IT Systems Project Specialist, DSISS (13918)
New York, NY

Job Description

Position Summary: The IT Systems Project Specialist, with significant latitude for independent initiative, judgment, and decision-making, leads the design and development of all special education management information systems. This includes managing a portfolio of products used to support core business processes of the Special Education Office to ensure strategic alignment with the overarching goals and objectives of the organization. The initial focus of this role will be to collaborate with the Information Technology Group to develop a strategic Data Warehousing plan that aligns with business needs and enables the proactive servicing of students with disabilities. Additionally, this position will manage the ongoing development of the data marts required to meet the complex reporting and analytical needs of the SEO Reporting and Analytics team including the timely and accurate regulatory reporting.

The IT Systems Project Specialist also serves as an advisor to the Executive Director of Special Education Systems. In this capacity, the IT Systems Project Specialist will conduct high-level organizational research and will recommend best practices to managing the execution, and implementation, of highly complex IT projects that support business processes. This position will also be responsible for managing the development of the data infrastructure needed to support the informational needs of the Department of Education (DOE) and make recommendations that support the design, supervision, and implementation governance over business systems, data warehousing, and the dissemination of information pertaining to all students with disabilities. Performs related work.

Reports to: Executive Director of Special Education Systems, Reporting and Analytics

Direct Reports: Members of the SESIS Enhancements Team, Business Analysts; Systems Analysts, Data Analysts.

Key Relationships: Works closely with SEO Leadership; Division of Instructional and Information Technology (DIIT); Office of the General Counsel (OGC), Office of Legal Services (OLS); Office of the Auditor General (OAG), multiple executive directors and directors within the Special Education Office (SEO); Committees on Special Education (CSEs); Division of Multilingual Learners (DML); Office of Student Enrollment (OSE); Office of Safety and Youth Development (OSYD); Research and Policy Support Group (RPSG); and the Division of Teaching and Learning (DT&L).

Responsibilities

* Participates in developing the Strategic Roadmap for Special Educations Systems that will enable the proactive servicing of all students with a disability.
* Manages a program or portfolio of projects and/or processes in order to ensure strategic alignment with the organization, streamlines dependencies; tracks total cost of ownership and report on metrics.
* Elicits, documents, and analyzes business requirements on information technology projects in order to recommend business and information technology solutions. Assesses business problems and process gaps; identifies opportunities for new requirements. Creates functional deliverables such as business scenarios, as-is/to-be flow diagrams, use cases, functional designs, screen mock-ups, etc. Facilitates user acceptance testing.
* Uses specialized business domain knowledge to define requirements based on an understanding of the customer's business needs and objectives.
* In collaboration with DIIT, will oversee, plan, manage and coordinate complex information technology projects from initiation to completion, including defining project scope; creating/updating project plans and work breakdown structures; scheduling project deliverables, goals and milestones; identifying and managing IT project risks; determining resource needs,; and obtaining signoff on project deliverables, etc.
* Provides day-to-day oversight and leadership of multidisciplinary project teams, including teams working on IT integration projects and consultants. Coordinates, tracks, and reports on project tasks and progress to management, stakeholders, and relevant teams. Supports project deliverable readiness for service operations.
* Ensures that software products and solutions are appropriately tested to meet functional (usability) and technical (performance) requirements. Creates test cases, test scripts, and defect reports. Executes test scripts and documents progress and results. Collaborates with business analysts to understand business requirements. Collaborates with technical teams to understand application capabilities, environment set-up, and defect fixes.
* Researches and identifies emerging technologies; coordinates demonstrations and proof of concept initiatives. Liaises with vendors, as necessary.
* Advises the Executive Director on strategic data issues and policy planning decisions that would result in improved outcomes for all students with disabilities.
* Makes policy recommendations and decisions that support the design, supervision, and implementation governance over the warehousing, dissemination, and reporting of information pertaining to all students with disabilities.
* Conceptualizes and manages the development of complex, interactive business systems and data warehousing environments. Collaborates with the Information Technology Organization (DIIT) to ensure that the architecture supports consistent management of data that meets operational, regulatory, and analytical reporting needs.
* Responsible for the varied data streams of work across the DOE, including: Federal (IDEA), State (IDEA), and City (MMR, PMMR) reporting, FOIL and press requests, data in support of numerous class action law suits (including Jose P and JG), school and student accountability data for students with IEPs, Turning 5 process (management and tracking data), related services (management and tracking data) etc.
* Provides consultation to all DOE divisions and offices concerning the processing/reporting of data/information as it pertains to students with disabilities to ensure that information is reported consistently and accurately, internally and externally, with regard to metrics such as: school profiles, % of students with disabilities, Preliminary Mayor's Management Report (PMMR), the Mayor's Management Report (MMR) report, and data provided to the NYC Independent Budget Office (IBO).
* Establishes and ensures adherence to data management/processing best practices.
* Ensures the consistent updating of the unit's library of existing and historic data reports and the data components contained therein, enabling the tracking of data trends.
* Escalates project roadblocks to steering committees and governing councils when necessary.

