Technology Operations Director

Overview

The New Jersey State Office of Innovation is looking for diverse and experienced team members to deploy world-class innovative and digital services that solve pressing public interest challenges for the people of New Jersey. Our work spans numerous issue and policy areas, and is focused on making an impact in the lives of the New Jerseyans that we serve. Our work has decreased the amount of time it takes to apply for Unemployment Insurance, made it easier to start, operate, and grow a business in the Garden State, and connected millions of New Jerseyans to government programs, services, and benefits.

Our team members wear many hats, contributing to both the execution of core projects and the evolution of the Office of Innovation (OOI). We use data and modern research, design, and development methods to inform our decision making, and we collaborate with stakeholders within and outside of government to understand and solve challenges. To learn more about the New Jersey State Office of Innovation, read our impact report and visit our About Us page.

The technology operations director role is central to managing the Office of Innovation’s technology platforms and systems. This role will collaborate closely with Office of Innovation leadership and oversee a small team to design and implement comprehensive policies and processes. Additionally, this role will spearhead long-term technical operational projects, including improving security practices, optimizing the use of hardware and software, and engaging in strategic procurement decisions.

We are seeking candidates with a minimum of 7 years of professional experience in technology operations and managing web applications and software-as-a-service platforms with a focus on security, including at least 2 years of professional experience leading cloud-based IT platform administration and at least 1 year of professional experience in people management. You should have demonstrable success solving complex and highly-ambiguous problems in bureaucratic settings, yet preserve an agile and adaptive approach to this role. You should be an accomplished manager comfortable working in a startup-like environment where you think independently and operate with a high degree of autonomy, skilled at driving projects forward while communicating and collaborating closely across your team and the broader organization.

This role will report to the Chief of Staff, liaise closely with other operations departments, and collaborate with other directors and initiative leads to support team members across the office. Responsibilities may include:

Systems administration and maintenance

• Act as the primary administrator of Office of Innovation technology platforms and systems, including Google Workspace, GitHub, AWS, Slack, and more.
• Act as a primary liaison of the Office of Innovation to the State’s Office of Information Technology, on matters related to staff training, security policy, cloud policy, and other technical policies.
• Manage software licensing and access management for onboarding and offboarding members of the office, contractors, and partners. Create and manage user accounts, permissions, and access controls while optimizing configuration of software applications.
• Manage hardware provisioning, including accurate inventory for computers, phones, and IT accessories.
• Maintain systems inventory and technical documentation, generate reports on performance/usage, ensure cost efficiency, and serve as a consultory point of contact for application vendors.

Software procurement and consulting

• Assess, evaluate, and help implement new digital tools for teams.
• Provide consulting and advising for new software or platform procurement, in collaboration with the Office’s finance and procurement functions, to provide the technical perspective and expertise on procurement efforts. Help ensure timely acquisition, distribution, and replacement of assets.

Operational architecture and support

• Act as technology operations leader, including managing a team and coordinating with Office of Innovation leadership, other operational directors, and team leads.
• Design and implement organizational policies and processes to create smoother, more manageable systems, and enhance security practices, hardware and software utilization, and more.
• Provide counsel on technical matters in plain language to our project teams and stakeholders to determine viable tech solutions. Interact and facilitate conversations with a diverse range of individuals, including NJ residents, state partners, and government officials.

Information and platform security

• Serve as the organization’s primary authority on cyber security practices and policies, including maintaining an up-to-date understanding on regulatory requirements and industry standards and research in the cybersecurity space to inform our team’s practices.
• Develop processes and controls, in consultation with Office of Innovation leadership, to ensure Office systems are secure and properly configured.
• Perform routine audits to ensure the security and accuracy of all internal digital services, and maintain the quality and reporting of this information for the office.
• Manage and apply compliance and regulatory frameworks to cloud architecture and application security in the Office of Innovation’s project work, in coordination with multiple technical stakeholders and domain experts such as Office of Innovation project teams, the State Office of Information Technology, NJ Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell, and other State agencies as needed.

Do what’s needed for the team

• Execute additional duties and responsibilities to advance the Office of Innovation’s mission and work.

Experience, Skills, and Abilities

• A minimum of 7 years of professional experience in relevant technical roles and a commitment to technical excellence in yourself and your work.
• At least 2 years of professional experience leading cloud-based IT platform administration.
• At least 1 year of professional experience in people management.
• Professional experience in managing and scaling a technology operations team and providing developer operations support, including: improving shared libraries/utilities and practices around authentication, logging, alerting, and monitoring, debugging and diagnosing issues in distributed systems, ensuring system uptime and performance, and monitoring and notifying appropriate officials in the case of security and data breaches.
• Working knowledge of modern IT security best practices, including single sign-on and identity management, multi-factor authentication, least privilege access, and other zero-trust principles.
• A conceptual understanding of modern JavaScript, React, CSS, HTML, JavaScript libraries and frameworks, linting, and best practices. Expertise in deploying and securing software, including expertise in Amazon Web Services (AWS), SQL and NoSQL document store persistence, and Git/GitHub version control.
• Experience executing full lifecycle software development in production, including well-designed code, high quality automated tests, designing infrastructure, debugging issues and ensuring system uptime, and writing documentation.
• Experience solving complex problems through the use of human-centered design, agile iterative development, and data-driven decision making.
• Proven skill in tackling problems with curiosity, engaging in inquiry, and understanding user needs to develop optimal solutions.
• Paramount attention to detail and ability to execute key tasks with zero room for error.
• Dedicated to advancing the mission of the NJ Office of Innovation and public service, with a strong commitment to accessibility and fostering a more inclusive society.

We welcome applicants from a broad range of backgrounds. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. If you have any questions, please contact heather@innovation.nj.gov.

Compensation: Annual salary of $135,000-$155,000 commensurate with experience. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, paid leave, and competitive retirement plan options, as well as other optional fringe benefits.

The New Jersey Office of Innovation is proud to be an equal opportunity employer

We are deeply committed to the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusiveness and seek to create a pluralistic community for all. We strongly encourage people of color, members of racial and ethnic minority groups, women, LGBTQI+ people, those with disabilities, and Veterans to apply. We are committed to building a team that is reflective of New Jersey’s incredible diversity.

We do not discriminate against any candidate because of color, race, age, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, membership in an employee organization, pregnancy, marital status, status as a parent, ancestry, national origin, disability (physical or mental), family medical history or genetic information, political affiliation, military service, retaliation, or other non-merit based factors.

Eligibility

You must be authorized to work in the United States. Candidates may be required to pass a background check and complete additional steps as part of the application and onboarding process. You will be considered an “at-will” employee, meaning both employer and employee have the right to terminate employment with or without cause or notice.