Assistant Division Director - Office of Data Management and Reporting (Posting #188-26)

Dice is the leading career destination for tech experts at every stage of their careers. Our client, New Jersey Department of Children and Families, is seeking the following. Apply via Dice today! Assistant Division Director - Office of Data Management and Reporting (Posting #188-26) SALARY: $140,000.00-$159,000.00 (Commensurate with education and experience) The Department of Children and Families (DCF), Office of Data Management and Reporting, is seeking a qualified individual to fill the Assistant Division Director position located in Trenton. This position may be eligible to work remotely for up to two days in a calendar week. DEFINITION: Under the direction of a Division Director, Deputy Director, or other senior official in a state department or agency, directs the staff and activities of an operational unit responsible for providing general administrative and/or fiscal management, program policy and planning services, or delivering a variety of social, medical, assistance, health care, and other services to a specific client population; does other related duties as required. ROLE SUMMARY: Under the leadership of the Director of Data Management & Reporting, the incumbent will lead NJ DCF's enterprise data platform, governance, and analytics enablement so DCF staff, providers, and partners can rely on well-governed, secure, and timely data to improve outcomes for children and families. The Assistant Director implements the cloud data strategy (Azure and/or AWS), supports pragmatic data governance, and manages a multidisciplinary technical team while partnering closely with program leadership to deliver high-value data products, reporting, and research support. This leader is expected to be hands-on when needed - capable of prototyping, reviewing code, troubleshooting pipelines, and guiding engineers through complex incidents while maintaining high standards for security, privacy, and compliance. KEY RESPONSIBILTIES Strategic & Roadmap Leadership Play an active role in implementing NJ DCF's Information Management Strategy Roadmap. Translate business needs into technical roadmaps and manage intake and prioritization. Advise leadership on the impact of federal/state statutory changes. Develop and implement businessfirst processes for program management and data management capabilities. Platform Architecture, Operations & Reliability Own the architecture, delivery, and optimization of DCF's cloud data lake/warehouse, including orchestration, CI/CD, monitoring, security, and cost management. Champion observability, documentation, and change management across the data ecosystem. Oversee data integration processes to facilitate seamless data flow between systems and applications. Establish data privacy policies and implement disaster recovery and business continuity strategies to ensure organizational data protection. Governance, Quality, Compliance & Security Participate in governance committees, support implementation of data policies, steward roles, and compliance standards. Implement and maintain an enterprise data catalog and a data quality program with clear SLA. Facilitate implementation of data governance policies and procedures to ensure the accuracy, reliability, and security of data across the organization. Ensure compliance with federal/state mandates and internal policies. Leverage reporting tools to track data quality, usage trends, and KPIs for data products, ensuring actionable insights for stakeholders. Data Products, Analytics & AI Enablement Design reusable data products for reporting, dashboards, statutory submissions, and research partnerships. Guide responsible use of AI and automation with applicable safeguards. Leadership, Team Management & Stakeholder Engagement Lead, develop, and mentor a technical team of engineers, data modelers, and stewards. Manage performance evaluations and operational functions for assigned staff. Build and maintain a positive, inclusive work environment. Support vendor selection, contract oversight, and delivery standards. Represent DMR and DCF in meetings, conferences, and stakeholder engagements. General Responsibilities Perform additional duties as assigned. Minimum Qualifications Bachelor's degree in information systems, computer science, engineering, or related field (Master's preferred). 10+ years in data engineering/analytics/platform roles, including 5+ years managing technical teams. Hands-on experience with Azure/AWS cloud data platforms; strong SQL and Python skills. Experience with CI/CD and Infrastructure-as-Code. Knowledge of AI/ML concepts and responsible AI practices.