Definition

This is the supervisory or expert level. Provides expert consultation and specialized analysis, design, development, acquisition, installation, maintenance, programming, testing, quality assurance, troubleshooting, and/or problem resolution tasks for major organization-wide, high risk/high impact, or mission-critical applications computing and/or telecommunication systems, projects, databases or database management systems; support products, or operational problems.

Performs highly-complex tasks such as conducting capacity planning to determine organization-wide needs and make recommendations; designing complex agency- or institution-wide enterprise systems crossing multiple networks, platforms or telecommunication environments; overseeing the daily operations of large-scale or enterprise systems; identifying and resolving operational problems for major high risk systems with centralized, organization-wide functions; testing multi-dimensional applications, providing quality assurance; developing standards or enhancing existing, high risk and impact, mission critical applications; integrating business solutions, or writing feasibility studies and decision packages for high visibility/impact initiatives.

Provides leadership and expert consultation for large-scale projects or enterprise systems that often integrate new technology and/or carry out organization-wide information technology functions, or impact other institutions or agencies. Provides project management leadership, technical expertise and demonstrates knowledge of project management practices, principles, and skills.

May supervise information technology specialists or function as a recognized expert who is sought out by others in resolving or assessing controversial or precedent-setting issues.

Typical Work

Conducts capacity planning to determine organization-wide needs. Analyzes and assesses industry direction and analyzes new capabilities that may be applied to the organization. Evaluates new products, documents characteristics, and makes recommendations;

Develops and implements project plans and designs complex agency- or institution-level, enterprise systems. Coordinates and implements complex installation projects for major systems that carry out organization-wide information functions. Sets and maintains project schedules, coordinates design/maintenance and testing. Assigns and directs staff. Ensures standards are met (quality assurance). Develops and implements communication strategies. Oversees budget.

Oversees the daily operations of large-scale or enterprise systems. Identifies and independently resolves operational problems for major systems that have high risk/high impact such as accounting, budgeting, payroll, purchasing, or similar centralized organization-wide information functions;

Supports, maintains, and enhances existing, high risk and impact, mission critical applications. Analyzes and resolves very complex problems such as multiple product problems, dump analysis, or major conflicts caused by a new hardware or software version;

Supports, maintains, and enhances database management system, and may install vendor and support software. Plans for database growth and space requirements. Establishes performance measures for database management systems, analyzes problems, makes recommendations for improvements, and implements tuning adjustments. Analyzes recovery scenarios and develops on-site backup requirements. Defines and implements on-site backup and recovery procedures and schedules;

Directs system testing and other testing depending on system complexity, risk and impact;

Directs quality assurance efforts. Develops and issues standards and processes including reporting, testing, and evaluation;

Directs policy and strategy implementation. Implements technical policy;

Analyze industry-wide trends and make recommendations for improvements and efficiencies in system performance;

Plans, analyzes, and develops requirements for application development and enhancement. Develops alternative solutions and makes recommendations. Facilitates application approval processes;

Writes project charters, cost/benefit analyses, requests for proposals, and evaluates responses for major systems. Writes feasibility studies, acquisition plans, and decision packages for high visibility/impact initiatives;

Develops service-level agreements with clients and vendors. Develops measurement and monitoring methods. Prepares reports;

Develops and writes security and emergency recovery plans. Writes operational controls. Leads design and implementation of security intrusion detection;

Creates and supports pre-production environments such as tests, demos, and production runs for major systems;

Leads problem solving teams in large operation shops. Evaluates problem-solving methodologies and facilitates adoption of a methodology;

Reviews project data models for compliance with corporate models. Develops training plans and trains staff in data modeling, data modeling case tools, data repository, and data dictionary; consults with information technology staff regarding business rules, data integrity, location and use of data;

May supervise lower level staff.

Legal Requirement(s)

There may be instances where individual positions must have additional licenses or certification. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the appropriate licenses/certifications are obtained for each position.

Desirable Qualifications

Four years of information technology experience such as consulting, analyzing, designing, programming, installing and/or maintaining computer software applications, hardware, telecommunications, or network infrastructure equipment, directing projects, providing customer or technical support in information technology; or administering or supervising staff who performed work in any of these information technology disciplines.

Class Specification History

New class effective June 1, 2005; Information Technology Specialist 5 (replaces 03295 Information Technology Applications Specialist 5, 2409 Information Technology Systems Specialist V, 2419 Information Technology Applications Specialist V, 03275 Information Technology Systems Specialist 5).
Revised: Deleted class series concept; changed subject heading from distinguishing characteristics to definition, same content (June 11, 2009).