Technology Operations Director

The New Jersey State Office of InnovationThe 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