Applied Technology Citizen Development Leader

Lincoln, NE;
Omaha, NE;
Overland Park, KS

We are Olsson. We engineer and design solutions that improve the world around us. As a company, we promise to always be responsive, transparent, and focused on results – for our people, our clients, and our company.

We’re a people‑centric firm, so it’s no surprise our greatest asset is our people. The impact this creates is an environment that encourages our people to grow and be creative with their talents. This approach builds a culture that is uniquely Olsson. It allows us to grow our people as we grow our business. This, in turn, creates a lasting impact on the world around us.

This role is led by the Applied Technology team and defines the program’s overall direction, establishes the operating model, and maintains the guardrails that ensure all solutions are secure, scalable, and aligned with enterprise standards, while intentionally accelerating the speed at which ideas can move from concept to a full operational solution.

As the central authority for Citizen Development, Applied Technology guides and supports the broader citizen developer community by providing governance frameworks, approved platforms, training resources, and standardized processes. This role ensures that employees have the tools and pathways they need to create lightweight, impactful solutions while maintaining the integrity of Olsson’s technology ecosystem.

Functioning as the connective layer between business needs, technical enablement, and IT oversight, the Program Leader drives alignment across technical teams, facilitates collaboration with subject‑matter experts, and ensures that solutions developed by employees complement and do not conflict with core enterprise systems.

• Own the strategy, vision, and day‑to‑day operation of Olsson’s Citizen Development Program.
• Define the operating model, governance framework, and guardrails to ensure solutions are secure, scalable, and enterprise aligned.
• Intentionally design the program to accelerate speed of innovation, reducing time from idea to operational solution.
• Establish and maintain a centralized Citizen Development hub as the single source of truth for tools, guidance, training, sharing, spotlighting developers and processes.
• Provide clear, efficient pathways for employees to engage in citizen development, including intake, review, support, and escalation.
• Ensure citizen‑built solutions complement core enterprise systems and do not introduce redundancy or technical debt.
• Partner with IT Teams and Platform Owners to align tools, standards, and risk management.
• Lead and provide strategic direction to the Applied Technology Innovation Specialist.
• Monitor program health, adoption, and risk while evolving guardrails as technologies and business needs mature.
• Champion a culture of safe, empowered innovation that enables rapid experimentation and delivers sustainable long‑term value.

You are passionate about:

• Working collaboratively with others.
• Having ownership in the work you do.
• Using your talents to positively affect communities.

You bring to the team:

• Ability to contribute and work well on a team
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, business or a related area preferred. In lieu of bachelor’s degree, an associate degree with equivalent experience is required.
• Minimum of 8 years experience in a related position
• Minimum of 4 years experience in management, supervisor, or leadership role
• AEC Industry & Computer programming experience preferred.

As an Olsson employee, you will:

• Be empowered to build your career with tailored development paths
• Have the possibility for flexible work arrangements
• Engage in work that has a positive impact on communities
• Participate in a wellness program promoting balanced lifestyles

In addition, full‑time employees will receive our traditional benefits package (health care, vision, dental, paid time off, etc.) and the opportunity to participate in a bonus system that rewards performance.

Olsson is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage qualified minority, female, veteran, and disabled candidates to apply and be considered for open positions. We do not discriminate against any applicant for employment or any employee because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, disability, age, military status, or other protected status.