IT MANAGER – APPLICATIONS (DATA ENGINEERING MANAGER)

Job Description:

IT MANAGER – APPLICATIONS (DATA ENGINEERING MANAGER)

Description

POSITION OVERVIEW

Applications accepted from: All Persons INTERESTED

Division: ENTERPRISE APPLICATIONS SERVICES

Reporting Location: 611 WALKER

Workdays & Hours: MONDAY - FRIDAY 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM* *Subject to Change

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES / ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Houston, TX, is the fourth largest city in the country, with a budget of over 6 billion dollars, a workforce strong of 20,000 employees, and 23 departments with fascinating data and a wide range of questions. Houston promotes healthy and resilient communities through smart civic investments, dynamic partnerships, education, and innovation. It is a place where anyone can prosper and feel at home.

The City offers its employees various benefits , including healthcare, wellness, professional development, and an excellent pension plan . The Enterprise Data Office is part of the Houston IT Services department and provides city-wide services. Our four focus areas are Open Data, Data Community, Data Governance, and a Modern Data Stack.

The IT Manager - Applications (Data Engineering Manager) is responsible for leading the Data Engineering Team within the Enterprise Data & Analytics Center, part of the Enterprise Application Services (EAS) division. The Data Manager reports to the Enterprise Data Officer.

The Data Engineering Team is comprised of technical staff, including Database Administrators, in charge of the administration and operations of databases; Data Engineers responsible for developing data warehouse, data extraction, and data integration; Report Developers responsible for developing reports and dashboards.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Management:

• Lead and mentor a team of database administrators and data engineers/analysts, promoting professional development and a service-oriented mindset
• Establish performance expectations and ensure sustained delivery of high-quality data solutions

Data Security & Compliance:

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local policies such as HIPAA, CJIS, NIST standards, public records laws, and open data requirements
• Partner with cybersecurity teams to safeguard sensitive and confidential information, and implement strong data security practices

Operational Excellence:

• Oversee daily operations of cloud and on-premise data environments, and ensure high availability, uptime, and resilience for mission critical systems
• Optimize database infrastructure for cost efficiency and performance within budgetary constraints

Data Engineering & Architecture:

• Design, implement, and maintain scalable data pipelines, data warehouses, and integration platforms used across city departments
• Define and enforce data architecture standards, and implement ETL/ELT processes that support cross department data sharing and statutory reporting

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Collaborate with IT leadership, project managers, data analysts, application developers, and departmental stakeholders to translate business needs into technical solutions
• Support open data initiatives, public dashboards, compliance reporting, and inter departmental data sharing

Strategic Planning & Innovation:

• Develop long term data strategy aligned with department goals, modernization initiatives, and digital transformation efforts
• Evaluate new database technologies that enhance citizen services, operational efficiency, and data driven decision-making process.

Qualifications:

• 8+ years of hands-on experience in data engineering, data warehousing, or database administration, including production support for mission-critical systems
• Proficiency with SQL, ETL/ELT tools, and modern data pipeline technologies
• Understanding of government security, compliance, and data privacy requirements
• Proven experience managing engineering teams or technical staff
• Strong analytical, documentation, and communication skills; ability to translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions

Compliance & Security Requirements:

• CJIS Certification (or ability to obtain within 90 days of hire) is mandatory.
• Must successfully pass a comprehensive background check, including criminal history, and fingerprinting per Houston Police Department and CJIS standards.
• Candidate must maintain eligibility for access to sensitive law enforcement systems and data.

WORKING CONDITIONS
There are no major sources of discomfort, i.e., essentially normal office environment with acceptable lighting, temperature and air conditions. Significant time spent using computer display, keyboard, and mouse.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION
Requires a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Management and Information Systems (MIS) or a closely related field.
Advanced certifications and directly applicable work experience beyond nine (9) years may be considered for substitution of degree requirement.

EXPERIENCE
At least eight (8) years of technology experience supporting applications for a department or enterprise IT environment that includes two (2) years supervising a technology team.

LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
None

PREFERENCES

**Preference shall be given to eligible veteran applicants provided such persons possess the qualifications necessary for competent discharge of the duties involved in the position applied for, such persons are among the most qualified candidates for the position, and all other factors in accordance with Executive Order 1-6. **

Preference will be given to candidates with the following skillsets:

• Experience in public-sector IT environments
• Familiarity with open data platforms and public transparency initiatives
• Experience with cloud platforms (Azure or AWS), with preference for government cloud solutions
• Experience with SDLC, Agile, ITIL, or other government-aligned project management frameworks
• Demonstrated success supporting a mission-critical technology environment with strict SLAs
• Relevant certifications (e.g., Azure Data Engineer (DP-203), Azure Administrator (AZ-104), Snowflake certifications, ITIL Foundation, etc.)
• Experience with a modern, secure, and scalable data ecosystem aligned with government technology standards. Preferred technologies include:
  • Cloud & Infrastructure (Microsoft Azure, AWS, on-premise environments)
  • Data Pipelines & Orchestration (Azure Data Factory, SSIS)
  • Data Storage & Warehousing (Snowflake, SQL Server, Azure Data Lake Storage, Amazon S3)
  • Security & Governance (RBAC, CJIS, HIPAA, NIST-aligned data protection standards)
  • Programming & Scripting (SQL, Python, R, VB/Java Script, PowerShell)
  • Analytics & Visualization (Power BI, Tableau, SSRS)
  • Source & Version control (Azure DevOps, GitHub)
    

GENERAL INFORMATION

SELECTION / SKILLS TESTS REQUIRED Department may administer skills assessment test

SAFETY IMPACT POSITION - NO

If yes , this position is subject to random drug testing and if a promotional position, candidate must pass an assignment drug test.

SALARY INFORMATION Factors used in determining the salary offered include the candidate’s qualifications as well as the pay rates of other employees in this classification.

PAY GRADE : 32



APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Only online applications will be accepted for this City of Houston job and must be received by the Human Resources Department during active posting period. Applications must be submitted online at: www.houstontx.gov .To view your detailed application status, please log-in to your online profile by visiting: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/houston/default.cfm or call (832) 393-0450.

If you need special services or accommodations, call (832) 393-0450. (7-1-1).

If you need login assistance or technical support call 855-524-5627.

Due to the high volume of applications received, the Hiring Department will contact you directly, should you be selected to advance in our recruitment process.


All new and rehires must pass a pre-employment drug test and are subject to a physical examination and verification of information provided.

EOE Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Houston is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

The city offers a competitive benefits program, including competitively priced health coverage and a defined contribution pension plan. Benefits include:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Wellness
• Supplemental Insurance
• Life insurance
• Long-term disability
• Retirement pension
• 457 deferred compensation plan
• Employee Assistance Program
• 10 days of vacation each year
• 13 city holidays, plus one floating holiday
• Compensable Sick Leave
• Personal Leave
• Flexible schedules
• Hybrid-Telework for eligible positions
• Professional development opportunities
• Transportation/parking plan
• Section 125 pretax deductions
• Dependent Care Reimbursement Plan
• Paid Prenatal, Parental and Infant Wellness Leaves
• Healthcare Flexible Spending Account

For plan details, visit http://www.houstontx.gov/hr/benefits.html

Closing Date/Time: 6/3/2026 11:59 PM Central

Salary:

$4,294.00 - $5,388.80 Biweekly