Independent Project Assessment Branch Chief

Looking for a rewarding career in California Healthcare Information Technology (IT)? Each day within the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), our employees positively impact the lives of millions of California's most vulnerable citizens. The DHCS IT Strategy Services Division (ITSSD) has a great opportunity for experienced IT management professionals who want to be involved in providing excellent customer service with IT expertise, and leading consultations with business and IT executives and leadership on technical solutions to solve business and IT problems. If you love challenges, working with customers, and want to put your critical thinking, strategic and problem solving skills to work, this could be the position for you.

The Information Technology Manager II (ITM II) focuses on IT Project Management, Client Services, and Business Technology Management with some focus in System Engineering, Software Engineering, and Information Security Engineering domains of the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) Information Technology Series Allocation Guidelines.

Position:

Under administrative direction from the ITSSD Division Chief (CEA) B, the Branch Chief of the IPAB, ITM II is responsible for leading independent project assessments that ensure project alignment with the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) strategic plan. These comprehensive assessments extend beyond traditional independent verification and validation (IV&V), evaluating policies, processes, team dynamics, project governance, stakeholder engagement, change management, vendor performance, and overall project performance. The incumbent also embeds quality assurance (QA) best practices into the IPAB, to continuously assess a project throughout its lifecycle, focusing on both technical compliance and strategic alignment.

The IPAB Chief provides actionable insights to Project Steering Committees, DHCS Executives, and ETS Senior Leadership, to support decision-making, ensuring projects meet their intended objectives and key results (OKRs), remain efficient, effective, and within approved budgets, schedules, and scopes. The incumbent is responsible for reporting findings to Project Steering Committees (PSC). The incumbent collaborates closely with stakeholders to deliver comprehensive assessments that reinforce project success and accountability. This role requires adaptability to evolving priorities, with a commitment to maintaining high standards of integrity and effectiveness in performing assessments and communicating the results of those assessments to executive audiences, both technical and non-technical.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement .

Working Conditions

• Supports the IT work environment that functions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• May occasionally work evening or weekend hours in response to system outages/recovery, maintenance, or upgrade activities.
• May be required to carry a smart phone to ensure the 24x7 operational coverage.

Minimum Requirements You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

• INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGER II

Additional Documents

• Job Application Package Checklist
• Duty Statement

Position Details Job Code #:
JC-452230

Position #(s):
802-385-1406-XXX

Working Title:
Independent Project Assessment Branch Chief

Classification:
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGER II $11,056.00 - $13,439.00

# of Positions:
Multiple

Work Location:
Sacramento County

Telework:
Hybrid

Job Type:
Permanent, Full Time

Department Information
Pending HR budget approval.

The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) serves as California's health care safety net, helping millions of low-income and disabled Californians daily. DHCS' purpose is to provide equitable access to quality health care leading to a healthy California for all.

The Enterprise Technology Services Program (ETS) plays a pivotal role in DHCS's operations, responsible for designing, architecting, and delivering secure, innovative solutions and services to enhance health care quality. ETS oversees IT strategy formulation, enterprise architecture, portfolio management, and governance, providing a secure, reliable IT environment to support DHCS's program and administrative objectives, as well as those of the Health and Human Services Agency, Office of Health Information Integrity, and Office of the Patient Advocate. ETS establishes IT policy and standards, ensuring compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, and supports a complex portfolio of program systems.

DHCS is a dynamic organization with ambitious goals and talented, committed employees. We work hard every day to fulfill our vital responsibility to support the delivery of quality health care to Californians. DHCS is committed to addressing disparities within our organization and communities through efforts toward greater diversity, equity, and inclusion. This is accomplished, in part, by a commitment toward employing a diverse workforce that reflects the many communities we serve, and by promoting and enforcing equal employment opportunity.

Foreign Degrees or Transcripts - Applicants with foreign degrees or transcripts who wish to apply their coursework toward meeting the minimum qualifications of the classification must provide a transcript evaluation that indicates the number of units to which his/her foreign coursework is equivalent. DHCS accepts foreign transcript evaluations that are completed by one of the services listed on these webpages:

• National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or
• Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc.

Department Website: https://www.dhcs.ca.gov

Special Requirements

Simple Application Steps

If you are interested in this position, complete the following these simple steps:

Review the education and experience minimum qualifications (MQ's) of the Information Technology Manager I I .
See the Minimum Requirements section above.

Complete the statement of qualifications and the state application by clicking "Apply Now" above. See below for detailed application instructions.

Submit your application package with all required documents, which include the statement of qualifications - see the "Required Application Package Documents" section below.

Once you have applied, take the Information Technology Manager II.

Application Instructions
Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date in order to be considered. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.
Final Filing Date: 10/24/2024
Who May Apply
Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply. Individuals who are eligible for a Training and Development assignment may also be considered for this position(s).

Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).

How To Apply
Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included. If you choose to not apply electronically, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method listed below:

Address for Mailing Application Packages

You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:

Department of Health Care Services
Mailing
Attn: Certification Technician JC-452230
M.S. 1300
P.O. Box 997411
Sacramento , CA 95899-7411

Address for Drop-Off Application Packages

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

Department of Health Care Services
Drop-Off
Certification Technician JC-452230
1501 Capitol Avenue, Suite 71.1501

Sacramento , CA 95814

08:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.
• Statement of Qualifications - We ask that you not use Artificial Intelligence assistance when composing your written response. Written responses are an attempt to assess and gain an understanding of your personal writing and communication skills and abilities. The SOQ also serves as documentation of your ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing and should be typed and no more than two pages in length with Arial font size 12 point.
  
