IS Technical Services Supervisor

To supervise and manage, and perform as needed, the activities of a distinct subdivision within the Department of Information Services; to direct and manage technical staff in the installation, implementation, and maintenance of County-wide data network and/or server-based operating systems; to provide input into strategic planning discussions that involve operations of the subdivision to which assigned. (This position is a working supervisory position. This class coordinates and oversees the work of multiple projects and project teams; and involves the design and implementation of systems effecting more than one department of the County, or on a County-wide basis. Work at this level requires the application of broad departmental principles to achieve objectives under the general direction of the Chief Technology Officer.)


To view or print a copy of the complete Ramsey County job (class) description for this job, go to: Job Descriptions. Once at this page, you can browse the alphabetical list of job descriptions. 

PRIMARY SUPERVISORY AND WORK RESPONSIBILITIES:
Note: Work supervised, or performed as necessary, in this class focus on systems administration (servers), as primary support responsibility, with a secondary support role in network services (data networking). Primary support responsibility will focus on several to many major areas of specific technologies as listed below.

• Provide support and trouble-shooting services for technical staff and departmental users with difficult server or network-based problems and responds to and resolves departmental user technical problems regarding equipment and equipment-based operating system or network-related software.
• Analyze problems with vendor-supplied hardware/software, evaluates new technical proposals and new systems for technical impact on the infrastructure. Assess the financial impact on Ramsey County and determine how well solutions fit the county's business needs.
• Provide individual and group instruction to both technical staff and departmental users as needed on the use of equipment and software, and on network wide area network (WAN) features.
• Oversee the operation of server or network-based software and services dealing with the overall server operating system, complex sub-systems of the operating system, or networked device system software, for sophisticated file management on server farms and large telecommunications networks.
• Supervise a team(s) of information technology professionals within the Department of Information Services to develop, enhance and maintain server-based environment,database systems; and/or network systems/services for user departments by coordinating planning, assigning project staff, scheduling staff and computer resources, evaluating performance of staff and work, and assessing training needs.
• Lead technical analysis into the performance and reliability of existing and new database systems. This analysis includes trouble shooting problems, tuning applications and how to install upgrades to databases.
• Participate in discussions involving planning of future server or network-based systems; assesses the best balance of external vs. internal resources to accomplish future objectives, and provides input into strategic plans for the County in the area technical infrastructure; ensures that the future needs/goals of the project/functional area/department(s) served are identified and incorporated into the overall County's information technology planning.
• Establish effective working relationships with County department managers and staff by budgeting, planning, communicating, writing bid specifications, establish schedules, setting priorities, and otherwise providing technical advice and consultation relating to hardware and software issues to achieve the County's business goals through the effective and efficient use of electronic technology.
• Conduct internal technical studies for the Department of Information Services relative to hardware, software, networks, procedures and standards in order to: analyze and evaluate computer hardware and software; establish Information Services procedures and standards; create and maintain appropriate documentation relating to systems; and to provide other resources for use in connections with functions such as planning, budgeting and training.
• Participate in divisional management team and monitor adherence to departmental policies, procedures and standards for assigned staff. Evaluate and provide technical supervision to contracted staff and on-site vendor supplied personnel for projects managed.
• Review the work progress of projects to ensure compliance with planned schedules and approved budgetary appropriation; coordinates the activities of multiple project teams as necessary. Establish and change priorities of projects and assigned tasks as appropriate to meet County-wide and individual customer department needs.
• Manage and coordinate the activities involved in maintaining a large telecommunications network's software including planning, installation and troubleshooting.
• Coordinate the planning, scheduling, and controlling of large-scale systems software upgrades and projects from inception through implementation; assists with, or provide in conjunction with department managers, information to the County's top executives regarding information technology issues and planning.
• Oversee the plans and procedures for data security, integrity, and privacy by planning and implementing back-up operations, terminal security, and password protection in order to conform to state, county and departmental policies.
• Respond to, or direct the response to, major (county-wide) system incidents with large impact to county computerized systems, prevention strategies, and disaster recovery, ensuring that systems continue to operate, and that the effects and length of disruptions are minimized.
• Review performance and capacity management to ensure the data network and/or server farm environments are meeting current and future needs of the County.

• E-Mail Services (Microsoft Exchange, mail gateways, filtering, anti-SPAM methods, etc.), storage media platforms (SAN, NetApp, TSM), Web and middleware support services such as IIS, MSMQ or Biztalk.
• Systems Administration functions such as Citrix, RDP, internal DNS, FTP, file and print services.
• Database administration of MS SQL server and Oracle servers to support in-house and vendor applications.
• Perform daily monitoring and troubleshooting of hardware and software on servers and the network by checking event logs, backup status, disk space, memory, allocation, and other functions as appropriate for the specific server-based device.
• Provide server-based operating system administration by adding/removing users, granting rights to computer systems, applications, and services, maintain change logs, and handle all related troubleshooting.
• Perform necessary steps for generating and installing new software releases and corrective updates and patches on server-based devices as supplied by the hardware or application system vendors. Assists desktop support staff with installation of client software for departmental users as needed.
• Install, troubleshoot, and operate County-wide electronic mail, backups and domain name services, monitoring and tuning their performance, performing upgrades, and setting up and notifying users of their accounts, according to the standards and policies set by the department.

• Network device software (Cisco switch configuration, Cisco router configuration, router tables, TCP-IP protocol, network management, network diagnostics)
• Network security (Cisco firewall, Virtual Private Networking (VPN), network intrusion, network vulnerability)
• Miscellaneous Network Services functions (DHCP, Internet monitoring, Cisco AS5300 dial-up, external DNS).

Education: Bachelor's Degree in computer sciences or a related field.

Experience: Eight years of progressive server hardware and server-based operating systems administration, or eight years of data network and network device support, including at least two years as an Information Services Senior Analyst or Lead Analyst, and two years of project management or supervisory/team leading experience.

Substitutions: Successful completion of a two-year vocational school computer programming course and two years of server hardware and server based operating system administration, or data network and network device support experience, may substitute for the Bachelor's Degree requirement for this class. Therefore, this substitution will require a total of ten years of experience in this support area.

Perferred: completion of certification in areas of support indicated in section"Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required at Entry". If the candidate has completed the required training but has not taken the certification exams, at the descretion of the appointing authority, have the ability to obtain certifications during the probationary period.

EXAMINATION:The examination will consist of the following sections with each section weighted as follows:

1. Training and Experience Rating ..............100%