Information Technology Manager (IT Systems Architect)

Salary : $95,668.98 - $159,449.26 Annually
Location : FAIRFAX (EJ26), VA
Job Type: FT Salary W BN
Job Number: 25-00880
Department: Land Development Svcs
Opening Date: 04/19/2025
Closing Date: 5/2/2025 11:59 PM Eastern
Pay Grade: S32
Posting Type: Open to General Public

Job Announcement

Fairfax County boasts a top-notch school system, safe neighborhoods, thousands of acres of parkland, and bustling town centers. County government sits at the heart of this dynamic community of almost 1.2 million residents and seeks employees eager to bring their energy, enthusiasm and skills to serve Fairfax residents and to shape the county's future. Land Development Services (LDS) is the steward of the county's land development and building construction codes and regulations, and its staff members embrace their essential role as "first preventers." Every day, through careful review, permitting and inspection of site and building construction, our staff protect the health, safety, welfare, and environment for those who live in, work in, and visit Fairfax County. Our department also serves as the gateway to much of the county's economic development, reviewing over 30,000 building and site plan submissions, issuing nearly 70,000 building permits, and conducting over 220,000 building and site inspections each year. If you would like to join a creative, collaborative, innovative team doing meaningful work, then LDS is the place for you. Under limited supervision of the Land Development Services (LDS) IT Program Manager II, the IT System Architect (IT Manager) shall supervise three IT Services teams, including IT Special Projects, Records and Information Management (RIM), and Web.

This position will oversee the management of complex IT projects and operational initiatives related to the internet and intranet, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems, Artificial Intelligence (AI), the function of Data Management, and the county's Property Land Use System (PLUS).

The position shall:

• Supervise staff and ensure the work of the IT Special Projects, RIM, and Web teams is technically correct as well as aligned with the business needs of LDS and other agencies where appropriate.
• Perform IT project management for both capital and operational initiatives for IT systems that impact multiple agencies and are related to land development process systems. Collaborate with the IT Program Manager II to ensure IT projects align with agency priorities. Partner with the Department of Information Technology (DIT) in the planning and execution of IT projects.
• Manage teams consisting of Fairfax County technical and business personnel as well as contractors in the implementation of IT program and project deliverables, such as complex policies, processes and standards; various planning documents; data; reporting and analytical outputs; and applications.
• Develop IT strategies and project plans that address current and future LDS needs for multiple diverse lines of business related to land development.
• Conduct self-directed research of new and emerging technologies and determine feasibility and usability in alignment with documented business needs.
• Lead innovation to leverage opportunities to enhance systems that make existing applications operate more efficiently, enhance utility and functionality, improve user experience, and/or provides for better integration with other systems using newer technologies that provide more innovative ways to solve business needs.
• Participate in industry groups and liaise with the DIT, other Fairfax County agencies, and external partners in the pursuit of LDS IT needs.

Note: This position description is not intended to be all-inclusive. The employee may perform other related duties to meet the ongoing business needs of the organization. This position shall comply with county, agency, and job specific training, including but limited to Emergency Management and Safety related courses. This position shall continually seek to expand safety knowledge through training, mentoring, self-study, or other methods of continuous learning; clearly communicate safety expectations to employees within work unit; resolve safety-related matters in a timely manner; and comply with safety programs and guidelines.
Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

(Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")
Possession of a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field; plus five years of experience in systems design, development, programming and maintenance, and/or project or program management experience or equivalent in a complex information systems environment and supervisory experience of internal staff and vendors/contractor staff, and /or experience in matrix management environment in a complex organization.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee is required to complete a criminal background check to the satisfaction of the employer.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience managing and directly supervising a group of IT professionals.
Experience in performing IT project management only playing the role of Project Manager.
Experience working with land development IT systems
Experience managing information technology projects of varying complexity serving the needs of a diverse customer base.
Experience developing and executing strategic information technology plans
Experience leading Data Management initiatives
Experience leading Web (intranet / internet) initiatives
Proficiency at communicating technical information to senior and executive level staff in formal and informal settings.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Work requires ability to operate keyboard-driven equipment and to sit for long periods. All duties are performed with or without reasonable accommodation.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview and may include exercise.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 38.7% of residents speak a language other than English at home () and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY 703-222-7314. EEO/AA/TTY.

