Information Technology Division Director (Austin)

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is the state agency charged with overseeing and providing workforce development services to employers and job seekers of Texas. Our mission is to promote and support a workforce system that creates value and offers employers, individuals, and communities the opportunity to achieve and sustain economic prosperity.

About the role

The Texas Workforce Commission is seeking a highly collaborative technology executive to serve as our next Information Technology Division Director (Director VII). This critical role demands a rare balance of technical foresight and mastery of the complex political, regulatory, and budgetary realities inherent to public service. Operating under minimal supervision with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment, the Division Director will lead TWC’s comprehensive digital transformation, safeguard highly sensitive constituent data, and ensure seamless, modern services for millions of Texans.

As a key strategic partner to agency executives, state lawmakers, and federal partners, you will participate in overall agency technology planning, bringing a current knowledge and future vision of technology and systems to support agency goals. The Director must understand core public sector IT competencies: modernization, deployment of AI initiatives, data governance, data management to leverage and optimize AI, public sector privacy and security requirements, and change management. This role serves as the primary architect of TWC's technical roadmap, driving modern cloud initiatives, steering complex public procurement cycles, and fostering an agency-wide, security-first culture. This position is located at 1411 Brazos Street, Austin, Texas.

Responsibilities

• Lead TWC’s comprehensive digital transformation, ensuring seamless, modern services for millions of Texans.
• Serve as the primary architect of TWC's technical roadmap, driving modern cloud initiatives and complex public procurement cycles.
• Champion robust cybersecurity frameworks (such as the Texas Cybersecurity Framework and TX-RAMP) and enforce data privacy protocols to protect sensitive records.
• Participate in agency technology planning, translating legislative mandates into compliant, operational IT realities.
• Optimize data analytics, improve system interoperability, and strategically manage budgets to maximize value.
• Foster an agency-wide, security-first culture and ensure flawless, high-performance delivery of IT services.
• Build consensus across diverse agency divisions and lead high-impact digital transformations.
• Coordinate with the Texas Department of Information Resources and Texas Cyber Command as critical partners.
• Inspire, mentor, and retain top-tier technical talent in a competitive market by fostering an inclusive, mission-driven culture.
• Plan, assign, organize, and supervise the work of technical teams while promoting cross-divisional coordination and professional growth.

Requirements

• Seven (7) years of full-time experience in the oversight and direction of an agency technology or business program, or seven (7) years in strategic planning and policy development and implementation.
• At least five (5) years of the required experience must have been in an administrative management or supervisory capacity.
• One (1) year of full-time in-service TWC experience classified as a Director V with regular status will satisfy the minimum qualifications.

Qualifications

• Comprehensive knowledge of local, state, and federal laws and regulations relevant to enterprise IT, information security, public records, and public administration.
• Expert skill in establishing plans, objectives, and technology roadmaps that support an overall public service business strategy.
• Deep understanding of modern software delivery, cloud architecture, cybersecurity frameworks, and emerging trends in technology.
• Skill in fiscal planning, budget management, and cost-benefit analysis for large-scale enterprise IT procurements.
• Proven ability to communicate effectively, negotiate, build consensus, and drive cooperative public-private partnerships.
• Advanced ability to evaluate alternatives, identify complex operational risks, and implement robust, timely solutions.

Skills

• Strategic and collaborative leadership in complex bureaucratic environments.
• Digital transformation and change management in public sector IT.
• Cybersecurity and data privacy, including frameworks like the Texas Cybersecurity Framework and TX-RAMP.
• Vendor management and service delivery optimization.
• Team leadership, mentorship, and talent retention in competitive markets.

Benefits

• Competitive salary: $17,500.00/month
• Defined Retirement Benefit Plan
• Optional 401(k) and 457 accounts
• Medical Insurance
• Paid time off, including vacation, sick, and family care leave

Additional benefits for active employees can be found at https://www.ers.texas.gov/Active-Employees/Health-Benefits.