Information Technology Program Manager I

Fairfax County Government; Fairfax (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Fairfax County Government's Land Development Services seeks a business-side lead for the Planning and Land Use System (PLUS). You will coordinate cross-agency efforts, prioritize programs, and report on health and performance to county leadership.

You will also manage vendor contracts, provide coaching to staff, and stay current with new technologies such as AI to improve program efficiency and data quality. Strong collaboration with IT is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science or closely related field and 5+ years in systems design, development, and maintenance in a large information systems environment.
• PMP or similar program/project management certification.
• Experience in land use, land development review, permitting, or planning systems.
• Experience as a liaison between business units and IT; Agile/Scrum experience; leading technology initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Manage PLUS programs and projects, including prioritization, planning, and monitoring of program health and performance.
• Lead and support steering committees and executive briefings, preparing materials and facilitating discussions with agency and DIT leadership.
• Oversee the creation, execution, and management of vendor contracts required to meet program objectives, including monitoring vendor performance and reporting to county leadership.
• Provide direction, coaching, and performance management for subordinate staff.
• Maintain awareness of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, and apply relevant tools to improve program efficiency and data quality.

Skills

Liaison experience

Agile/Scrum

AI tool familiarity

Team leadership

Technology initiatives

Vendor management

Program management

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science

PMP certification

Job description

Fairfax County boasts a top-notch school system, safe neighborhoods, thousands of acres of parkland, and bustling town centers. County government sits at the heart of this dynamic community of almost 1.2 million residents and seeks employees eager to bring their energy, enthusiasm and skills to serve Fairfax residents and to shape the county's future. Land Development Services (LDS) is the steward of the county's land development and building construction codes and regulations, and its staff members embrace their essential role as "first preventers." Every day, through careful review, permitting and inspection of site and building construction, our staff protect the health, safety, welfare, and environment for those who live in, work in, and visit Fairfax County. Our department also serves as the gateway to much of the county's economic development, reviewing over 30,000 building and site plan submissions, issuing nearly 70,000 building permits, and conducting over 220,000 building and site inspections each year. If you would like to join a creative, collaborative, innovative team doing meaningful work, then LDS is the place for you.

This position serves within the county's Land Development Services Department as the business-side lead for the Planning and Land Use System (PLUS). Also serves as the primary liaison between agency leadership, the multi-agency land development review community, and the Department of Information Technology (DIT), ensuring that program and project activities remain aligned with strategic objectives.

Key responsibilities:

• Manage PLUS programs and projects, including prioritization, planning, and monitoring of program health and performance.
• Lead and support steering committees and executive briefings, preparing materials and facilitating discussions with agency and DIT leadership.
• Oversee the creation, execution, and management of vendor contracts required to meet program objectives, including monitoring vendor performance and reporting to county leadership.
• Provide direction, coaching, and performance management for subordinate staff.
• Maintain awareness of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, and apply relevant tools to improve program efficiency and data quality.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following: (Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to") Possession of a bachelor's degree in computer science, or closely related field; plus five years of experience in systems design, development, and maintenance in a large information systems environment, including supervisory experience.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check to the satisfaction of the employer prior to appointment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience in land use, land development review, permitting, or planning systems.
• PMP or similar program/project management certification.
• Prior experience in a liaison role between business units and an IT department.
• Experience with Agile/Scrum frameworks in a business-owner or product-owner capacity.
• Familiarity with evaluating and adopting AI tools to improve program efficiencies.
• Experience leading a team of technology professionals.
• Experience developing and leading organization-wide technology initiatives.
• Experience developing task orders and managing vendor performance for hosted IT services, data management, and technology integration projects in a government environment.
• Experience developing and implementing IT policies and processes to support enterprise applications across multiple business units or government agencies.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Duties are normally performed in sedentary office type environment. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:

Panel interview and may include exercise.

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home (including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and many others). We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY 703-222-7314. [e-mail] EEO/AA/TTY.