IT Application Director

Position Summary: The IT Application Development Director position K0220402 within the Kansas Department of Health and Environment is now open. We are seeking a strategic and innovative Application Development Director to lead our application development team and deliver secure, reliable, accessible, and high-quality technology solutions. Our technology environment includes C#, .NET, Java, and Salesforce, with responsibility spanning application development, modernization, deployment, integration, and ongoing support. The successful candidate will have at least three (3) years of experience serving in a lead or management role, with demonstrated ability to lead development teams, manage projects and resources, develop staff, and align technology solutions with business objectives. The Director will also drive automation and process improvement while ensuring strong governance, security, and compliance with requirements such as HIPAA, CJIS, NIST, and accessibility standards., Leadership & Management

• Lead and manage the daily operations of the application development team, including workload distribution, performance management, and professional development.
• Establish clear team goals, priorities, and project timelines aligned with organizational objectives.
• Oversee and coordinate application development projects, ensuring they meet deadlines, budget constraints, and quality standards.
• Serve as a liaison between the project managers and development staff to ensure effective communication and alignment of technology solutions with business needs.
• Conduct regular project reviews, stand-ups, and retrospectives to monitor progress, remove obstacles, and ensure continuous improvement with the development team and processes.
• Ensure team adherence to organizational policies, procedures, and security/compliance standards (e.g., HIPAA, CJIS, NIST, ADA, accessibility requirements).
• Conduct annual performance evaluations for all team members, ensuring that individual performance aligns with organizational goals and expectations.
• Enforce compliance with organizational policies, procedures, and applicable laws by applying the progressive disciplinary process when necessary to address policy violations or performance deficiencies. Strategic and Technical Planning

Strategic and Technical Planning

• Identify opportunities for automation, process improvement, and modernization of existing applications.
• Evaluate and recommend new tools, platforms, or technologies to improve development efficiency or application performance.
• Contribute to IT strategic planning, budgeting, and resource allocation for application development initiatives.
• Participate in vendor evaluations, RFPs, and contract management for software and development services.

Application Development

Customer Service and Collaboration

Governance, Standards and Compliance

Plans, staffs, evaluates, and directs work of employees of a work unit.

• High School, GED
• Four Years direct experience with Business Administration, Information Technology Management or a related field.
• Licensing & Certification:
• Valid Driver’s License - Incumbent is required to have and maintain a valid driver’s license when operating a state vehicle, a private vehicle, or a rental vehicle for the benefit of the State.
• Minimum Qualifications:
• Four (4) years direct experience in Business Administration, Information Technology Management, or a related field, including at least two (2) years in a supervisory, lead developer, or management capacity overseeing software development teams and projects. Education may be substituted for experience.
• Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Visual Studio .Net, Crystal Reports
• Proofreading, editing, attention to detail
• Familiarity planning and managing IT budgets
• Experience evaluating and reducing risks.
• Preferred Qualifications:
• Comprehensive knowledge of SDLC methods, software design principles, and modern appdev frameworks
• Proficiency in one or more programming languages (e.g., C#, .NET, Java, Python, SQL etc. frameworks)
• Knowledge of IT governance, security, compliance standards, and applicable laws and regulations
• Ability to lead IT staff and contractors in designing, developing, and maintaining applications.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Strong communication skills, able to convey technical info to non-technical stakeholders.
• Skilled at building effective relationships with staff, management, and partners.
• Five years working experience in an IT related role or position
• Three years’ experience in a lead or managerial role

• Annual Pay Range: $90,500.80

Employment Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, mental, dental, vision, and additional coverage
• Sick & Vacation leave
• Work-Life Balance programs: parental leave, military leave, jury leave, funeral leave
• Paid State Holidays (designated by the Governor annually)
• Fitness Centers in select locations
• Employee discounts with the STAR Program
• Retirement and deferred compensation programs

Our agency is led by Secretary Janet Stanek, who was appointed by Gov. Kelly in Dec 2021. KDHE is comprised of three divisions: Public Health, Environment, and Health Care Finance (which includes the State’s Medicaid program, KanCare). We are the only agency in the nation to have these three entities under one roof which allows us to take a holistic approach to improving and protecting the health and well-being of all Kansans.