Deputy Director of Operations - Information Technology

Mercer-County; Trenton (NJ); On-site; USD 125,000 - 152,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision

State pension

Paid vacation & holidays

Continuing education

Job summary

Mercer County Information Technology seeks a Deputy Director of Operations to lead day-to-day IT operations, projects, and staff, reporting to the CTO. The role ensures reliable technology services across county facilities, aligning with cybersecurity and regulatory requirements.

Qualifying candidates have senior IT operations experience, strong leadership, and the ability to balance operational needs with strategic project delivery, including after-hours coverage when needed.

Qualifications

• Experience leading IT operations and service delivery in a large organization.
• Supervisory experience of at least three years in a multi-location environment.
• Knowledge of CJIS requirements, cybersecurity, and IT governance.

Responsibilities

• Provides leadership and oversight of daily IT operations across County departments.
• Leads IT managers and staff, establishes goals and accountability.
• Oversees incident, problem, and change management and outages response.
• Sets SLAs and monitors performance metrics and project status.
• Manages IT project portfolio from intake to delivery with CTO input.
• Oversees vendor contracts, procurement, and budget forecasting.

Skills

IT operations

service management

leadership

project portfolio

cybersecurity

budgeting

vendor management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Job description

Deputy Director of Operations - Information Technology

Details:

Job Description:

Details:

DEPUTYDIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

DEPARTMENT: Information Technology

SALARY: $124,939 - $152,388

LOCATION: Trenton, NJ

SCHEDULE: M-F 8:30AM – 4:30 PM. Thisposition may require occasional work outside of normal business hours,including evenings or weekends, to meet operational needs.

JOBSPECIFICATION: ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

REPORTSTO: ChiefTechnology Officer

VACANCIES: 1

POSITIONOVERVIEW:

The CivilService title for this position is Assistant Director of Information Technology,with the functional title of Deputy Director of Operations. Reporting to the ChiefTechnology Officer (CTO), the Deputy Director of Operations leads theday-to-day operations of Mercer County Information Technology. This position isresponsible for IT operations and project management across County locations,including public safety, courts, and corrections. The role leads managersresponsible for systems and Service Desk support and oversees the IT projectportfolio from intake and prioritization through delivery.

RESPONSIBILTIIES:

• Providesleadership and oversight of daily IT operations, ensuring reliable andresponsive technology services across County departments and facilities.
• Leads,mentors, and develops IT managers and staff by establishing goals, monitoringperformance, strengthening accountability, and supporting professional growth.
• Overseesincident, problem, and change management processes and leads the coordinatedresponse to major outages and service disruptions through restoration.
• Establishesservice-level expectations with County departments and monitors operationalperformance, including ticket trends, system availability, service delivery,and project status.
• Developsstaffing plans, schedules, and coverage strategies to maintain effectiveoperations, including after-hours support for critical County functions.
• Overseesthe County's IT project portfolio from intake through delivery, working withthe Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to evaluate requests, establish priorities,allocate resources, and monitor scope, schedules, budgets, risks, and outcomes.
• Assignsproject leadership, establishes milestones and deliverables, and ensuresaccountability for timely and successful project completion.
• Balancesproject priorities with ongoing operational demands, available resources, andstaff capacity.
• Managesvendor relationships, technology service contracts, and renewals, includingmonitoring vendor performance, deliverables, service levels, and invoices.
• Assists inthe development, administration, and monitoring of the IT operating budget,including procurement activities, grant reporting, expenditures, and costforecasting.
• Ensures IToperations align with established cybersecurity policies, procedures,standards, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Collaborateswith the CTO and Deputy CTO to advance information security priorities andstrengthen the County's overall technology and cybersecurity posture.
• Overseesthe operational readiness and scheduled testing of backup, disaster recovery,and business continuity plans.
• Supportstechnology audits, compliance reviews, and regulatory requirements, includingCriminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) requirements.
• Maintainscurrent operational procedures, documentation, runbooks, escalation protocols,and continuity processes.
• Serves asa primary operational liaison to department leadership, addressing technologyservice concerns, operational needs, and emerging priorities.
• Representsor acts on behalf of the Chief Technology Officer when assigned or delegated.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must meet one of the following combinations of educationand experience . Thirty (30) semester-hour credits are consideredequivalent to one (1) year of relevant experience.

