IT Applications and Data Services Senior Manager

Multnomah County • Portland, OR

19h • Hybrid

About The Position

Multnomah County is seeking an innovative leader to join their Information Technology (IT) division as the IT Senior Applications and Data Services Manager. This role involves leading a team of up to 5 direct reports and an overall staff of 80 employees, managing a diverse portfolio of over 200 custom applications, enterprise systems, websites, and data integrations. Key responsibilities include operating data, analytics, and DevOps platforms, and overseeing projects such as implementing a cloud-based Data and Analytics platform and transforming external websites for better accessibility and user experience. The ideal candidate will have significant IT leadership experience, product expertise, demonstrated leadership in AI and AI development, and the ability to build strong collaborative relationships. Success in this role requires stabilizing and developing a growing team, filling key roles, building permanent capability, and creating continuity for critical projects. The position emphasizes diversity, equity, safety, trust, and belonging.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent related experience AND Five years (5) of complex IT leadership experience, including directly managing large IT teams in a matrixed organizational structure. (Equivalency 9 years of qualifying training and/or experience)
• Four of those years must include direct supervisory experience, including supervising other supervisors.
• Experience must include leading large teams of greater than 30 indirect reports.
• Experience evaluating new technologies; defining application/software development lifecycle methodologies; CI/CD; creating and managing standards, policies and procedures; implementing best practices.
• Experience coaching and mentoring management staff.
• Experience leading the development and execution of strategic plans.
• Experience in contracting and vendor management, including contract negotiation.
• Experience implementing and building on-prem, cloud and SaaS solutions.
• Experience with Agile application development and methodologies e.g. DevOps.
• Experience with implementing or leading AI/ML initiatives, development practices and projects.
• Strong budget planning, financial management and resource management skills. Examples include: managing multiple teams, or capital project budgets and resources.
• Must pass a criminal records check to obtain Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) authorization and will be fingerprinted upon acceptance of offer.
• Must be willing to live within one hour of the home office - Portland Oregon

Nice To Haves

• Experience as a Senior IT manager.
• Five (5) years of experience leading a diverse workforce and managing performance within a unionized environment.
• Experience working in the public sector or another highly regulated industry, such as healthcare or finance.
• Experience guiding organizations through the evolution from project-centric to product or service-centric operating models.
• Demonstrated experience applying Human-Centered Design (HCD) or Agile/Lean principles to high-level portfolio governance and strategic planning in a government or regulated environment.
• Experience applying Modern Service Management (MSM) or ITIL 4 concepts to balance service reliability with responsiveness.
• Demonstrated success using Agile, Lean, or Adaptive Project Management methodologies to manage complex portfolios and improve flow efficiency in a constrained environment.
• Demonstrated success in process implementation and performance measurement.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership, coaching, and professional development for a large, multidisciplinary team of up to 5 direct reports and an overall staff of 80 employees plus contract staff.
• Serve as a member of the DCA and IT Senior Leadership teams in the collaborative development of policies, priorities, and strategies.
• Be customer experience oriented and consider the community in terms of how effective cross-cultural services are delivered.
• Create a culture of innovation, fun, and continuous improvement.
• Develop and manage a $20 million budget.
• Work collaboratively to develop and implement strategic plans, vision, technical direction, and to allocate software application resources to meet business and operational goals.
• Lead the evaluation of new application-related technologies and participate in executive-level discussions about technology investments.
• Create technical roadmaps that advance the County's Digital Strategies and meet customer and community needs.
• Assist in shaping and leading the strategy for leveraging AI and ML capabilities, including AI assisted development.
• Lead the rollout of the new County Data Strategy.
• Manage the end-to-end application lifecycle of purchased software, in-house developed applications, and data integrations, including status reporting, metrics, and benchmarks.
• Establish and/or maintain processes and standards that result in high-quality deliverables for customers.
• Support an enterprise architecture that considers business needs, technology roadmaps, software capabilities, and the total cost of ownership.
• Build effective relationships with internal customers and interest holders to establish application roadmaps and solutions.
• Manage the delivery of IT application services to departments using customer feedback to implement improvements.
• Oversee the assessment of the technical and business fitness of the application portfolio and their associated costs and risks.
• Negotiate, monitor, and manage contracts with IT application vendors and partners.
• Work with the chief information security officer (CISO) to ensure that the organization's applications are effectively secured and that risks are mitigated.
• Work with the Enterprise Architect (EA) to ensure alignment with organizational standards, priorities, and technology strategic plans.
• Lead the stabilization and development of a team that is actively growing, including recruiting and onboarding to fill current vacancies across data, analytics, and application teams.
• Build durable internal capability by transitioning critical contractor-held knowledge to permanent staff, strengthening continuity and reducing operational risk.
• Establish succession planning and cross-training practices that protect service delivery during platform modernization and other in-flight transformation work.
• Foster a culture of stability, belonging, and continuous improvement that supports retention and engagement through change.
• Deliver and ensure adoption of the cloud-based Data and Analytics platform, with internal teams equipped to operate and build on it independently.
• Advance the transformation of external websites to measurably improve accessibility and a more human-centered experience.
• Ensure application and data services are delivered reliably, with interest holders across departments reporting improved partnership, responsiveness, and trust.
• Establish clear roadmaps, standards, and ways of working that position the portfolio for sustainable, long-term success.

Benefits

• Employer-funded retirement savings
• Health and dental insurance at very low cost to full-time employees and their dependents
• Paid parental leave
• Wellness programs
• A focus on work-life balance and stability
• Support for professional development

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: Associate degree