Manager Information Technology | Automation COE

As the Manager of Automation Center-of-Excellence, you'll lead a high-performing team focused on enterprise-wide automation initiatives across infrastructure, platform, and application domains. This role focuses on advancing Infrastructure as Code (IaC), configuration management, and modern DevOps practices to improve scalability, reliability, and operational efficiency.

The ideal candidate will combine deep technical expertise with leadership capability, driving standardization and adoption of automation frameworks while enabling engineering teams to deliver high-quality, automated solutions.

You are responsible for:

Automation Strategy & Leadership

• Define and execute the enterprise automation strategy aligned with IT and business objectives.
• Establish the Automation COE as a governing body for standards, best practices, and reusable solutions.
• Lead and mentor a team of automation engineers.
• Promote a culture of automation-first thinking and continuous improvement.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

• Drive adoption of IaC practices using tools such as Terraform or Bicep/ARM.
• Develop standardized reusable modules and blueprints for infrastructure provisioning.
• Ensure version control, testing, and lifecycle management for all infrastructure code.
• Partner with cloud and infrastructure teams to design scalable, resilient, and secure environments.

Configuration Management

• Implement and maintain configuration management frameworks (e.g., Ansible, SCCM).
• Ensure consistent system configurations across environments (dev, test, prod).
• Promote immutable infrastructure principles where appropriate.
• Develop compliance and drift detection mechanisms.

DevOps & CI/CD Enablement

• Champion DevOps practices including continuous integration, delivery, and deployment automation.
• Design and optimize CI/CD pipelines using tools such as Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or GitLab.
• Integrate security, compliance, and quality checks into pipelines (DevSecOps).
• Enable self-service platforms and developer productivity tooling.

Tooling & Platform Engineering

• Evaluate, standardize, and maintain enterprise automation and DevOps toolchains.
• Collaborate with platform engineering teams to build internal developer platforms (IDPs).
• Ensure integration across monitoring, logging, and automation systems., 1) Directs the delivery and maintenance of quality information and communication systems solutions to support PNW business processes that follow all I/S guidelines and architectures. Ensures client assistance and 7 day per week/24 hours a day support for operational systems consistent with Service Level Agreements and business processes are optimized. Ensures preferred technical architecture and business requirements are balanced to provide effective information and communication systems solutions, sound architecture, and cross-system integration objectives.

2. Resolves technical issues and recommends and implements viable alternatives and solutions.
3. Ensures departmental costs remain within approved budget. Continually improves department work processes.
4. Develops unit level strategic plans that support corporate and I/S plans. Supports client planning process and prioritization for systems technology implementation. Assigns, directs, facilitates, reviews and approves unit work activities. Ensure effectiveness and productivity of the work unit.
5. Maintains knowledge and understanding of business processes. Manages, negotiates, and meets client's expectations. Implements performance management programs. Spends time with staff on performance focusing. Develops and retains a highly skilled technical team including a supervisory backup. Actively seeks to improve own skills and knowledge to apply to current and emerging business and technical environment. Ensures appropriate staffing levels and that staff has technical skills and business skills to support objectives of the organization.
6. Acts to produce effective teams. Ensures the development of a cooperative culture that supports team accomplishments.
7. In a timely manner, communicates issues openly and honestly with staff, peers, management and customers. Export Compliance / EEO Statement, Home based: Home based employees primarily work from their home offices and come into an APS facility on an as-needed basis.

• Employees are expected to reside in Arizona (or New Mexico for Four Corners-based employees).
• Working from a home office requires adequate technology and an appropriate ergonomic set up.
• Role types are subject to change based on business need.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Plus eight to ten (8-10) years of progressively responsible, related experience demonstrating advanced knowledge of information and/or communication systems, operating systems, network communications, equipment, and infrastructure.
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities, with prior supervisory experience managing four (4) or more direct reports preferred.
• Strong oral, written, and presentation communication skills, along with proven interpersonal, people management, and project management experience.
• Extensive experience with information systems methodologies, system guidelines, architectures, and technologies.
• Hands-on experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform, ARM/Bicep, or CloudFormation.
• Strong experience with configuration management tools, including Ansible, Chef, or Puppet.Proven experience implementing CI/CD pipelines and applying DevOps practices.
• Proficiency with one or more cloud platforms, including Azure, OCI, AWS, or GCP.Extensive experience developing, integrating, and supporting information and communication systems across distributed and mainframe environments, including network architecture, server architectures, and cross-platform interfaces.
• Sponsorship for U.S. work authorization is not available for this position, now or in the future.