Business Systems Manager

County of Ventura; Ventura (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible Schedules

Educational Incentive

Annual Leave

401(k) Match

Health Plans

Flexible Spending Accounts

Pension Plan

Holidays

Job summary

Ventura County Employees’ Retirement Association (VCERA) seeks a Retirement IT Manager to lead the Pension Administration System (PAS) operations and modernization efforts. The role supervises a technical team, coordinates with the CTO, and manages vendor partnerships.

You will balance daily operations with strategic upgrades, ensuring data quality, documentation, and cross-department collaboration in a fast-paced public-sector IT environment.

Qualifications

• Five (5) or more years of progressively responsible information systems experience, including supervising/managing an information technology team.
• Knowledge of project management principles and demonstrated experience leading and completing large and complex IT-related projects.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for preparing and presenting comprehensive reports and recommendations.
• Ability to train, supervise, and evaluate staff; experience managing budgets and vendor relationships.

Responsibilities

• Plans, directs, and organizes the daily operations of VCERA’s pension administration system (PAS), for a medium size internal technical team.
• Leads internal projects in support of the PAS and related technologies, responsible for preparing coordination meetings, project tracking, and progress reporting, ensuring effective communication with the CTO, business leadership, and project stakeholders.
• Collaborates with VCERA’s CTO and Managers to analyze and resolve complex business problems, evaluating the impact of potential solutions from both a business and technical perspective.
• Selects, trains, and evaluates performance of subordinate staff; conducts performance reviews and develops individual employee plans.
• Under the direction of the CTO, maintains budget and controls expenditures for their area.
• Researches, analyzes, and recommends IT sourcing and vendor management strategies; serves as primary liaison to key technology vendors for PAS and related tech.
• Manages SLAs for key vendors; defines metrics, dashboards, and performance management.
• Coordinates with managers to align priorities and ensure project success while adhering to ITIL procedures.
• Develops and maintains positive relationships with VCERA leadership to support long-term technology planning for PAS and supporting tech.
• Works with VCERA IT staff and county partners to ensure IT solutions create value.
• Performs feasibility studies; defines system requirements; coordinates user site prep; implements, maintains, audits, and enhances systems/projects.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Job description

• Flexible Schedules – Flexible and hybrid telework schedules may be approved.
• Educational Incentive - An educational incentive of 2.5% for completion of an associate degree, 3.5% for completion of a bachelor's degree, OR 5% for completion of a graduate degree.
• Annual Leave - 208 hours per year, increasing to 288 hours after 5 years of service.
• Annual Leave Redemption - The ability to "cash in" or redeem up to 100 hours of Annual Leave per year after using 80 hours in the preceding twelve months.
• Deferred Compensation - Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3% match on your 401(k) contributions.
• Health Plans – Full-time employees are afforded a flexible credit allowance for purchasing medical, dental, and/or vision insurance from a group of authorized plans: Tier one for employee only is $464 per biweekly pay period, tier two for employee plus one is $834 per biweekly pay period and tier three for employee plus family is $1,024 per biweekly pay period.
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Choice of participation in the Flexible Spending Accounts which increase spending power through reimbursement of pre-tax dollars for IRS-approved dependent care and health care expenses.
• Pension Plan - Both the County and employees contribute to the County's Retirement Plan and to Social Security. If eligible, reciprocity may be established with other public retirement systems, such as CalPERS.
• Holidays - 13 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Flexible Schedules – Flexible and hybrid telework schedules may be approved.
• Educational Incentive - An educational incentive of 2.5% for completion of an associate degree, 3.5% for completion of a bachelor's degree, OR 5% for completion of a graduate degree.
• Annual Leave - 208 hours per year, increasing to 288 hours after 5 years of service.
• Annual Leave Redemption - The ability to "cash in" or redeem up to 100 hours of Annual Leave per year after using 80 hours in the preceding twelve months.
• Deferred Compensation - Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3% match on your 401(k) contributions.
• Health Plans – Full-time employees are afforded a flexible credit allowance for purchasing medical, dental, and/or vision insurance from a group of authorized plans: Tier one for employee only is $464 per biweekly pay period, tier two for employee plus one is $834 per biweekly pay period and tier three for employee plus family is $1,024 per biweekly pay period.
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Choice of participation in the Flexible Spending Accounts which increase spending power through reimbursement of pre-tax dollars for IRS-approved dependent care and health care expenses.
• Pension Plan - Both the County and employees contribute to the County's Retirement Plan and to Social Security. If eligible, reciprocity may be established with other public retirement systems, such as CalPERS.
• Holidays - 13 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday.

THE AGENCY

The Ventura County Employees’ Retirement Association (VCERA) is a multi-employer, defined benefit, public pension plan located in Ventura County, California. Founded in 1947, the association is governed by the County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 (“1937 Act”) and the California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA). VCERA’s primary responsibility is to provide lifetime retirement benefits for eligible employees of the County of Ventura, Ventura County Superior Court, Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (APCD), Ventura Regional Sanitation District (VRSD) and VCERA. The plan serves over 10,000 active members, over 4,000 deferred members, and more than 8,000 retirees.