Qualification Requirements:

Minimum

* Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college in computer science, engineering, human computer interaction, interactive media, digital and graphics design, data visualization, communication or a related field, and four years of satisfactory full-time experience related to the area(s) required by the particular position and a specialization in a relevant technology, process, methodology and/or domain; or,
* An associate degree from an accredited college in computer science, engineering, human computer interaction, interactive media, digital and graphics design, data visualization, communication or a related field, and six years of satisfactory fulltime experience related to the area(s) required by the particular position and a specialization in a relevant technology, process, methodology and/or domain; or,
* A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, and eight years of satisfactory full-time experience related to the area(s) required by the particular position and a specialization in a relevant technology, process, methodology and/or domain; or,
* Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1", "2" or "3" above.

Plus

* Experience managing transaction processing systems/applications.
* Application development experience.
* Strong data and programming skills, including Microsoft SQL Server, SSIS, and SSAS.
* Deep understanding of special education processes from referral through delivery of service and/or case closure.

Preferred

* Strong leadership skills; high level of energy, determination, and perseverance to act as an agent of change in a demanding organization.
* Strong interpersonal skills; excellent oral and written communication skills.
* Poise, confidence, and maturity interacting with key stakeholders.
* Ability to build strong relationships and work with individuals at all levels of the organization.
* Exceptional ability to manage complex political relationships and work well with a diverse set of stakeholders, communities, management styles, and personalities.
* Quick learner with exceptional judgment and strong initiative.
* Highly efficient, with the ability to conceive and manage strategic and tactical plans.
* Strong strategic analysis and planning, operational, and project management skills.
* Strong attention to detail and extremely well-organized, with the ability to meet frequent and changing deadlines.
* Ability to thrive in and enjoy working in a team-oriented, high-pressure environment.
* Deep commitment to student learning and students with disabilities and/or English language learners.
* Ability to be flexible and take an optimistic approach to work.
* Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Microsoft Project, and SharePoint.
* Internal candidates preferred.

Salary: $75,000 - $120,000

(Internal candidates who are selected for this position and who currently hold comparable or less senior positions within the DOE will not make less than their current salary.)

Please include a resume and cover letter with your application.

Applications will be accepted through June 26, 2019 until 3:00 p.m.

NOTE: The filling of all positions is subject to budget availability and/or grant funding.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

It is the policy of the Department of Education of the City of New York to provide educational and employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity, national origin, alienage, citizenship status, age, marital status, partnership status, disability, sexual orientation, gender (sex), military status, prior record of arrest or conviction (except as permitted by law), predisposing genetic characteristics, or status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual offenses and stalking, and to maintain an environment free of harassment on any of the above-noted grounds, including sexual harassment or retaliation. Inquiries regarding compliance with this equal opportunity policy may be directed to: Office of Equal Opportunity, 65 Court Street, Room 1102, Brooklyn, New York 11201, or visit the OEO website at http://schools.nyc.gov/OEO