IT Director of Public Safety

City of Philadelphia; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 120,000 - 149,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Paid vacation & holidays

Retirement options

Public Service Loan Forgiveness access

Free SEPTA rides

Job summary

The City of Philadelphia is seeking a Director of Public Safety IT within the Office of Innovation & Technology. The role oversees the planning, evaluation, implementation, and assessment of Public Safety technology infrastructure for the Police Department, Prisons, Public Safety PMO, and Legacy Systems.

Responsibilities include leading high-performing teams, managing budgets, vendors, and schedules, and ensuring service reliability and security across critical systems.

Qualifications

• BA/BS degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ten plus (10+) years of applicable work experience with 5+ years in IT management or IT program management, preferably in a large governmental environment.
• Experience leading organizational and/or technology change initiatives with emphasis on collaboration.
• Strong written and oral communication skills in business and technical language.

Responsibilities

• Plan strategic and tactical IT roadmaps for Public Safety.
• Oversee IT operations and program delivery for Police, Prisons, and related units.
• Lead budget and vendor management, including contract renewals and SLAs.
• Foster diversity, equity, and inclusion and build cross-agency partnerships.

Skills

Leadership & people mgmt

Budgeting & financial planning

IT strategy & architecture

Stakeholder collaboration

Strong communication

Public Safety IT domain knowledge

Education

BA/BS degree or equivalent

Job description

The Office of Innovation & Technology (OIT) is the central IT agency for the City of Philadelphia headed by the Chief Information Officer (CIO). OIT oversees all major information and communications technology initiatives for the City of Philadelphia - increasing the effectiveness of the information technology infrastructure, where the services provided are advanced, optimized, and responsive to the needs of the City of Philadelphia’s businesses, residents, and visitors. OIT responsibilities include: identifying the most effective approach for implementing new information technology directions throughout city government; improving the value of the city’s technology assets and the return on the city’s technology investments; ensuring data security continuity; planning for continuing operations in the event of disruption of information technology or communications services; and supporting accountable, efficient and effective government across every city department, board, commission and agency.

Job Description

The Director of Public Safety is responsible for the planning (strategic and tactical), technology evaluation and selection, implementation, delivery, and assessment of the Public Safety’s technology infrastructure systems and services. They oversee the managers and directors of various Public Safety units, foster high-performing and agile teams, and effectively utilize the department’s technological, financial, and human resources. This position is responsible for all IT operations, projects and programs supporting the Police Department, Department of Prisons, The Public Safety PMO, and the Public Safety Legacy Systems group. This is both an operational and a strategic role.

Essential Functions

• Strategic Planning & Budgeting:
  • Creates Public Safety IT roadmaps that leverage modern design principles and technologies that effectively meet both current and future agency needs.
  • In partnership with Public Safety department stakeholders, leads strategic planning to improve efficiency and effectiveness through IT programs.
  • Oversees Public Safety program execution and solution delivery.
  • Provides oversight to all Public Safety IT programs including requirements gathering, user-centered design, implementation, and assessment.
  • Participates in the management of the operating and capital budgets for the OIT Public Safety department.
  • Leads the evaluation of Public Safety solutions that meet short and long-term goals and develops business cases to guide their selection.
  • Recommends IT enhancements and investments, where appropriate, to support the City’s Public Safety strategic goals and technology priorities.
• Service Delivery & Optimization:
  • Directs the day-to-day operations for areas within their purview.
  • Ensures high availability and reliability of the IT infrastructure ecosystem.
  • Identifies appropriate industry standards, legislative requirements, City policies, OIT procedures, and best practices for technology management and support, and ensures they are consistently implemented across the department.
  • Continually assesses and improves departmental processes, services, and systems.
  • Identifies and implements key metrics and service level agreements (SLAs) for Public Safety IT services.
  • Provides oversight and manages Public Safety vendors holding them accountable to service level agreements and deliverables and manages contract renewals.
• Management & Leadership:
  • Builds, supports, and expands a culture that is supportive of diversity, equity, and inclusion where employees from all backgrounds can succeed and thrive.
  • Trains, coaches, and mentors employees under their supervision.
  • Builds strong and collaborative partnerships with key stakeholders across the City and State by actively participating in City and State activities and initiatives.
  • Keeps the CTO informed of current and potential issues, activities, operational outages, and any other risks that might jeopardize or degrade service delivery to the Public Safety community including external partners.

Qualifications

• BA/BS degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ten plus (10+) years of applicable work experience with 5 or more years of IT management or IT program management experience, preferably in a large governmental environment or a large and highly regulated entity.
• Experience in a management role, with proven leadership skills and demonstrated ability to manage high-performing teams, vendors, operations, and budgets.
• Experience leading organizational and/or technology change initiatives with a strong emphasis on relationship-building, collaboration, and shared stewardship.
• Strong written and oral communication skills (including ability to present ideas in user-friendly, business-friendly and technical language).
• Experience with budgeting, financial planning, and business operations.
• Experience in IT planning, strategy, and architecture that supports an organization’s business needs and operations.
• Expertise in one or more of the Public Safety technical domains, including: 911; Police; Prisons; Fire and OEM.
• Demonstrated conflict resolution, influence, and/or consensus-building.

Additional Information

Salary Range: $120,000 - $149,000

Starting salary to be determined based on experience and qualifications.

Work Setting: in-person (onsite)

The successful applicant will be required to submit to a fingerprint background check per CJIS policy.

Discover the Perks of Being a City of Philadelphia Employee:

• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available
• Pay off your student loans faster - As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
• Enjoy a Free Commute on SEPTA - Starting September 1, 2023, eligible City employees will no longer have to worry about paying for SEPTA public transportation. Whether you're a full-time, part-time, or provisional employee, you can seize the opportunity to sign up for the SEPTA Key Advantage Program and receive free Key cards for free rides on SEPTA buses, trains, trolleys, and regional rails.
• Unlock Tuition Discounts and Scholarships - The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships. Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!

Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

• The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to [e-mail].