IT Director
Group: City of Gresham
Location: Gresham, Oregon
Salary Range: $123,659.00 - $160,744.00 Annually
Deadline Information: Closes at 11:59pm
Deadline Date: 10/09/2023
Posted Date: 09/14/2023
Website: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/gresham
Contact Information for Applicants
Lesa Pinker
hrrecruiting@greshamoregon.gov
The City of Gresham is seeking a strategic and customer-focused Information Technology (IT) Director to serve as a citywide champion of current and future technology-related needs and to partner with teams across the organization to understand operational needs and to identify new ideas that leverage technology, drive efficiency, and support data-informed decision-making.
The IT Director reports to the Assistant City Manager and manages the Information Technology department, which is responsible for user community support, technology implementation, systems management and integration, GIS, cybersecurity, and web services.
This position is eligible for hybrid work; the in-person location is at Gresham City Hall. The remote location must be in or near the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area.
Oregon's fourth-largest city, Gresham is a welcoming community of hard-working people where tradition and heritage meet innovation and opportunity. Gresham is a dynamic and rapidly growing city where families and businesses have a mutual desire and drive to thrive. City of Gresham employees care deeply about the community they serve, and go 'one step beyond' to deliver services in collaborative, inventive, practical, and nimble ways. Our work is challenging, fast-paced and rewarding.
We believe that to deliver the highest level of service to all Gresham community members, it is crucial we employ a diverse workforce, foster an inclusive working environment, and ensure our policies and systems result in equitable outcomes. The City seeks candidates who will support these values by continuously incorporating equity in their daily work and actively contributing to a workplace culture that respects unique viewpoints, life experiences and cultural perspectives. Come build the future with us.
WHAT YOU WILL GET TO DO
• Develop the City’s technology strategy: The department recently adopted a two-year technology projects plan and is looking for a leader that understands the shifting technology landscape and can forecast future technology-related needs. In collaboration with the organization and department, you will create a vision and strategy that identifies where the City should be investing technology resources.
• Lead with empathy, inclusion and purpose: You’ll support, coach and empower a talented technical team of 27, fostering collaboration and trust. We’re looking for a leader with a passion for public service, a high level of emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills who can promote a forward-thinking environment that embraces change for the better.
• Build relationships citywide; collaborate to effectively deliver services to the Gresham community: A natural convener and collaborator, you recognize the importance of relationships at all levels and will actively partner with colleagues in support of a positive organizational culture. You’ll proactively build relationships with your fellow department directors, as well as other internal customers, to understand a wide variety of departmental needs and collaborate to identify solutions. Through your effective partnerships, you’ll work to set expectations and effectively balance the demand for more and better technology with available resources.
• Oversee and develop technology policies and best practices: Our IT employees value a leader who can not only set a vision for the City’s technology strategy, but who is also willing to dive into department policy to tackle issues like cybersecurity, data governance, disaster recovery, as well as cross training and documentation of procedures.
QUALITIES WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We surveyed our IT employees to ask them what they’re looking for in their next director, and the top three attributes are:
• Strategic thinker: While a strong foundation of general technical knowledge is required, the IT team has a wealth of technical experts, and they would like a director who can set a vision and whose strategic mindset allows them to balance operational needs, existing infrastructure and City priorities.
• Outstanding communicator: Skilled in both written and oral forms of communication, the ideal candidate will be able to convey technically complex information and concepts in easily understood terms to leadership to guide policy decisions. The Director will be able to communicate challenges and progress to key stakeholders and to the department with transparency and accountability.
• Leader adept at building and uniting teams: A genuine and authentic leader, the successful candidate is approachable and actively nurtures an open and welcoming environment that continues to advance the City’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The ideal candidate has a strong background in managing and empowering teams and believes in supporting the professional development, growth, and retention of their team.
In addition to the qualities listed above, the Assistant City Manager is looking for someone who is:
• Organized: Administrative and direct management/supervisor experience demonstrating a strong business and budgetary acumen and utilizing critical thinking skills.
• Responsive and customer service oriented: Ability to apply, coach and inspire employees on excellent customer service skills; ability to apply exceptional judgement to be responsive to critical service needs in a 24/7 public service environment.
• A resilient problem solver: Adaptable, flexible and positive, with a “can-do” problem-solving attitude when faced with a rapidly changing environment, limited resources and competing deadlines.
At a minimum, to be considered for the IT Director position, you must possess the following experience:
• Bachelor's degree* and at least three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in management and support of information technology systems. -AND-
• A broad understanding of various IT systems, platforms, and software, including cloud computing, cybersecurity, data management, and enterprise applications with the ability to interpret, apply, and ensure compliance with applicable policies, procedures, laws, and regulations.
*Five (5) to seven (7) years of qualifying experience may be substituted for the Bachelor's degree.
Preferred qualifications
• Three (3) or more years direct IT management skills including: IT strategic planning, budget oversight, establishing IT governance structures, project management and team management experience.
• Knowledge of data management principles, including data quality, storage, and integration, as well as analytics tools and techniques for deriving insights from data.
• Experience overseeing a multicultural workforce and promoting an equitable workplace environment; knowledge and application of diversity, equity and inclusion principles.
• An interest in public service coupled with a broad and diverse background is preferred.
Please ensure your resume and cover letter addresses how you meet the qualifications and where you earned this experience.
To apply, visit the City of Gresham's website: https://greshamoregon.gov/Human-Resources/
Required application materials include:
• A complete online application
• Resume
• Cover letter (no more than one page) detailing your qualifications for the position
• Answers to supplemental questions
A comprehensive review of the cover letter, application, and resume will be used to determine the most qualified applicants to move forward.
What you can expect during the recruitment process:
If we receive a large number of candidates, we may conduct 15-minute screening interviews, conducted via phone or video conference, to determine which applicants are the most qualified to bring forward to a panel interview.
The most qualified candidates will be invited to a panel interview. The panel is made up of subject matter experts and other colleagues who interact with this position. All panelists will be asked the same questions, and the candidates will be provided with the questions a day in advance of the interview to give them time to prepare.
After the panel interview, the most qualified finalists will be invited to an executive interview
with the hiring manager and other leaders from the department. Since this is an executive position, there may be multiple executive interview rounds with different stakeholders. The executive interview is more of a guided discussion so questions are not provided ahead of the interview. This is also the finalists’ chance to ask questions and make sure they understand the responsibilities of the position and feel it is a good fit for them.
Please note:
While the process can take some time, the City of Gresham commits to communicating with you about where you stand in the process. Communication with candidates is done primarily through e-mail. Sometimes these messages may land in a spam or junk mail folder. We encourage you to monitor your inbox as well as the inbox within thegovernmentjobs.com portal for important updates related to this process.
If you desire a modification of this process to accommodate a disability, please provide your request in writing to HR@GreshamOregon.gov, or by phone to 503-618-2729 at the same time you are submitting your application materials.
Veteran's Preference
The City of Gresham provides qualifying veterans and disabled veterans with preference in employment in accordance with state law. Any candidate wishing to have their qualifying veteran's preference applied to the process must submit a qualifying document (DD Form 214 or 215) at the time of application providing proof of eligibility that includes discharge status. Disabled veterans must also submit a copy of their Veteran's disability preference letter from the US Department of Veteran at the time of application, unless the information is included in the DD Form 214 or 215.
Our Commitment
The City of Gresham is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all qualified employees and applicants without unlawful regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions),sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, familial status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, Oregon, or local law.
Please direct questions about this position to hrrecruiting@greshamoregon.gov
If you need assistance with the online application, please contact NEOGOV directly at 1-855- 524-5627.