Ten (10) years of professional experience involving the administration ofinformation processing, telecommunications management, computer operations, andsystem development in a multiplatform/multi-user environment, three (3) years of which shall have been in asupervisory capacity .

OR

Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or universityand six (6) years of the above-mentioned professional experience, three (3) years of which shall have been in asupervisory capacity .

OR

Possession of a master's degree in a related field and five (5) years of theabove-mentioned professional experience, three(3) years of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity .

DEFINITION OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

“Professional experience” refers to work that is creative, analytical,evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range and depth of specializedknowledge of the profession's principles, concepts, theories, and practices;and is performed with the authority to exercise independent judgment and makeaccurate and informed decisions.

LICENSE:

Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in NewJersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, isnecessary to perform the essential duties of the position.

KNOWLEDGE,SKILLS, ABILITIES:

• Comprehensiveknowledge of IT operations and service delivery, including incident, problem,change, and service management practices.
• Knowledgeof service-level agreements, key performance indicators, operational metrics,and performance reporting.
• Strongunderstanding of enterprise technology environments, including networks,servers, storage, systems, and end-user support services.
• Knowledgeof information security principles, cybersecurity best practices, andrecognized frameworks, including CIS Controls.
• Knowledgeof disaster recovery, business continuity, backup strategies, and operationalresilience.
• Knowledgeof project and portfolio management principles, including prioritization,resource allocation, risk management, budgeting, and project delivery.
• Knowledgeof public-sector budgeting, procurement, contract administration, vendormanagement, and fiscal accountability.
• Strongleadership and supervisory skills, including performance management, coaching,staff development, accountability, and progressive discipline.
• Ability tolead and develop managers and technical teams while fostering collaboration,accountability, and a service-oriented culture.
• Ability toanalyze complex operational and technical issues, evaluate alternatives, andmake sound, timely decisions.
• Ability to manage competing operational priorities, projects, resources, and departmentalneeds in a complex technology environment.
• Ability tocommunicate complex technical information clearly and effectively to executiveleadership, department heads, employees, vendors, and other stakeholders.
• Ability todevelop and maintain effective working relationships across County departmentsand with external partners.
• Knowledgeof applicable County personnel policies, procedures, and collective bargainingagreements.
• Knowledgeof government technology compliance and security requirements, includingCriminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) requirements.
• Knowledgeof current and emerging trends, technologies, risks, and best practices ingovernment information technology and cybersecurity.
• Ability tomaintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment when handling sensitive operational,personnel, and security-related information.

BENEFITSOF WORKING WITH MERCER COUNTY:

MercerCounty offers a comprehensive benefits package that supports employee wellness,financial stability, and career growth:

• Health, dental, vision, andprescription coverage
• Enrollment in the State pensionsystem
• Paid vacation, holidays, and sickleave
• Continuing education and careerdevelopment opportunities

MercerCounty EEO/ Civil Service Statement & Residency Requirements:

MercerCounty is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to fostering a diverse,inclusive, and accessible workplace. We provide equal employment opportunitiesto all individuals regardless of race, creed, color, national origin,nationality, ancestry, age, sex, gender, pregnancy, marital status, civil unionstatus, domestic partnership status, familial status, religion, affectional orsexual orientation, gender identity or expression, atypical hereditary cellularor blood trait, genetic information, liability for service in the Armed Forcesof the United States, disability, or any other protected characteristic underfederal, state, or local law.

Asa Civil Service employer under the State of New Jersey, all candidates mustcomply with New Jersey Civil Service Commission regulations and guidelines.Mercer County residency is required. Non-residents must establish residencywithin one (1) year of employment.

MercerCounty is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations in accordancewith the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and