Assistant Director of Public Safety IT

ABOUT THE CITY:

The City of Cambridge is a diverse and vibrant community that people of different ethnic, racial, religious, national, and other backgrounds call home. We take pride in our city's diversity and strive to create a workplace that is reflective of the community we serve. The city is also deeply committed to creating an environment in which all our employees are treated equitably and feel included. We seek to hire, develop, and advance individuals who value antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI), and are committed to embedding ADEI best practices and tenets in all aspects of our work.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:

The Emergency Communications Department serves as the communications and technological link between Fire, Police, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and mental health support resources for those who live, work, and visit the city. The department provides communication and information technology services needed to preserve life, conserve property, and build long term relationships with the public. We are proud to support public safety and community initiatives to enhance services to those who request them.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The Assistant Director of Public Safety Information Technology is part of the Public Safety Information Technology (PSIT) Team that supports Police, Fire and Emergency Communications Departments. Working under the general supervision of the Deputy Director of Public Safety Information Technology, the Assistant Director of Public Safety Information Technology will manage the PSIT team. This is a hands-on manager position working closely with the Cambridge Police, Fire and Emergency Communications departments using judgment in identifying issues, analyzing proposed solutions, and developing recommendations which support management decisions, the City’s mission, and the best interest of end users. All supervisory positions are responsible for overseeing a team of one or more information technology professionals. Primary supervisory responsibilities include direct report motivation, coaching, creation of individual development plans, and accountability for the ongoing success of projects and the service lifecycle.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The City of Cambridge is seeking a seasoned IT professional to join the senior leadership team within the Emergency Communications Department (ECD). Working at the direction of the Deputy of PSIT, the Assistant Director of PSIT is responsible for overseeing a team of professionals tasked with supporting the day-to-day operations as well as managing innovation projects to improve IT systems and services provided to Police, Fire, and Emergency Communications Departments. With an operating budget of $1.5 million, Capital budget of $9.5 million and 15 full-time employees, PSIT provides 7x24x365 technology services to over 700 Public Safety users across 15 public safety facilities. PSIT manages the Motorola Radio Network spanning 11 radio sites within the city providing service citywide and to the Cambridge Health Alliance operations. PSIT manages 5 data centers and the fiber optic network that links all public safety locations. PSIT also manages the wireless carrier service providers citywide. The Assistant Director of PSIT uses judgment in identifying issues, analyzing proposed solutions, and developing recommendations which support management decisions, the City's mission, and the best interest of City employees. Specific duties include but are not limited to the following:

Develop a team that is responsive, service-oriented, innovative, collaborative, and efficient.

Manage the Project Portfolio for all public safety technology projects and initiatives.

Performs business analysis activities as necessary to facilitate projects and technology services.

Ensures the consistency and maintainability of existing systems by creating, maintaining, and enforcing standards/procedures for implementing technical solutions.

Produces detailed timeline and organizational communication for each project and implements effective project control by monitoring, managing, and reporting the status.

Performs system verification and validation to ensure systems support operational needs.

Manage support agreements and participate in the annual budget process

Oversees the ongoing development and maintenance of enterprise systems supporting public safety.

Define, implement and enforce policies and procedures to ensure compliance (e.g., CJIS, HIPAA).

Develop a sense of team throughout the public safety departments, and promote a high level of customer service, collaboration, and performance among all work groups.

The City of Cambridge's workforce, like the community it serves, is diverse. Applicants must have the ability to work and interact effectively with individuals and groups with a variety of identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies.

Clearly articulate City and PSIT goals, objectives, and priorities throughout the public safety department.

Build strong working relationships between public safety departments, and other departments, to establish partnerships and achieve mutual goals.

Assess requirements form a citywide perspective to maximize use and investment technologies. Serve as a resource that departments can rely on for emerging technology advice.

Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science or equivalent work experience preferred.

Must have five (5) years of IT management experience.

Experience working in large, diverse organizations required. Experience in public sector organizations preferred.

A broad knowledge of systems, applications and operating systems gained through progressive experience in diverse technical roles.

Familiarity with CJIS Compliance preferred.

Strong verbal and written communication skills are required.

Strong project management skills required.

Demonstrated experience managing and implementing cross-departmental, complex technical projects related to public safety following the system development lifecycle.

Demonstrated experience with formal project management processes including requirements gathering, meeting minutes and action items, RFP creation, and systems implementation.

Strongly versed in a variety of hardware and software solutions, and a high degree of comfort and experience in mixed vendor environments.

Demonstrated experience of data-center network architectures, high-availability, redundancy protocols, cloud networking, virtualization, TCP/IP networking, servers, virtual machines, load-balancing, and disaster recovery

Demonstrated experience with design, development, and maintenance of enterprise applications and databases both cloud and on-premises.

Experience supporting Public Safety IT systems and services preferred.

Deep understanding of current and emerging technologies and information technology solutions and how organizations (e.g., municipalities) are using them to drive results and benefits.

Proven track record in setting goals, developing, and implementing IT systems.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/ WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Ability to access, input, and retrieve information from a computer. Answer telephones and maintain multiple files. Must read and analyze large quantities of information. Must have sufficient mobility to get back and forth from office to off-site meetings. Work is conducted primarily in an office environment with fluorescent lighting, air conditioning, computers, and other standard office equipment, but also involves meetings in other offices or facilities Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

SUMMARY OF BENEFITS:

Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance

Vacation and Sick leave eligible

Paid parental leave

Sick Incentive Pay Eligible

3 Personal days

14 Paid Holidays

Management Allowance, $2,700/year

City employee commuter benefits (T-Pass reimbursement Bluebikes membership, EZRide Shuttle membership)

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

All applicants must provide the following materials:

Resume

Cover Letter

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