INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST II

Under the general direction of the Information Technology Manager I (IT Mgr I), the Information Technology Specialist II (IT Spec II) is responsible for leading the ongoing maintenance and support of production security systems and services managed by the Security Solutions Engineering unit. The IT Spec II will have significant responsibilities for technical support for all Office of Information Security (OIS) and other business requests, including Development Security Operations (DevSec Ops) Consulting, Infrastructure/Configuration Management, Automation for “Build and Release” Engineering, database and Data analytics. The IT Spec II will optimize and apply architecture solutions for the benefit of the OIS organization and its statewide partners. The IT Spec II will advise management and formulate information technology security strategy within the organization with a strong focus on DevSecOps principles.

Telework This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule within California based on departmental policy and operational needs. The telework policy is subject to change depending on business needs, and/or reporting to the work site may be required with minimal notification given. Pursuant to Executive Order, effective July 1, 2025, employees in this position will be required to report to the work site a minimum of two (2) days per week, increasing to four (4) days per week effective July 1, 2026. The specific on-site days will be determined by the department based on operational requirements. Visa Sponsorship Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time., The California Department of Technology (CDT) is the guardian of public data, a leader in information technology (IT) services and solutions and has broad responsibility and authority over all aspects of technology in California state government, including policy formation, interagency coordination, IT project oversight, information security, technology service delivery, and advocacy.

As an industry leader, we are committed to partnering with state and local government and educational entities to deliver digital services, develop innovative and responsive solutions for business needs, and provide quality assurance for state government IT projects and services. Our success and legacy of service is reliant upon our highly talented, dedicated, and diverse workforce, for it is our individual cultural diversity, backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and unique identities that spark our collaborative strength and innovative approach to serving the State of California.

Effective July 1, 2025, State employees are subject to a salary reduction of three percent in exchange for five hours per month of the Personal Leave.

Personal Leave Program: Effective July 1, 2025, state employees are subject to temporary wage reductions in exchange for Personal Leave Program (PLP) accruals. The specific rate and hours earned were negotiated and agreed upon by each bargaining unit. The actual monetary impact of these temporary reductions can vary based on your bargaining unit and/or federal and state tax withholdings. For additional information please visit Human Resources Manual - CalHR Department Website: https://cdt.ca.gov/career-opportunities/job-openings, The SOQ serves as a key component of the examination and hiring process and will be used to evaluate your qualifications, as well as your written communication skills. The SOQ is considered a writing sample and must clearly reflect your own knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience. While tools such as artificial intelligence (AI) (e.g., ChatGPT), internet resources, or third-party reviewers may assist with research or preparation, by submitting your application you certify that your SOQ is your original work, written in your own words, and accurately represents your background and qualifications. Failure to submit an SOQ that is your own work, including the use of AI-generated or substantially AI-assisted responses that misrepresent your abilities, may result in disqualification from the examination or hiring process. If such misrepresentation is discovered after appointment, it may constitute dishonesty and could result in adverse action, up to and including dismissal from State service.

• Briefly describe your experience developing security solutions that incorporate automation tools and data analytics platforms, specifically including Microsoft Power BI (or similar data modeling/visualization tools). In your response, describe the business need, your role, the technical approach, and the outcomes, along with the timeframes they were performed.

• Briefly describe your experience securing, developing, and managing cloud-based systems, data warehouses, and business intelligence platforms. Include experience creating dashboards, reports, or operational analytics in Power BI or comparable tools. Provide examples that illustrate the scale, technologies used, your responsibilities, the security controls applied, and the timeframes they were performed.

• Briefly describe the tools, techniques, and approaches you have used to securely implement data migration, data mapping, and data conversion solutions. Include any use of Power BI or other analytical tools to validate, profile, or present data before or after migration. Provide specific project examples and the timeframes they were performed.

• Describe your experience working within a structured Data Management or Data Governance discipline. Include how you used Power BI or other business intelligence tools to support data quality, stewardship, reporting, or compliance efforts. Provide clear examples of your contributions, the governance processes involved, and the timeframes they were performed.

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:

• Experience modelling and baselining site reliability configuration items
• Knowledge and experience Implementing High availability for cloud applications and data
• Implementation experience in Database backup and restore in highly scalable infrastructure
• Experience in Database replications across regions and on multi-cloud implementations
• Experience in Databases like MySQL, MS SQL, etc.
• Experience with Microsoft Power Platform (Power Apps, Power BI, Dataverse, etc.), Dynamics, Planner.
• Experience in multi-cloud environments (Azure, AWS, GCP)
• Network administration experience in multi-cloud environments (Azure, AWS, GCP)
• Lead experience in maintaining system logs, hardware/software licenses, and agreements
• Experience working with agile development teams in continuous integration / continuous release cycles model such as AzureDevOps, Phantom, Ansible, Jenkins to maximize efficiency.
• Experience in infrastructure automation/Configuration Management, including but not limited to: Ansible, CloudFormation, PowerShell, Terraform, and Azure Resource Manager.
• Knowledge/Experience with Logging and Monitoring (e.g. Azure monitor, Splunk, Kibana, Monitis, Cloudwatch, New Relic, Datadog, etc.)
• Excellent communication and customer service skills are essential.
• Knowledge of agile project management tools such as (Jira, Pivotal Tracker, AzureDevOps)
• Ability to use a wide variety of open-source technologies and tools.
• Strong grasp of automation tools.
• Knowledge of both Windows and Linux Administration.
• Analytical skills to use data for the benefit of their product and service.
• Experience in time management to meet product/project timelines.
• Demonstrated strong problem-solving skills to reach a solution in an organized manner.
• Ability to effectively communicate and influence people and teams for increased collaboration.

The incumbent works in an office environment and is required to operate a personal computer (word processor, spreadsheet, e-mail communication, presentation, and diagramming applications); use technical software for monitoring a variety of security-related items; and copy machine, fax machine, telephone system. Must pass a fingerprint background criminal record check completed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This position supports a critical infrastructure team for OIS applications that run 24 hours and 7 days a week. May need to work off hours as events require.