  1) Describe a specific instance where you led or oversaw an assessment and/or verification and validation of a project. Explain how you engaged with stakeholders and project steering committees, communicated the outputs of the assessment-including key findings, observations, and recommendations-and navigated potentially difficult situations where your insights were not readily accepted. What approaches or techniques did you employ to address these challenges and ensure the successful adoption of your recommendations?
  
  Resumes do not take the place of the SOQ. Any applications submitted without the required SOQ that responds to the prescribed question will be screened out from the interview process.
  
  

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the hiring interview process must request the necessary accommodations if scheduled for a hiring interview. The request should be made at the time of contact to schedule the interview. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this job posting.

Desirable Qualifications In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Certified Product Owner (CPO), SAFe Agilist (SA), or Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) certifications.
• Experience with Agile planning and delivery tools Jira, Confluence, and Miro.
• Experience and knowledge of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions for Enhanced Funding (CEF).
• Experience and knowledge of CMS Streamlined Modular Certification (SMC) process understanding of successful project certification for CMS and state-specific outcomes.
• Experience and knowledge with Medicaid Information Technology Architecture (MITA).
• Experience and knowledge with Advanced Planning Documents (APDs) preparation and submission.
• Experience and knowledge with California Agile Framework (CA-Agile), California Project Management Framework (CA-PMF), California Organizational Change Management Framework (CA-OCM), and California Business Process Reengineering (CA-BPR) standards.
• Familiarity with Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) and Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) principles.
• Experience managing multi-vendor environments, coordinating, and aligning across multiple contractors or service providers.

Benefits
DHCS is dedicated to creating an innovative workplace for its team members that is inclusive, diverse, and interactive! Here are a few of the ways we stay engaged with our team:

• Continuous and ongoing training
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program activities
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Additionally, as a team member of the State of California, you may be eligible for many benefits, such as:

• Medical, including health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Paid Holidays and vacation/leave
• Defined retirement program
• Savings Plus Program (401(k), 457)
• Medical/Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts

Full benefits information can be found on CalHR's California State Civil Service Employee Benefits Summary

DHCS 2023-2027 Strategic Plan provides more information about our commitment to serving Californians and organizational excellence.

We need your help! Please let us know how you heard about our position by taking this brief optional survey: SurveyMonkey link . This survey is not required to be considered for this position.

Contact Information
The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position or application process.
Department Website: https://www.dhcs.ca.gov
Hiring Unit Contact:
Marie Seavers
(916) 713-8107
Marie.seavers@dhcs.ca.gov

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(s) to the Department's EEO Office.
EEO Contact:
EEO Officer
(916) 440-7370
civilrights@dhcs.ca.gov
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

Using the online application system as specified in the announcement is the preferred method of applying for civil service job opportunities; however, applicants may instead apply by way of U.S. mail, parcel delivery or courier service, or in person, as set forth in this announcement.

Paper applications must include a signature. Dates printed on envelopes by mobile barcodes or equivalent mobile print technology are not acceptable proof of the date the application and any other required documents or materials were filed.

A completed state application (STD. 678) and any documents list under "Required Application Documents" must be submitted with your application package. Applicants who are relying on additional documentation (e.g. transcripts, copy of degrees, certifications, licenses, etc.) in order to prove that they meet the minimum qualifications listed in the Classification Specification must submit those documents with their application package. Failure to submit these documents may result in your application being disqualified. Applications must include a description of the duties performed for each position held; reference to a resume in place of a description of the duties performed will not be accepted.

Applicants must state their basis of eligibility (List Eligibility, Lateral Transfer, Reinstatement, T&D, or Surplus/SROA), and the Job Control (JC) number and/or position number in the "Examination(s) or Job Title(s), For Which You Are Applying" section on the STD. 678. Surplus/SROA candidates should submit a copy of their letter with their application . Please remove any confidential information (i.e. social security number, date of birth, etc.) as well as any information regarding your LEAP eligibility and/or exam scores from your documents prior to submission.

Here is the link to the exam bulletin for Information Technololgy Manager II

If applying electronically, please note that CalCareers no longer allows applicants to withdraw their applications. If you need assistance to withdraw your application, please contact the Recruitment Section at Recruit@dhcs.ca.gov

For all other questions regarding your CalCareer account, please contact CalHR's CalCareers Unit at (866) 844-8671 or CalCareer@calhr.ca.gov .

Testing and Exam Information

**IMPORTANT**

Candidates must ensure they have the experience and/or education for the minimum qualifications (MQ) prior to taking the exam for this classification. Please ensure you met and exceeded the required time when using experience to meet the MQs. For example, one year of experience would be January 1, 2023 through January 1, 2024. Taking the exam prior to January 1, 2024, would result in you not meeting the MQs. You may not round up your time and should not take the exam prior to meeting the full required experience. Taking an exam prematurely will make you ineligible. You may be subject to a penalty period that could be up to one year.

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.