#LI-RS1
Merit Positions

Fairfax County is proud to offer employees an attractive and comprehensive benefits program, including the following:

• Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage
• Group Term Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability
• LiveWell Program
• Flexible Spending Programs
• Paid Leave (annual, sick, parental, volunteer activity, and more!)
• Paid Holidays
• Contributory Retirement Plan
• Deferred Compensation
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employees' Child Care Center
• Commuter Benefit Program
• Continuous Learning Opportunities

NOTE: Fairfax County Government is a qualifying employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. For more information about the PSLF program:

For additional details please visit the
Non-Merit Positions

Non-Merit Benefit Eligible: scheduled to work a minimum 1,040 hours and no more than a maximum of 1,560 hours in a calendar year.

• Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage
• Flexible Spending Program
• Deferred Compensation

Temporary: scheduled to work a maximum of 900 hours in a calendar year.

• No benefits

01

What is the highest level of education that you have completed?

• Less than 12th grade
• High school diploma or GED
• Some college
• Associate's degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree
• Doctorate degree

02

Please indicate all major(s) or minor(s) for your completed degree(s). Check all that apply.

• Computer science
• Business
• Project or program management
• Information technology
• Other (related field)
• Other (non-related field)
• Not applicable

03

If you answered "Other (related field)" or "Other (non-related field)" for the previous question, please list all of your completed majors and minors. If this question does not pertain to you, or you do not have a degree, enter "Not applicable".
04

If you answered "Some college" for the highest level of education completed, please indicate the number of quarter or semester hours you have completed towards a related degree.

• Less than 45 quarter hours
• 45 to less than 90 quarter hours
• 90 to less than 135 quarter hours
• 135 to less than 180 quarter hours
• 180 or more quarter hours
• Less than 30 semester hours
• 30 to less than 60 semester hours
• 60 to less than 90 semester hours
• 90 to less than 120 semester hours
• 120 or more semester hours
• Not applicable

05

How many years of full-time equivalent professional experience in systems design, development, programming and maintenance, and/or project or program management experience or equivalent in a complex information systems environment and supervisory experience of internal staff and vendors/contractor staff, and /or experience in matrix management environment in a complex organization do you possess?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five to less than six years
• Six to less than seven years
• Seven to less than eight years
• Eight to less than nine years
• Nine years or more

06

How would you rate your professional experience leading efforts to develop IT strategies and roadmaps?

• Beginner: Some experience playing an individual contributor role (1-5 initiatives).
• Intermediate: Moderate experience playing an individual contributor role (6-10 initiatives) with some cross-functional team leadership responsibilities.
• Senior: Robust experience (11-20 initiatives) including routine responsibilities leading cross-functional teams.
• Expert: Extensive experience leading IT strategy and road mapping initiatives (>20) including routine responsibilities leading cross-functional teams.
• None of the above

07

How many years of experience do you have performing IT project management (only include time playing the role of Project Manager. Do not include experience playing an individual contributor role on projects while under the leadership of the PM)?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five to less than six years
• Six to less than seven years
• Seven to less than eight years
• Eight to less than nine years
• Nine years or more

08

How many years of experience do you have working with land development IT systems (either as a technical lead, project manager, business analyst, or management analyst)?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five to less than six years
• Six to less than seven years
• Seven to less than eight years
• Eight to less than nine years
• Nine years or more

09

How many years of experience do you have managing IT teams (only include experience that involves formal staff supervision)?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five to less than six years
• Six to less than seven years
• Seven to less than eight years
• Eight to less than nine years
• Nine to less than ten years
• Ten or more years

10

How would you rate your professional experience leading enterprise-wide Data Management initiatives.

• Beginner: Some experience playing an individual contributor role (1-5 initiatives).
• Intermediate: Moderate experience playing an individual contributor role (6-10 initiatives) with some cross-functional team leadership responsibilities.
• Senior: Robust experience (11-20 initiatives) including routine responsibilities leading cross-functional teams.
• Expert: Extensive experience leading Data Management initiatives (>20) including routine responsibilities leading cross-functional teams.
• None of the above

11

How would you rate your professional experience leading enterprise-wide Web (intranet and/or internet) initiatives.

• Beginner: Some experience playing an individual contributor role (1-5 initiatives).
• Intermediate: Moderate experience playing an individual contributor role (6-10 initiatives) with some cross-functional team leadership responsibilities.
• Senior: Robust experience (11-20 initiatives) including routine responsibilities leading cross-functional teams.
• Expert: Extensive experience leading web initiatives (>20) including routine responsibilities leading cross-functional teams.
• None of the above

Required Question