Our vision is to ensure that “Washington state’s children and youth grow up safe and healthy—thriving physically, emotionally and educationally, nurtured by family and community."
Job Title: IT Network and Telecommunications - Senior Manager
Location: Olympia, WA, Thurston County (Hybrid)
Closes: August 26th, 2026
Salary: $115,008.00 - $154,656.00 Annually
IT plays an important role in helping DCYF support children, youth, and families by providing the technology and systems staff need to deliver effective services. From supporting Child Welfare professionals and Juvenile Rehabilitation facilities to developing innovative solutions, DCYF IT helps staff work more efficiently and improve outcomes for children and families across Washington.
Click here to learn more about DCYF.
The Opportunity:
As the Senior Manager of IT Operations, you will serve as a key technology leader for DCYF, providing strategic oversight and direction for enterprise IT operations, including network services, infrastructure, systems administration, platform reliability, and operational support. This role ensures secure, reliable, and innovative technology solutions that align with agency priorities while fostering a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and operational excellence. The Senior Manager of IT Operations partners with executive leaders, business stakeholders, and statewide organizations to drive modernization efforts, evaluate emerging technologies, and ensure technology services effectively support DCYF’s mission and critical business operations.
Some of what you will get to do:
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Champion innovation by identifying, evaluating, and implementing emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, and cloud-based solutions, to improve operational efficiency and service delivery.
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Oversee disaster recovery planning, testing, validation, and documentation to ensure organizational readiness and compliance with established recovery objectives
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Manage enterprise agreements with vendors and contractors related to IT field operations functions within DCYF.
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Develop and maintain DCYF’s IT operations model for end-users (employees, stakeholders, and the public).
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Align operational priorities and functions with the IT division's Enterprise Architecture model and approved plans.
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Assist with the development of strategies to reduce risk to organization information and assets.
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Develop and execute IT operations strategies aligned with organizational goals.
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Lead modernization initiatives across infrastructure, networking, cloud services, automation, and AI-enabled operations.
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Build workforce capabilities that support evolving technology and business requirements.
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Create an inclusive and collaborative work environment that promotes accountability, engagement, and professional growth.
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Communicate technology strategies, risks, priorities, and operational performance clearly to technical and nontechnical audiences.
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Ensure compliance with organizational policies, security standards, and regulatory requirements.
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Collaborate with cybersecurity teams to manage operational risk and resilience.
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Strategic planning and roadmap development skills, with the ability to set clear goals, prioritize initiatives and track progress against KPIs.
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Develop and execute long-range IT strategies that align with overall DCYF business objectives, ensuring technology investments support and drive enterprise growth.
Required Qualifications:
Ten (10) years of progressive IT experience leading enterprise IT operations and infrastructure functions.
OR
Bachelor's degree in computer science, networking, information systems or a related field; AND six (6) years of continuous experience working in an IT operations capacity as an enterprise leader and decision-maker in high risk or high impact environments that impact users and stakeholders, including the public.
AND-
The ability to take action to learn and grow
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The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.
Master's degree may substitute for 2 years of service.
Additional Qualifications:
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Five years of progressively more responsible and multi-dimensional experience in managing people and programs within information technologies.
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Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
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Previous demonstrated experience leading teams of IT technicians performing complex enterprise IT operations work.
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Deep knowledge of enterprise IT operations principles, requirements, models, and current industry standards.
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Expert knowledge of the Washington State IT operations lifecycle and the intricacies of its individual components.
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Expert knowledge of the design and implementation of enterprise IT operations deployments to end-users;
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Expert knowledge of security principles, concepts, and practices as they relate to IT end-user support; Expert knowledge working with cloud architecture (e.g. Azure, AWS, Salesforce, etc.)
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Previously demonstrated experience working in a highly regulated environment where IT assets and data are subject to a broad range of State and federal requirements and regulations.
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Previously demonstrated experience working in an IT environment that leverages enterprise licensing agreements.
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Previously demonstrated experience with State contracting rules, laws, practices, and procedures specific to enterprise IT procurement.
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Previously demonstrated experience developing RFQ, RFI, and RFP language.
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Previously demonstrated experience participating in information security incident response and disaster recovery exercises.
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Previously demonstrated experience developing and maintaining documentation for a large, diverse audience (ex: IT portfolio, IT service catalog, recommendations, issue papers, reports).
Preferred Qualifications
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Previously demonstrated ability to develop, present, and implement strategic and tactical enterprise architecture plans.
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Previously demonstrated experience working in a fast paced environment that employs Agile and DevOps.
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Previously demonstrated experience building and developing large teams.
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Relevant certifications (ITIL, PMP, CISSP, CCNP, Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, AI-related certifications).
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Experience leading AI, cloud transformation, or enterprise modernization initiatives.
How do I apply?
Complete your applicant profile on careers.wa.gov and attach the following documents:
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Current resume detailing experience and education.
Supplemental Information:
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is committed to Washington’s children and youth growing up safe, healthy, and thriving. We invite all candidates to join us in our mission to create a diverse and equitable workplace that reflects the communities we serve. If you are excited about this role but you believe that your education and/or experience might not align perfectly with every qualification in the job posting, we encourage you to apply anyway.
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained service animal by a person with a disability.
This position is included in the supervisory bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE). For more information:https://wfse.org/
This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.
For more information about this position or if you need an accommodation throughout the application/interview process, please contact DCYF recruiter. If you're experiencing technical difficulties creating, accessing or completing your application, call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or
[email protected]. Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may call the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 360-664-1960.
Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications and wish to claim Veteran's Preference MUST attach a copy of their DD214, NGB Form 22 or Predischarge Certification (issued not more than 120 days prior to End of Term of Service (ETS) by date of submission). If claiming preference based on Predischarge Certification, individual will be required to provide their official discharge documentation, such as a DD form 214, NGB form 22, or equivalent, within 30 days after the date of discharge. Please blackout (redact) the social security number before attaching any documents.
For additional information on Veteran's Preference and guidance on how to determine if you are eligible, click here.
DCYF participates in the federal E-Verify program. The selected candidate must provide proof of identity and authorization to work in the United States, consistent with E-Verify requirements, on their first day of employment.
