Executive Director of IT Operations & Reliability

Minnesota IT Services; Saint Paul (MN); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) seeks an Executive Director of IT Operations & Reliability to provide strategic and operational leadership for a diverse portfolio of enterprise technology capabilities that support state agencies, boards, councils, and commissions. You will shape priorities, drive measurable outcomes, and lead a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

The role oversees Service Desk, Platform Engineering, Observability & AI, Disaster Recovery, and Application Portfolio

Qualifications

• Minimum of ten years in IT leadership with responsibility for strategy and operations.
• Five years supervisory or managerial experience, including staff development.
• Leading large enterprise IT operations or service organizations with multiple capabilities.
• Developing and executing IT strategy and translating priorities into operational plans.
• Accountability for delivery, reliability, and continuous improvement of enterprise tech services.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for a diverse portfolio of enterprise technology capabilities.
• Establish organizational priorities and performance expectations using data and outcomes.
• Develop leaders and teams, manage significant financial resources and investments.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with senior leaders to align technology with business needs and public service goals.

Skills

Executive leadership

IT strategy

Budget management

Staff development

Stakeholder communication

Customer-focused service delivery

Cross-functional collaboration

Change management

Job description

Join the 2,800+ professionals of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) who connect Minnesotans to services that will improve their lives. This position will be part of the Enterprise Services Delivery team, which delivers a full suite of IT Infrastructure & Operations services to state agencies, boards, councils, and commissions, and many central services to local government partners.

Job Summary

As the Executive Director of IT Operations & Reliability, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for a diverse portfolio of enterprise technology capabilities that are central to how MNIT delivers, manages, measures, and continuously improves technology services across the State of Minnesota.

The Executive Director leads an organization that includes the Enterprise Service Desk; ServiceNow Product Management and Platform Engineering; Operational Platforms & Automation, including Observability & AIOps; AI Strategy & Enablement; Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity; and Application Portfolio Management.

This position is responsible for bringing these capabilities together to improve the reliability, resilience, efficiency, and customer experience of enterprise technology services. The Executive Director will establish organizational priorities and performance expectations, use data and measurable outcomes to guide decisions, develop leaders and teams, manage significant financial resources and technology investments, and promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.

The Executive Director will work closely with senior leaders throughout MNIT and state government to understand business and technology needs, establish priorities, resolve complex cross-organizational issues, and ensure operational capabilities continue to evolve with the needs of the State. The position will also help advance the responsible use of automation, artificial intelligence, observability, and other modern operational practices to improve service delivery and operational outcomes.

As a member of MNIT's senior leadership team, the Executive Director will help shape broader technology strategy and investment decisions and will build strong relationships across organizational boundaries to ensure MNIT's operational capabilities work together effectively in support of agencies and the people of Minnesota.

This position requires strong working relationships with other senior MNIT leadership, including Division Directors, Assistant Commissioners, Chief Business Technology Officers (CBTOs), and other enterprise leaders.

This position requires an employee to work onsite at 600 N. Robert St, St. Paul, Minnesota at least 50% [or more or less if space limitations remain] of the time, with limited telework available. Telework eligibility depends on residence:

• Candidates living in Minnesota or within 50 miles of the worksite in a bordering state (Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) may telework up to 50%.
• Minnesota residents living more than 50 miles from the worksite may be eligible to telework more than 50%.
• Candidates living 50 miles or more from the worksite in a bordering state may work onsite 100% or may be telework eligible if relocating within 50 miles.

Qualifications

Position requires a minimum of ten (10) years of professional experience in an information technology leadership role with responsibility for customer relationship management, developing and implementing business and information technology strategy, and leading, technology operations, projects, and financial planning.

Experience must include:

• Five (5) years of supervisory or managerial experience, including responsibility for staff selection, orientation, coaching, performance management, and employee development.
• Leading large, complex enterprise IT operations or technology service organizations, including leading managers or senior leaders across multiple technology capabilities or service areas.
• Developing and executing IT strategy and translating organizational or business priorities into operational plans and measurable outcomes.
• Accountability for the delivery, reliability, and continuous improvement of enterprise technology services or other mission-critical technology capabilities.
• Significant financial management responsibility, including development and management of budgets, technology investments, contracts, vendors, or comparable financial resources.
• Building and maintaining relationships with executive leaders, customers, business partners, and other stakeholders to establish priorities, resolve complex issues, and advance organizational objectives.
• Leading organizational change, service improvement, or technology transformation across multiple teams or functions.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and effectively in a manner that facilitates mutual understanding, including advising executive leadership and translating complex technical, operational, and security information for nontechnical audiences.
• Customer-focused approach grounded in active listening, empathy, and solution-oriented problem-solving, with demonstrated leadership and relationship-building skills that foster high-performing teams and exceptional customer experiences.

Minnesota IT Services does not participate in E-Verify. Minnesota IT Services will not sponsor applicant for work visas, including F-1 STEM OPT extensions. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.