THE POSITION

The ideal candidate for the Business Systems Manager role will bring strong leadership, technical expertise, and a collaborative mindset to support VCERA’s Pension Administration System (PAS). Under the general direction of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), this individual will oversee daily PAS operations, supervise Systems Administrators, manage vendor partnerships, ensure data quality and documentation standards, and coordinate the PAS Modernization and other related projects.

The ideal candidate will excel at organizing and driving complex operational and analytical functions, providing sustained support for both current initiatives and long-term modernization efforts. The ideal candidate must thrive in fast-paced technical environments, demonstrate strong project coordination skills, and effectively balance daily operational responsibilities with strategic modernization goals to succeed in this role.

Experience with public pensions or related subject matter areas such as payroll, benefits, and finance and technologies to support these functions is also highly desired.

PAYROLL TITLE: Retirement IT Manager

The Retirement IT Manager is a management classification and is not eligible for overtime compensation.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

OPENING DATE: Tuesday, September 22, 2026

CLOSING DATE: Continuous and may close at any time; therefore, the schedule for the remainder of the process will depend upon when we receive a sufficient number of qualified applications to meet business needs.

REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS: Applications will be reviewed on a weekly basis beginning the week of September 28, 2026.

Examples Of Duties

• Plans, directs, and organizes the daily operations of VCERA’s pension administration system (PAS), for a medium size internal technical team.
• Leads internal projects in support of the PAS and related technologies, responsible for preparing coordination meetings, project tracking, and progress reporting, ensuring effective communication with the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), business leadership, and project stakeholders.
• Collaborates with VCERA’s Chief Technology Officer and VCERA Managers to analyze and resolve complex business problems, evaluating the impact of potential solutions from both a business and technical perspective.
• Selects, trains, and evaluates performance of subordinate staff. Review work performance, administer performance evaluations, and establish individual employee development plans.
• Under direction of the CTO, maintains budget and control expenditures for their assigned functional area.
• Researches, analyzes, and recommends information technology sourcing and vendor management strategies. Serves as primary liaison to key technology vendors, directly in support of VCERA’s PAS and adjacent technologies.
• Manages the Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for VCERA’s key vendors in support of the PAS. Defines metrics, dashboards, and performance management.
• Consults with VCERA’s Managers to coordinate cross-department, technology-related work ensuring aligned priorities and successful execution of projects and tasks while adhering to Information Technology Library Infrastructure (ITIL) procedures and policy requirements.
• Develops and maintains positive working relationships with VCERA leadership to identify long-term technology planning, in support of the PAS and supporting technologies that focus on best practices and new technologies.
• Works both independently and cooperatively with internal and external partners/vendors to ensure IT solutions and services create value.
• Works with other VCERA IT Staff and/or County agencies/departments in performing feasibility studies; defining systems requirements; formulating specifications; developing or acquiring systems; coordinating user site preparation; implementing, maintaining, auditing, and making enhancements to systems/projects.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Typical Qualifications

These are entrance requirements to the examination process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.

Education/Experience

Five (5) or more years of progressively responsible information systems experience, including supervising/managing an information technology team which has led to the acquisition of the required competencies and/or attributes.

Necessary Special Requirement

• Knowledge of project management principles and demonstrated experience leading and completing large and complex IT-related projects.

Desired

• Experience working in a public retirement system or related government agency
• Knowledge of government operations, public finance, or pension benefit administration
• Experience managing or supporting payroll or benefit processes
• Experience supporting enterprise applications, such as pension administration systems, financial management systems, or enterprise resource planning applications (ERPs)

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, And ABILITIES

Working knowledge of:

• Various technical fields including systems architecture, software engineering, enterprise applications, data and network communications, cybersecurity fundamentals, and modern computing platforms.

Thorough Knowledge Of:

• Modern IT infrastructure, including configuration, administration and lifecycle of hardware and software systems and their use in enterprise environments.

Comprehensive Knowledge Of:

• Modern IT principles; current industry trends and emerging technologies.

Comprehensive Ability To:

• Provide technical support and assistance which may include systems engineering, infrastructure services, network design, database administration, and enterprise application management.

Able To:

• Support end users, technical teams, and agency leadership through evaluation, configuration and management of hardware, software, and integrated systems.

Skilled In:

• Training and supervising staff;
• Maintaining effective working relationships;
• Analyzing complex workflows and data;
• Developing sound conclusions; and planning, directing, and organizing the work of others.

Demonstrates:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills for preparing and presenting comprehensive reports and recommendations, and consistently exercises independent judgement in a managerial capacity.

Eligible List

Candidates successfully completing the examination process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year. The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future Regular (including Temporary and Fixed-term), Intermittent, and Extra-Help vacancies for this and similar vacancies within the Ventura County Employees’ Retirement Association. There is currently one (1) Regular, Full-Time vacancy within the Ventura County Employees’ Retirement Association.

Background Investigation

A thorough pre-employment, post-offer background investigation, which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information and driving record, may be required for this position.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.