IT Technical Architect

This position is located in the Office of Management & Finance, within the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry IT department. This is a department wide vacancy open to LDAF employees only.

Ready to make a meaningful impact? If you are detail-oriented with a passion for technology and public service - APPLY NOW! Join the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry (LDAF) as an IT Technical Architect! Primary responsibility is the architecture, planning, implementation, and management of a secure statewide enterprise network running secure statewide enterprise systems. Functions include performing administrative, supervisory, management, and highly complex technical work and responsibility for the design, procurement, installation, operation, and maintenance of the highly complex statewide information management network; does related work as required. Supervision is received from the IT Manager.

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry is an Equal Opportunity Employer and State as a Model Employer (SAME) to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace., * Leads and supervises the statewide network, systems, and cybersecurity team, including staffing, training, performance management, workload priorities, and technical direction.

• Develops and executes short and long-term IT strategies, infrastructure plans, budgets, and technology roadmaps aligned with agency goals, cybersecurity requirements, and available resources.
• Manages mission-critical IT and cybersecurity projects, overseeing scope, timelines, budgets, resources, vendors, and compliance with IT best practices.
• Oversees statewide network and systems operations, including network administration, servers, workstations, monitoring, backups, restoration, documentation, and system maintenance.
• Leads cybersecurity and technical risk management, monitoring emerging threats, responding to security incidents and technical emergencies, and recommending policies, controls, and improvements.
• Develops business continuity, backup, and disaster recovery requirements to ensure availability and resilience of enterprise systems and network operations.
• Provides advanced technical expertise and escalation support for complex network, systems, and cybersecurity issues and oversees troubleshooting and resolution.
• Establishes infrastructure specifications and technical standards for network, server, telecommunications, hardware, software, and related services.
• Manages vendors and procurement activities, including technical evaluations, specifications, bids, and acquisition of IT equipment, software, and services.
• Collaborates with IT leadership and agency stakeholders to establish and implement enterprise technology goals, policies, standards, and long-term initiatives.

Other duties as may be assigned. Functional Requirements:

• Occasional walking and standing
• Climbing stairs
• Occasional reaching above shoulder height
• Occasional bending or kneeling

• Lifting items such as briefcase, computer, scanner, luggage, or other items used in performance of duties

• Sit for long periods at a workstation or in a vehicle for travel - Drive a vehicle in performance of duties Environmental Factors:

• Working indoors and occasionally outdoors
• Occasional excessive heat and humidity
• Occasionally required to wear appropriate safety protection

Seven years of experience in information technology; OR

Six years of full-time work experience in any field plus five years of experience in information technology; OR

An associate’s degree in information technology plus five years of experience in information technology; OR

A bachelor’s degree plus five years of experience in information technology; OR

A bachelor’s degree with twenty-four semester hours in an information technology, computer science, engineering, mathematics, or business analytics field plus four years of experience in information technology; OR

A master’s degree plus four years of experience in information technology.

EXPERIENCE SUBSTITUTION: Every 30 semester hours earned from an accredited college or university will be credited as one year of experience towards the six years of full-time work experience in any field. The maximum substitution allowed is 120 semester hours which substitutes for a maximum of four years of experience in any field.

NOTE: A certification in an approved area may be substituted for the education and/or experience requirements at the time of hire or promotion, provided the appointment is made from a Certificate of Eligibles.

Job Specification

The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here., Advanced Microsoft 365 tenant administration SQL Server/database administration; public-facing IIS application support and perimeter security (firewall/WAF) VMware/virtualization and enterprise network infrastructure Endpoint Security and Zero Trust technologies Experience supporting statewide multi-site environments

Appointment Type:

• Full-time - This position may be filled by probation or by promotion of a classified employee of Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry serving with permanent status.
• Applicants who are not permanent employees of Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry will be required to serve a probationary period up to 24 months.

Compensation: The salary offered will be determined based on qualifications and experience., As a state employee, you will earn competitive pay, choose from a variety of benefits, and have access to a great professional development program: Insurance Coverage More information can be found at https://info.groupbenefits.org/

Parental Leave - Up to six weeks paid parental leave More information can be found at https://www.civilservice.louisiana.gov/Parental-Leave/Default.aspx

Holidays and Leave - State employees receive the following paid holidays each year:

• New Year’s Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,
• Mardi Gras,
• Good Friday,
• Memorial Day,
• Independence Day,
• Labor Day,
• Veteran’s Day,
• Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

***** Additional holidays may be proclaimed by the Governor

State employees earn sick and annual leave which can be accumulated and saved for future use. Your accrual rate increases as your years of service increase.

Retirement - State of Louisiana employees are eligible to participate in various retirement systems (based on the type of appointment and agency for which an employee works). These retirement systems provide retirement allowances and other benefits for state officers and employees and their beneficiaries. State retirement systems may include (but are not limited to)

LDAF cares about the well-being of its employees! We offer a fully employer-funded Employee Assistance Program (EAP), providing valuable support and resources to help you and your household members thrive at work and at home. The EAP is also free for all members of your household., Louisiana State Government represents a wide variety of career options and offers an outstanding opportunity to make a difference through public service. With an array of career opportunities in every major metropolitan center and in many rural areas, state employment provides an outstanding option to begin or continue your career.