The Education Secretariat is committed to equity and valuing the unique and diverse characteristics and experiences of every member of its workforce. We encourage an authentic workplace where colleagues show up as their full selves, and where collaboration, innovation, and connections are key to realizing our mission that all children, youth, and families thrive socially, academically, and economically. We seek teammates who are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive work environment, where everyone is valued and engaged. We encourage you to apply and identify your strengths in these areas.

Executive Office of Education Background

The Executive Office of Education is responsible for overseeing the Department of Higher Education (DHE), the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), and the Children’s Trust. From preschool to post-secondary education, the Executive Office of Education works to connect all Massachusetts residents with an education that creates opportunities. While Massachusetts' students rank first in the nation on many educational measures, the Executive Office of Education strives to strengthen the foundations of education reform, empower schools and educators, and develop pathways to college and careers so all students in the Commonwealth can succeed, regardless of their zip code.

The EOE Information Technology (EOE IT) group is responsible for providing information technology services to EOE agencies. EOE IT strives to connect and empower communities of learners, from birth to college to the workforce, by building and supporting innovative systems that facilitate positive outcomes for all. EOE IT is a diverse team of professionals responsible for strategic planning, development, maintenance and support of all agency applications, including an integrated security portal and data layer, and ensuring all applications are in compliance with statewide security standards and protocols.

The EOE IT enterprise includes over 200 applications of varying size, complexity, and architecture, with the number of end users ranging from 6 to 600,000. The largest applications provide services to:

• all Massachusetts public institutions of higher education for student financial aid programs and student data collection and analysis;
• all Massachusetts public K-12 schools for student and teacher data collection and analysis;
• all Massachusetts public school teachers for credentialing and licensure;
• all Massachusetts child care providers for educator credentialing, program licensure, program monitoring, and background record checks for their staff.

EOE IT works in close coordination with the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security (TSS). TSS is responsible for setting Commonwealth-wide IT security and application development standards, and for maintaining and supporting the operation of the state network, voice, mobile, and devices for the approximately 800 staff working at EOE and its agencies. TSS is also responsible for all helpdesk services through ServiceNow. The EOE SCIO is the main point of contact for TSS and the main advocate for the Secretariat’s needs in this partnership.

Secretariat Chief Information Officer Job Description

Under the guidance of the Undersecretary and Chief Operating Officer of EOE, and in coordination with TSS, the Secretariat Chief Information Officer (SCIO) is responsible for leading the successful delivery of IT services to meet the needs of Secretariat staff and constituents in an increasingly dynamic and changing business landscape and complex regulatory environment. This includes managing approximately 90 staff, strategic planning, identifying and implementing new technology, enhancing existing technology, optimizing operational efficiency, enhancing and developing IT applications, making the best use of IT operating and capital funding, and maintaining and supporting the technology stack.

The SCIO needs business acumen, technical proficiency and creativity, and a proven ability to develop a technical environment that supports statewide and agency-specific goals. The SCIO will lead from a place of expert authority and lead by example to get the job done while proactively designing systems, business processes, and procedures that scale to meet the needs, risks, challenges, and opportunities of the Secretariat and its agencies.

Duties:

• Manage and oversee the day-to-day operations of the EOE IT group to foster and improve collaboration, effectiveness, and efficiency in fulfilling EOE IT’s responsibilities;
• Lead enterprise through ongoing application and security modernization, including the planned migration of all applications to the cloud and the creation of a single sign-on security portal;
  
• Establish and improve EOE IT standard operating procedures, and redesign business processes to increase efficiency and improve productivity and communication;

• Oversee the technical and managerial skill development of existing staff and recruit new staff to meet the needs of the organization, building on the EOE IT group’s use of Agile Scrum, Jira and Github to guide application development, backlog prioritization and resource allocation;
• Monitor the progress, risk, and quality of all aspects of service and application development, implementation, and maintenance and support activities;
• Manage all major IT procurements, including strategic planning in advance of procurement, development of requests for proposals, review and selection of vendors, negotiation and approval of final contract, and oversight of the successful implementation of the procured solution;
• Provide periodic performance reports to the Undersecretary and agency management and resolve issues and gaps;
• Coordinate with the EOE IT senior team to schedule, prepare and conduct regular meetings with agency management to discuss agency IT needs, strategy, project status, risks, issues, and decisions;
• Serve as primary Point of Contact for service-related emergencies that impact agency IT operations and provide regular updates to senior management regarding troubleshooting and resolution;
• Oversee compliance with all ADA accessibility standards across all secretariat applications and programs;
• Oversee all IT budget planning and expenditure monitoring activities, ensuring that the Undersecretary and Secretariat Chief Financial Officer are aware of all financial needs;
• Participate in EOTSS, EOE and departmental meetings as a senior executive and IT advisor;
• Coordinate agency priorities with the EOE IT Governance Committee, TSS and other teams as needed;
• Oversee the development and implementation of all EOE IT strategic, operational, and policy matters, including recommending technology service and application innovation and improvement;
• Represent and advocate for IT needs and program policy priorities;
• Participate in other IT-related projects and activities as assigned.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree. (Master's degree is preferred.)
• At least ten years of increasingly complex IT management experience, or a combination of advanced degree and relevant experience.
• In-depth knowledge of emerging technologies, trends, methodologies, and resource management principles, and substantial experience in formulating, planning, leading, directing and controlling a complex, broad, diverse, and highly technical organization.
• Extensive experience in IT management principles and practices, including management of staff and professional development, and effective leadership and organizational development skills.
• Experience and training in the use of Agile Scrum, Jira, Github, and other methodologies and tools for managing IT projects.
• Experience with migrating and maintaining applications in AWS. Experience in information analysis and reporting, networking and systems integration and architecture.
• Knowledge of risk management principles and methodology, quality control and quality assurance principles and practices, and project management principles, and practices.
• Understanding of procurement and contracting regulations and policies.
• Knowledge of business process improvement theory and practice.
• Ability to establish strategic goals and objectives and prioritize program goals and objectives.
• Ability to manage and oversee IT budgets and spending plans.
• Ability to develop ad hoc and periodic management reports.
• Ability to develop technology strategy, plan acquisition of technology, lead development and enhancement of IT systems in compliance with architectural standards and monitor ongoing operations to anticipate changes in requirements.
• Wide range of technical understanding across IT disciplines.
• Proven ability to conceptualize and execute deadline-driven projects with a strong bias for action and ability to manage competing demands across different agency divisions and priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to create and implement a technology-empowered business strategy.

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!