Director for Agency and Application Support

South Dakota State Government; Pierre (SD); On-site; USD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

South Dakota State Government offers an exciting opportunity as Director for Agency & Application Support. The role leads a team of developers and analysts, aligning IT services with agency needs and statewide standards, reporting to BIT leadership.

This executive position emphasizes strategic governance, budget oversight, and cross-agency collaboration to drive value and secure operations. The ideal candidate blends experience in government IT environments with a strong grasp of governance,

Qualifications

• Experience building and leading service-oriented technology teams.
• Strong IT governance knowledge and strategic planning experience.
• Ability to apply metrics, SLAs, and KPIs to guide delivery.
• Experience working in a government environment is a plus.
• Proven capability to manage budgets, vendor contracts, and procurement processes.
• Excellent communication with executive leadership and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of application developers and analysts delivering IT services for multiple state agencies.
• Develop and communicate IT strategies that align with business goals and budgets.
• Oversee budget planning, revenue targets, and procurement processes.
• Coordinate vendor management and contract negotiation to ensure value and compliance.
• Collaborate with CISO and BIT leadership to implement security standards.

Skills

Team leadership

IT governance

SLA/KPIs

Budget management

Vendor management

Contract negotiation

Tools

Mainframe

C#

.NET

COTS

SAAS

Platform technologies

Job description

Director for Agency & Application Support

Job ID: 36910
Agency: Bureau of Information and Technology
Location: Statewide within the state of South Dakota
Salary: $125,000.00–$150,000.00 Annual Salary, depending on qualifications
Pay Grade: O
Contract: Full-time 40+ hours per week
Closing Date: Open Until Filled

If you are highly motivated, enjoy helping customers, and looking to build a career in IT service delivery, we want you to join our team! This is a Full-Time 40-hour+ weekly position with the Bureau of Information and Technology (BIT). The State of South Dakota BIT is seeking a highly qualified and motivated information technology leader for the role of Director for Agency & Application Support. This exempt position, reporting to the BIT Commissioner (State CIO), requires executive leadership, strategic vision, and a broad and thorough understanding of technologies, process, and industry best practices.

The Director will lead a team of application developers and analysts responsible for supporting various State agencies' technology needs within specific industry groups, such as Public Health, Industry & Education, Public Safety, Public infrastructure and Resources, or Government Operations. The position provides guidance and expertise to State agencies' senior leadership teams to support their long-term management of IT systems, processes, and investments, and proactively builds relationships and collaborates with senior State agency and BIT leadership to create IT strategies that support business strategies, needs, and budgets.

Additional duties include the support of business processes through the maintenance and enhancement of current applications, selection and implementation of new technology, vendor management, and contract processes. The Director will serve as the primary point of contact for all technology processes and support needs, working closely with other technology divisions to ensure the success of clients' operations. Collaboration with the State CISO and their team for the application of security standards within the agency is also expected. The Director will also be responsible for proactive management of budget and revenue targets and will operate with minimal supervision.

Ideal Candidate

The Director of Agency & Application Support will have experience building and leading strong service-oriented technology teams, supporting a wide variety of applications, including custom full-stack developed applications (mainframe, C#, .NET, COTS, SAAS, and platform technologies). Experience in building robust business-led application and IT Governance structures to ensure technology investments and systems are fully realized is crucial. Understanding and application of metrics, including SLA and KPIs to demonstrate delivery toward business goals, are essential. Demonstrated success working in a complex government environment at the elected/appointed level is a plus. This position also serves as a Senior Executive within BIT and participates in the Senior Leadership team to provide oversight and governance to all technology processes and initiatives statewide. Experience with overall IT Governance processes, strategic planning and execution, and a customer-focused approach is highly appreciated.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge

• public administration principles, including the basic principles of organization, management, and legislative processes;
• state government purchasing laws and practices. Ensuring all procurements follow applicable administrative rules, laws, and processes;
• creating, implementing, and continually improving IT service frameworks;
• industry and federal compliance structures including PII, PCI DSS, SSA GIX, FISMA, HIPAA, FERPA, FTI, CJIS, HITECH, NIST CSF and similar structures.

Skills

• excellent customer service and relationship management skills;
• develop executive, and strategic, relationships to implement and support business strategic plans;
• excellent analytical skills, the ability to manage multiple priorities under strict timelines, as well as the ability to work well in a demanding, dynamic environment and meet overall objectives;
• apply knowledge of IT industry best practices and risks to negotiate favorable contracts for the Agency and state;
• manage complex budget processes including (but not limited to) annual budget planning, budget spend, income(billings), and strategic budget planning with agency leadership;
• manage multiple complex projects at an executive level to ensure projects are reported accurately and timely.

Ability

• lead and motivate the application support and development teams to achieve tactical and strategic goals;
• establish and maintain effective working relationships with executive management, peers, state officials, outside agencies and partners, vendors, industry, and community groups;
• work with and coordinate between multiple agencies and different governmental structures to meet goals and objectives;
• communicate effectively to stakeholders, customers, and team both verbally and in writing.

Eligibility and Compliance

This position is exempt from the Civil Service Act. The State of South Dakota does not sponsor work visas for new or existing employees. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete an Employment Eligibility Verification, Form I-9. The State of South Dakota as an employer will be using E-Verify to complete employment eligibility verification upon hire.

The State of South Dakota offers $0 premium employee health insurance option plus eleven paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave accrual, dental, vision, and other insurance options, and retirement benefits. This position is a member of Class A retirement under SDRS.

'An Equal Opportunity Employer'

Contact Information

South Dakota Bureau of Human Resources and Administration
Telephone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
http://bhr.sd.gov/workforus

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