We're Hiring: Technology Portfolio Manager

Team Background

The Committee on Information Technology (COIT) is San Francisco’s technology governance and policy making body. COIT’s structure is intended to provide a forum for City leadership to coordinate and collaborate to make citywide technology decisions. Our office lives at the intersection between the Mayor’s Office and the City’s technology leadership to make strategic advice on the future of City technology, recommended investments, and policy.

Role Description

San Francisco’s technology issues are complex and varied and we need a team member who is up for the challenge. People who are committed to demonstrating the transformative potential of government technology are encouraged to apply!

The goal of COIT’s performance work is to ensure every San Francisco’s technology project succeeds. Day to day, this means you will act as COIT's central point of contact for every active technology project in the City. This is a large task since our current portfolio contains more than 100 active projects, ranging from technology infrastructure to redesigning websites and everything in between. As such, a key part of your role will be to advise departments, build relationships, and connect project leads with needed resources.

Tools we need you to help develop include: a central repository of information on the City’s use of technology, project management best practices, performance dashboards, and training curriculums. Your perspective and expertise on City technology is a critical component to informing decisions by the Mayor’s Budget Office, City Administrator, and other city leaders.

The Technology Portfolio Manager is a key leader for our team who is critical to redefining how the City leverages technology.

Prospective Responsibilities

COIT is a small team where every member plays a critical role. The Technology Portfolio Manager is our expert on the City’s technology portfolio and performance.

Some of the ways the Portfolio Manager will help with COIT’s main operations include:

Performance: The Portfolio Manager will help support department technology projects by providing advice, offering procurement guidance, or connecting to relevant resources. The Portfolio Manager is also responsible for tracking performance measures on every project to ensure public resources are being used efficiently and projects are on schedule and in-scope.
Budget: Every budget cycle, COIT receives more than 100 project requests. The Portfolio Manager will help review project requests and provide funding recommendations to the Mayor.
Strategic Planning: The Portfolio Manager supports strategic development by conducting surveys, interviewing stakeholders, and providing qualitative and quantitative analysis. Findings from extensive stakeholder outreach directly shape the direction of the City’s five-year strategic plan.
Policy: The Portfolio Manager will also support technology policy development in the City through qualitative and quantitative analysis. COIT seeks to build an iterative policy development process that is based on evidence and in-depth analysis.

Desired Skills

The Technology Portfolio Manager will be in a citywide, visible, leadership position. A broad range of communications and analytical skills is required to succeed. Skills include:

Analysis: The Portfolio Manager should be able to provide excellent analysis on a broad range of topics. Frequently you will be faced with technologies or programs in which you have little previous knowledge or experience. The Portfolio Manager must be comfortable in building insights and retrieving evidence to support data-based decisions. Strong qualitative and quantitative analytical skills are important to succeed at this position, as is an attention to detail and a willingness to go into depth on a range of topics.
Technical: In support of the in-depth analysis, the Portfolio Manager should have a strong background in technology development methodologies and statistical practices. Retrieving data and conducting original analysis is a key part of this position’s responsibilities. The Portfolio Manager should have a strong familiarity with developing products and using a wide variety of technology tools.
Communications: COIT is a citywide role that regularly interacts with City leadership. The Portfolio Manager should have strong communication skills in building relationships and articulating goals to multiple audiences. The Portfolio Manager will regularly provide public presentations, organize meetings, and facilitate workshops with a broad range of stakeholders. The Portfolio Manager may also provide trainings to City staff.

Application Details

Please prepare to submit a resume and a 1-page cover letter discussing your views on how technology can improve government, using specific examples where relevant. The deadline for all applications is Friday, January 4 2019.