INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST II

State of California; Sacramento (CA); Hybrid; USD 96,000 - 129,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Developmental Services – Headquarters in California seeks an AWS Platform Administrator (Information Technology Specialist II) to manage the State's cloud environment. Responsibilities include administration, security, optimization, and operational support for AWS-based services to ensure reliability and scalability.

Open to hybrid in-office/telework arrangements; applicants must be California residents and meet the MQs for the classification. Final filing date: 10/30/2026.

Qualifications

• Experience administering enterprise AWS environments.
• Experience with AWS monitoring and performance optimization.
• Experience with cloud engineering and platform improvements.

Responsibilities

• Administer, operate, secure, and optimize the Department's AWS cloud environment.
• Provide AWS systems engineering, configuration management, monitoring, security administration, and troubleshooting.
• Ensure reliability, availability, performance, and scalability of cloud-hosted solutions.
• Serve as a technical resource for enterprise cloud administration and support.

Skills

AWS administration

Cloud security

Performance monitoring

Troubleshooting

Tools

CloudWatch

CloudTrail

Job description

Job Title & Salary

Department of Developmental Services – Headquarters

JC-536195 – AWS Platform Administrator – INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST II

$8,625.00 – $11,557.00 per Month
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

Final Filing Date: 10/30/2026

Job Overview

Under general direction of the Infrastructure Services Branch Chief (Information Technology Manager I), the Information Technology Specialist II (ITS II) serves as the AWS Platform Administrator responsible for administering, operating, securing, optimizing, and supporting the Department's AWS cloud environment and related cloud-based infrastructure services. The incumbent provides AWS systems engineering, platform administration, configuration management, monitoring, security administration, troubleshooting, and operational support to ensure the reliability, availability, performance, and scalability of cloud-hosted solutions. This position focuses on AWS infrastructure, cloud platform operations, governance, and continuous service improvement rather than application development, serving as a technical resource for enterprise cloud administration and support.

Effective July 1, 2025, State employees are subject to a salary reduction of three percent in exchange for five hours per month of the Personal Leave.

Working Conditions

Open-spaced partitioned offices. Prolonged periods on a computer a majority of the time. Occasionally required to move and transport objects weighing up to 25 pounds.

Under Government Code 14200, this position is a hybrid, in‑office/telework position, and may be subject to change. Incumbent can be required to report to the office, or any designated location at any time. Telework agreements can be modified and/or cancelled at any time. All commute expenses to the reporting location will be the responsibility of the selected candidate.

Pursuant to California Government Code requirements, candidates must be residents of the State of California at the time of appointment.

This position requires lawful authorization to work in the United States. The Department does not sponsor employment visas for this position.

Minimum Requirements

The Minimum Requirements are detailed in the Class Specification (INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST II). These include required experience, skills and qualifications as outlined in the classification.

Department Information

The California Department of Developmental Services (Department) is the agency through which the State of California provides services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities. These disabilities include intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism and related conditions. Services are provided through state‑operated developmental centers and community facilities, and contracts with 21 nonprofit regional centers. The regional centers serve as a local resource to help find and access the services and supports available to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

The Department is located in a modern, sustainable and innovative office building at 1215 “O” Street, Sacramento, California. Some amenities of the building include:

• First floor retail space (separate access from 12 th Street)
• Café with multiple vendors
• Employee fitness center which includes a yoga studio, cardio equipment and weights
• Plaza area with kitchenette on each floor

The Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) must be numbered in the same order as the following areas, typed in 12‑point Arial font, single spaced, and be no more than two pages in length. Applicants who fail to answer the questions or submit an SOQ may not be considered.

1. Describe your experience administering enterprise AWS environments and how it aligns with this position.
2. Explain your experience with AWS monitoring and performance optimization.
3. Describe your experience with cloud engineering and platform improvements.

If you are using list eligibility from an on‑line exam to qualify for this position, you MUST include with your application any documentation (i.e., copy of transcript, degree, license, etc.) to verify meeting the MQ’s or you may not be considered for the position.

The MQs will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If it is determined that an applicant does not meet the MQs of the classification, the applicant may not be considered and withheld from the eligible list.

Desirable Qualifications

Knowledge of: AWS cloud architecture, services, and operational best practices; AWS Organizations, Control Tower, IAM, EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, VPC, CloudWatch, CloudTrail, Systems Manager, and related services; Enterprise cloud infrastructure management, security, and governance frameworks; Cloud networking, DNS, VPN connectivity, routing, and hybrid cloud architectures; Infrastructure automation, orchestration, and configuration management practices; Cloud monitoring, logging, observability, and performance management solutions; Identity and access management, encryption, auditing, and compliance principles; Disaster recovery, business continuity, backup, and resiliency planning; Cost management and cloud resource optimization strategies; Technical documentation, architecture diagrams, operational procedures, and runbook development.

Ability to: Administer and support complex AWS cloud environments; Diagnose and resolve infrastructure, security, networking, and performance issues; Design and implement cloud platform improvements that enhance reliability, scalability, and efficiency; Apply governance, security, and compliance requirements within cloud environments; Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend strategic improvements; Develop and maintain technical documentation and operational procedures; Communicate technical concepts effectively to technical and non‑technical stakeholders; Independently manage complex assignments while collaborating across teams.

As a state employee working for the Department of Developmental Services, you and your family will have access to excellent medical, dental and vision insurance benefits in addition to retirement benefits.

Benefit eligibility may be based on job classification, bargaining unit, time base and length of appointment. Additional benefits may also be outlined for specific bargaining units in employee collective bargaining contracts.

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

Contact Information

Department Website: http://www.dds.ca.gov

Contact the Human Resources Contact for questions regarding the position or application process.

Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position to the Department's EEO Office.

EEO Contact:
Equal Employment Opportunity Office
(916) 654‑1888
[e-mail]

California Relay Service: 1‑800‑735‑2929 (TTY), 1‑800‑735‑2922 (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Additional Information

Electronic application submission is highly encouraged.

Multiple positions may be filled from this recruitment. This recruitment may be utilized to fill future vacancies that may occur during the life of the certification list.

Possession of Minimum Qualifications will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If you are meeting Minimum Qualifications with education, you must include your unofficial transcripts/diploma for verification. Official transcripts may be required upon appointment. If it is determined an applicant does not meet the Minimum Qualifications, the candidate may be withheld from the eligibility list, rendering them inactive and ineligible to be hired for the position. Candidates who have been withheld may file an appeal with the California Department of Human Resources.

All appointments are subject to State Restriction of Appointment (SROA), Departmental Restriction of Appointment (DROA), Re‑employment List procedures, pre‑employment physical and fingerprint clearances. Further information on the definition of the above may be found on the California Department of Human Resources' website at: www.calhr.ca.gov.

If you have not taken the Information Technology Specialist II exam/assessment you may find the exam for this classification at the link below. You must take and pass the exam/assessment to obtain eligibility for hire. Click here to gain list eligibility.

Remove Any Confidential Information

Do not include any confidential information on any documents you submit for a job vacancy, such as your State application, resume, or educational transcripts.

Confidential information that should be excluded or removed from these documents includes, but is not limited to, your Social Security Number (SSN), birthdate, student identification number, driver’s license number (unless required), basis of eligibility, examination results, LEAP status, marital status, and age. Confidential information on the first page of applications submitted electronically online, such as Easy ID number, SSN, examination related information, and driver’s license number will automatically be redacted upon submission.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California 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.

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug‑free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.