Information Technology Manager; SCA

Position: Information Technology Manager (SCA 151605)
Ready to make a real difference in your community? The Iowa Judicial Branch is seeking an Information Technology Manager to drive software development, quality assurance, and proprietary application support within a modern, product-based operating model.

Reporting to the Deputy Director of IT - Enterprise Architecture, this position provides both technical and organizational leadership across software engineering, Quality Assurance (QA), and application support. The manager is directly accountable for system reliability, engineering quality, and delivery outcomes, while ensuring all work aligns with enterprise architecture standards and long-term system sustainability.

This is a hands-on leadership role focused on:

* Building strong internal engineering leadership across development, QA, and support.

* Balancing business-as-usual (BAU) operations with structured product delivery and modernization.

* Advancing long-term sustainability through architecture alignment, documentation, and disciplined engineering practices.

* Creating clarity and control in work intake, prioritization, and delivery execution.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering & Technical Leadership. Lead integrated teams across development, QA, and application support. Stay hands-on through system design, architectural decisions, code reviews, and resolution of complex production issues, while driving technical choices that reduce technical debt and improve maintainability.  Lead vendor selection and evaluation processes for software solutions.

Delivery & Quality Engineering. Oversee the full SDLC for business-critical applications. Implement CI/CD and automation, strengthen testing to reduce defect escape rates, and ensure reliability, performance, and accessibility standards are consistently met.

Work Intake & Prioritization. Establish structured intake and prioritization processes aligned with organizational goals, reducing unplanned work and bringing consistency to how work is sequenced.

Operational Balance & Capacity. Develop and maintain a capacity model that balances BAU support, enhancements, and strategic initiatives, providing transparency into workload, constraints, and delivery timelines.

Documentation & Knowledge Management. Ensure systems carry complete, current technical documentation and runbooks, reducing knowledge silos and supporting audit readiness and long-term supportability.

Team Leadership & Capability Building. Align staffing and skills to demand, build internal engineering capability, and provide coaching, mentoring, and performance management that foster accountability and continuous improvement.

Hours:

Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.

- 4:30 p.m.

Location:

Des Moines, IA with possibility of hybrid remote after six months

What's in it for you:

* Collaborative, positive professional work environment

* Opportunities to make a widespread difference in the Iowa communities

* Excellent benefits package

* Paid Holidays/Vacation/Sick Leave

* Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS) plan

* Employee discount program

* Employment with the Iowa Judicial Branch may qualify for the federal student loan repayment program.

The pay range for this position is $76,980.80 to $ annually. This is an FLSA exempt position. The starting salary for new state employees is expected to be at the base of the pay range. Adjustments may be made if the successful candidate has relevant experience.

Position classification is determined as the 'best fit' of the duties assigned to and performed by a position. This position is classified as a Business Systems Analyst as summarized below.

Summary

Responsible for supervising, implementing, and maintaining the Iowa Judicial Branch's computing needs, operations, systems, and infrastructure.

Examples of Duties and Responsibilities

* Supervise and evaluate the work of subordinates; enforce personnel policies and procedures such as training and coaching employees; manage work schedules, time-offs, leaves; conduct performance evaluations; and follow disciplinary and grievance procedures.

* Manage the development, delivery, and support of Information Technology (IT) systems and services.

* Oversee the daily operations,…