OVERALL DESCRIPTION

SEPTA seeks an innovative and strategic leader to serve as our Deputy Chief Technology Officer -Technology Infrastructure and Operations. This leadership position oversees the design, implementation, and management of the authority's enterprise-wide technology infrastructure to support business objectives and future growth. This critical leader will lead and direct all aspects of the authority's technology infrastructure, including cloud operations, data centers, network architecture, telecommunications, radio, service desk, device management, servers, storage, and system reliability. This leader is a forward-thinking leader who drives digital transformation initiatives while ensuring the scalability, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of SEPTA's technology infrastructure.

This leader oversees a diverse team of experts, including but not limited to network engineers, server administrators, technology service support specialists, and other infrastructure professionals. They leverage the strengths of team members to establish technical standards and solutions to create a culture of continuous cost optimization. This leader collaborates closely with the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Chief Enterprise Architect to ensure that the infrastructure group actively leverages emerging technology. The Deputy Chief Technology Officer-Technology Infrastructure and Operations evangelizes cost-optimized, reliable, and business-focused technology infrastructure solutions leveraging mature infrastructure service and vendor management processes.

The Deputy Chief Technology Officer-Technology Infrastructure and Operations reports to SEPTA's Chief Technology Officer.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive authority-wide infrastructure strategy including modernization of information and operational technology infrastructure.
2. Leads and directs the strategic design, management, and implementation of SEPTA's enterprise infrastructure including both information and operational technology.
3. Direct the development of a comprehensive sourcing strategy for SEPTA's infrastructure and provide executive oversight for strategic vendor and partner relationship management.
4. Manage a team of technology professionals including other technology leaders, systems administrators, network and server engineers, service desk and other technology specialists.
5. Provides guidance and mentorship to team members, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration and continuous learning.
6. Develop and manage relationships with external vendors, technology partners, and third-party service providers.
7. Lead and ensure infrastructure resilience by executing strategies that improve reliability, tolerability, and disaster recovery readiness of information and operational technology.
8. Leads rationalization, consolidation, improvement, replacement, and upgrade of network, server, device, cellular and radio systems and fiber including cost-effective transition to cloud services.
9. Establish and enforce infrastructure standards, policies and procedures to ensure security, compliance and operational excellence.
10. Manage daily operations of critical technology systems including servers, storage, network, cloud environments and data centers.
11. Manages infrastructure costs by deploying cost-effective solutions, managing licenses, and identifying areas to implement process improvements. Works with key stakeholders to measure and prioritize technical debt remediation.
12. Lead cloud adoption (at scale), including establishing governance mechanisms, delivering migration projects improving the cost-effectiveness of the technology infrastructure operating model.
13. Defines, develops, and manages a comprehensive and integrated IT Service Management (ITSM) landscape, based on best-practice processes, disciplines, and related toolsets. This includes delivery of a comprehensive IT asset management program.
14. Builds successful relationships by developing a clear understanding of stakeholder needs in the context of the business challenge they face, and acts as a trusted advisor.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 15+ experience in infrastructure management with growing complexity.
• Minimum 10+ years of technology leadership with progressively increased responsibility leading large, complex, and matrixed organizations.
• Experience leading teams of network engineers, service desk staff, and server administrators and other infrastructure specialists.
• Master's degree in computer science, Engineering, Information Technology, or related field.
• Experience managing teams responsible for major cloud platforms {AWS, Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud).
• Proficiency with network architecture including VPNs, direction connection and software-defined networking solutions.
• Certification in cloud architecture such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect or Microsoft's Azure Solution Architect Expert.
• Knowledge of the various migration methods such as rehost, relocation, and retain {the 7r's of cloud migration).
• Demonstrated track record to develop and execute comprehensive cloud migration strategy aligned with business objectives.
• Proven experience in leading the design of robust hybrid cloud architecture addressing network topology and security requirements.
• Experience with automation and orchestration tools to minimize manual operations and optimize infrastructure monitoring.
• Demonstrated experience in leading large teams supporting both information and operational technology including understanding network segmentation, monitoring, disaster recovery, incident response and planning.
• Experience managing the integration of OT systems with IT networks, particularly connecting previously air-gapped systems.
• Demonstrated experience of various technology frameworks (i.e. ITIL, NIST-CSF).
• Proven experience leading teams responsible for managing networking technologies, cellular networks, interactive voice response systems {IVR), and fiber optic infrastructure that includes routing, switching, VoIP, security and streaming technologies.
• Experience with leading the migration of telecommunication services to cloud-based infrastructure, especially as telecom functions become increasingly virtualized.
• Experience partnering with other senior IT leaders to identify opportunities for significant technology /process enhancements.