Senior Manager, Information Technology
Position Overview:
Nestled on the powerful Bay of Fundy, Saint John is a beautiful, historic, and vibrantly urban city - surrounded by breathtaking and rejuvenating nature experiences. Saint John is growing and is well-positioned for the continued prosperity of residents and future business prospects. During this time of growth, the City of Saint John is seeking an experienced information technology leader to join the management team as the Senior Manager, Information Technology.
Position Overview:
As a member of the senior management team in Information Technology, the Senior Manager, IT, reporting to the Chief Information Officer (CIO), provides leadership and operational direction to the information technology team. This position is a senior, technical role responsible for the operational leadership of the City of Saint John's Information Technology Service including long-term and operational planning, standards and policy, stakeholder relationship management, financial management, and people leadership.
Reporting directly to this position are two (2) Information Technology managers, and indirectly, fourteen (14) team members.
The mandate for this position includes oversight for security, data center (servers, storage and corporate network infrastructure), enterprise and business systems (software), end user computing, voice and data communications, database administration, and customer service desk support. As a member of the Information Technology management team, leads and/or participates in service area or City-wide projects and special initiatives.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Planning and Governance
• Contributes to the development of the City's enterprise-wide long term and operational IT plans including enterprise architecture.
• Supports IT governance processes to ensure investment in technology is prioritized and meets organizational objectives, including the continuous improvement of governance related policies, standards, and guidelines.
Technology Service and Project Management
• Leads the development and implementation of annual IT service plan(s) that outline the delivery of technology services, systems, and projects, ensuring alignment with the corporate, service area strategic, and financial objectives.
• Engages and influences stakeholders to ensure services are developed and managed to meet agreed service levels, security requirements and quality standards.
• Oversees the development and implementation of processes, procedures, tools, and practices for monitoring and managing the performance of information technology service delivery and projects.
• Recommends sourcing options, whether in-house, outsourced, or a combination, ensuring optimal service delivery.
• Maintains an overview of how technology services contribute to organizational success, preparing reports on the achievement of planned outcomes, identify barriers to success, and recommending corrective actions as necessary.
Business Continuity and Risk Management
• Develops, maintains, and communicates a robust disaster recovery plan as part of the business continuity strategy of the organization to safeguard corporate data and minimize disruption to critical business systems during unforeseen catastrophic events.
• Develops and communicates corporate information security policy, standards and guidelines in accordance with relevant legislation.
• Leads the provision of authoritative advice and guidance on the requirements for security controls in collaboration with subject matter experts.
• Creates organizational strategies that address information control requirements.
Stakeholder and Vendor Management
• Builds long-term, strategic relationships with senior stakeholders (internal and external), providing subject matter expertise and ensuring that service areas and customers are aware of standards, best practices, and policy in the use and operation of the City's IT corporate infrastructure, systems and data.
• Oversees actions to improve relations and open communications with and between stakeholders including resolve issues in corporate infrastructure and end user technology related initiatives and implementations.
• Manages vendor relationships related to service provision including participating in the negotiation of agreements between City and external vendors/service providers, monitoring performance of those agreements, change request protocols, and facilitating corrective measures as necessary.
• Serves as an advisory member of various corporate committees.
Financial Management
• Develops financial plans and forecasts or business cases related to IT infrastructure, system, and data management investments and operational requirements in alignment with corporate strategic objectives and service plans.
• Ensures that there is timely and accurate forecasting and on-going analysis of the budget and expenditures and, where necessary, ensures proactive mitigation strategies are developed and implemented in accordance with financial polices and procedures.
Performance Management
• Oversees the establishment of operational performance and skills targets in line with organizational goals.
• Encourages individual development of skills and capabilities in line with team and personal goals, for reporting IT Managers.
• Plays an active role in formal organizational processes such as recruitment, reward, promotion, and disciplinary procedures.
Professional Development and Workforce Planning
• In consultation with IT Managers, develops current-state assessment of workforce skills, capabilities and potential as they relate to projected organizational needs.
• Manages a professional development framework for the Information Technology team to build skill capacity to meet current and future organizational technology requirements.
• Determines and supports organizational development needs in line with business needs and strategic direction. Generates development strategies to achieve required change.
• Develops and leads communities of practice, including defining career pathways in collaboration with IT Managers.
Essential Qualifications:
• Strong technical knowledge and an ability to forecast emerging digital, infrastructure and security trends.
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills as well as leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to relate to and communicate with other personnel at all levels, with a customer-centric focus.
• Exhibit strong teamwork abilities, working collaboratively within the IT Team and across all City services to achieve common goals and deliver superior service.
• Possess outstanding verbal and written communication abilities, capable of asking relevant questions and conveying business related technical guidance to users with varying levels of technical understanding.
• Demonstrate strong presentation skills with the ability to communicate performance metrics and emerging technologies that support the corporate strategic objectives and IT strategy.
• Maintain a high degree of professionalism and ethical conduct, ensuring confidentiality and security of IT systems and user data.
Pre-requisites:
• Must be Security Cleared as per City standards.
• Must take Oath of Confidentiality.
• Must have a valid Class 5 Driver's License.
Education:
• A university degree in an information technology related field, with a preference for a master's degree.
• Certification in ITIL Foundations combined with at least one network management (e.g., MCSE, CITM, CISM) and leadership or project management (e.g., CPTM, PMP).
• Certifications in CISSP or other technical IT Industry certifications are highly desired.
• Certification in one or more process improvement methodologies, strategic planning or facilitation would be considered an asset.
Experience:
• Minimum 5 years previous people leadership experience in an information technology environment.
• Minimum 10 years of experience working in IT, ideally working in all aspects of an information technology department including infrastructure, security, service desk, and applications/solutions.
The successful applicant may be eligible to participate in a Flexible Time Options Program which includes the option of working a 4 or 5-day work week, subject to business requirements.
Equal Opportunity Employer:
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities in which we live and which we serve. We encourage and support applications from Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minority groups. Candidates who belong to such groups, who are qualified, will be given preference at the time of selection.
Applications will be accepted through our online system only. Qualified applicants should submit their cover letters and resumes to:
City of Saint John
Attn: Hiring Committee
www.saintjohn.ca (careers/employment opportunities)