience with cellular communication protocols, including SMS, MMS, GSM, and ASCII standards, as well as applicable federal policies and API-based text and voice applications.
At least two years of experience with IBM Cloud services, including watsonx and Watson-based virtual assistants.
At least eight years of experience leading or supporting enterprise information systems, including systems analysis, application development, infrastructure, networking, database administration, systems integration, operations, and end-user support.
At least five years of experience managing, supervising, coaching, or mentoring technical personnel across application development, product management, project management, and network or systems administration.
At least five years of experience directing the complete systems development life cycle, including requirements gathering, solution design, development, testing, quality assurance, change and release management, implementation, documentation, customer acceptance, and ongoing operations.
At least five years of experience in strategic technology planning, policy development, risk management, security and privacy controls, disaster recovery, continuity planning, and regulatory compliance.
At least five years of experience managing technology vendors, contracts, procurement activities, service-level expectations, budgets, resources, and technology initiatives.
At least five years of experience supporting high-availability, transaction-based systems and integrated technology environments involving databases, application servers, identity and access management, networks, cloud or hosted services, and external interfaces.
At least five years of experience communicating complex technology matters to executives, program managers, business subject-matter experts, vendors, auditors, and technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
Knowledge of public-sector IT governance and experience applying statutory requirements, administrative rules, security standards, and organizational policies to technology operations and system changes.

Responsibilities

Provide daily leadership, technical direction, workload prioritization, and senior-level escalation support for the WIC Information Technology team and its supported systems.
Lead and coordinate the Product Manager, Development Supervisor, Project Manager, and Network Systems Administrator.
Manage priorities, resolve cross-functional dependencies, provide coaching and performance feedback, and support workforce planning.
Direct the full systems development life cycle for FL-WiSE, Electronic Benefits Transfer interfaces, Florida ACCESS interfaces, IBM Cloud and artificial intelligence services, office automation solutions, and other supported WIC technologies.
Serve as the senior technical and operational point of contact throughout project initiation, implementation, customer acceptance, transition to operations, and ongoing support.
Develop and maintain technology strategies, roadmaps, governance procedures, standards, staffing plans, project plans, risk and issue logs, priorities, and performance reports.
Monitor the availability, performance, security, capacity, and integration of applications, databases, servers, networks, identity services, cloud or hosted services, end-user technologies, and external interfaces.
Direct troubleshooting, corrective actions, solution architecture, development, testing, quality assurance, change and release management, configuration management, documentation, and operational-readiness activities.
Coordinate cybersecurity, data privacy, access control, vulnerability remediation, incident response, backups, disaster recovery, continuity of operations, audit response, and compliance activities.
Evaluate and recommend hardware, software, cloud services, artificial intelligence capabilities, commercial off-the-shelf products, and other technologies that improve reliability, security, efficiency, service delivery, or cost-effectiveness.
Support the development, review, and negotiation of technology procurements, contracts, grants, licenses, vendor deliverables, service-level commitments, and budgets.
Build productive relationships with Department leadership, program offices, technology teams, local agencies, federal and state partners, vendors, and other stakeholders.
Clearly communicate technology status, decisions, risks, and recommendations to technical and nontechnical audiences.
Identify and implement process improvements and establish performance measures for service quality, system performance, project delivery, customer support, and team effectiveness.
Maintain complete and accurate technical, operational, project, procurement, policy, and management documentation.
Comply with all applicable Department data-security and confidentiality policies and procedures.
Provide monthly Director of Systems and Programming services and associated reporting in accordance with the statement of work.