IT Programs & Operations Manager

This is a remote position.

Job Summary

The IT Programs & Operations Manager provides strategic leadership and hands‑on operational oversight for the City’s information technology environment in a fast-paced smart city setting. This role sets technology direction, ensures the reliability and security of municipal systems, and supports public safety, cloud, data, and citizen‑facing technologies. Working in a small municipal IT environment, the position balances day‑to‑day operations with long‑term planning, cybersecurity, IT governance, and risk management, including oversight of technology infrastructure and pilot programs associated with the Curiosity Lab, with internal stakeholders and external technology partners.

Duties and Responsibilities

Technology Leadership, Planning, and Governance

The IT Programs & Operations Manager oversees the City’s technology programs and governance activities in accordance with organizational priorities, policies, and regulatory requirements. The following sections outline the specific responsibilities assigned to this role.

IT Strategy, Planning, and Governance

• Develops and maintains the City’s IT strategy, long-term technology roadmap, and supporting policies and standards.
  
• Advises City leadership on technology needs, risks, opportunities, and emerging trends.
  

· Establishes and operationalizes technology standards and governance processes to ensure consistency.

• Establishes and maintains a formal cybersecurity program aligned with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, including ownership of a Citywide cyber risk register.
  
• Leads initiatives to advance the City’s cybersecurity maturity, including implementation and tracking of findings from security assessments.
  

Emerging Technology & Innovation Governance

· Governs pilot and experimental technologies to ensure alignment with city standards, cybersecurity requirements, and operational priorities.

· Coordinates with vendors and internal departments to align pilot initiatives with governance requirements.

· Oversees the transition of approved pilot initiatives into stable, supportable production environments without disruption to city operations.

Governance Controls, Risk, and Administrative Oversight

· Establishes and administers IT financial governance, including annual budget development, procurement oversight, contract lifecycle management, and vendor performance accountability.

· Implements and enforces asset management and lifecycle governance, including technology inventories, configuration documentation, and replacement planning to reduce operational risk.

· Owns the City’s IT risk and resilience governance framework, encompassing disaster recovery, business continuity planning, risk registers, periodic testing, and leadership reporting.

· Oversees cybersecurity operations and controls, including patch management, endpoint security, multi-factor authentication, network monitoring, secure configuration baselines, and backup management.

· Governs incident response and recovery processes, including documentation, reporting, external coordination, and required regulatory or law enforcement notifications.

· Ensures compliance with applicable regulatory, contractual, and cybersecurity requirements, including CJIS and NIST standards.

· Provides administrative coordination with internal departments, City leadership, vendors, and partners to support Citywide technology initiatives and Curiosity Lab operations.

IT Operations & Infrastructure Management

The IT Programs & Operations Manager manages the City’s technology infrastructure, including:

• Servers, desktops, laptops, mobile devices, networks, wireless systems, and cloud platforms.
  
• Core municipal systems, including email, ERP, utility billing, permitting applications, and other citizen-facing services.
  
• The City’s website and online service availability.
  
• Technology lifecycle management and asset management processes.
  
• Network segmentation and security controls that appropriately separate core City systems and public safety systems.
  

Curiosity Lab Infrastructure & Innovation Support

The IT Programs & Operations Manager supports the City’s innovation initiatives by:

· Managing the Curiosity Lab’s technology infrastructure, including networks, systems, and innovation platforms.

· Coordinating with internal stakeholders, vendors, and partners to support pilot projects.

· Ensuring Curiosity Lab systems are appropriately segmented and governed consistently with City cybersecurity standards.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Management Information Systems, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible professional experience as determined by the City.
  
• Ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in information technology, with demonstrated leadership over IT operations, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and governance functions; public sector or municipal experience is preferred.
  
• Demonstrated experience with enterprise network administration, Microsoft technologies, virtualization platforms, cybersecurity practices, and IT governance frameworks.
  

Governance, Risk, and Compliance Knowledge

• Strong understanding of municipal technology environments, including ERP, utility billing, permitting, and public safety systems.
  
• Works independently in a small-staff environment with broad responsibilities.
  
• Communicates technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders.
  
• Demonstrates strong problem-solving skills and a customer service orientation.
  

Operational Expertise

· Experience managing technology infrastructure and services in a small‑staff environment, balancing operational needs with long‑term planning and risk management.

· Knowledge of asset management, lifecycle planning, vendor oversight, and service reliability.

Benefits

Benefits

The following benefits are provided to full-time employees in this position:

· Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance

· Short-term and long-term disability insurance

· 18 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) per year (increasing annually by ½ day for every year of service)

· 13 paid holidays per year

· Retirement: Defined Contribution Plan. City contributes 12% of employee’s annual base salary into a 401(a) account. Employees may also elect to participate in a Deferred Compensation (457) Plan (City matches up to 5% of employee’s contributions). Vesting schedules and plan details are governed by the retirement plan documents.

· Life insurance (3x annual salary up to $300,000)