Information Technology Division Director; Austin

Job Description - Information Technology Division Director (Austin) (827271)

About the Texas Workforce Commission:
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is the state agency charged with overseeing and providing workforce development services to employers and job seekers of Texas. Our mission is to promote and support a workforce system that creates value and offers employers, individuals, and communities the opportunity to achieve and sustain economic prosperity.

Position Summary:

The Texas Workforce Commission is seeking a highly collaborative technology executive to serve as our next Information Technology Division Director (Director VII).
This critical role demands a rare balance of technical foresight and mastery of the complex political, regulatory, and budgetary realities inherent to public service. Operating under minimal supervision with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment, the Division Director will lead TWC’s comprehensive digital transformation, safeguard highly sensitive constituent data, and ensure seamless, modern services for millions of Texans.

As a key strategic partner to agency executives, state lawmakers, and federal partners, you will participate in overall agency technology planning, bringing a current knowledge and future vision of technology and systems to support agency goals. The Director must understand the core public sector IT competencies modernization, deployment of AI initiatives, data governance, data management to leverage and optimize AI, understanding of public sector privacy and security requirements, and change management.

This role serves as the primary architect of TWC's technical roadmap, driving modern cloud initiatives, steering complex public procurement cycles, and fostering an agency-wide, security-first culture. This position is located at 1411 Brazos Street, Austin, Texas.

Who You Are:
You are a visionary, highly collaborative IT Executive who thrives at the intersection of cutting-edge technology, public service, and strategic leadership. You are a diplomat and builder equally comfortable navigating complex state bureaucracy, building consensus across diverse agency divisions, and leading high-impact digital transformations. You can coordinate, collaborate, and partner with TWC division leadership as internal customers. You understand the value of the Texas Department of Information Resources’ scale and expertise and the Texas Cyber Command’s role as a critical partner.
As a champion of innovation and security, you lead with a security-first mindset, ensuring that modernization never comes at the cost of compliance or public trust. You are not just a manager of systems, but a leader of people; you know how to inspire, mentor, and retain top-tier technical talent in a competitive market by fostering an inclusive, mission-driven culture.

• A Strategic & Collaborative Navigator:
  You have a proven track record of building trust with internal stakeholders, legislative entities, and vendor partners. You easily navigate complex bureaucratic landscapes and swiftly translate legislative mandates into compliant, operational IT realities.
• A Digital Transformer:
  You bring a forward-looking vision to agency-wide technology planning. You know how to optimize data analytics, improve system interoperability, and strategically manage budgets to maximize every dollar. You also know that lasting transformation requires thoughtful change management and can implement strategies to ensure successful deployments for multiple stakeholders.
• A Guardian of Security & Privacy:
  You actively champion robust cybersecurity frameworks (such as the Texas Cybersecurity Framework and TX-RAMP). You…