Digital Services for the State of California

If the product doesn't work for the end user – even if it is on-time and on-budget – then we have failed. As we embark on new projects every day – including how to create a licensing and track and trace process for medical cannabis from scratch – we are working with this new principle:

Users matter.

Secretary Marybel Batjer, California Government Operations Agency

Code for America Summit, November 2, 2016

We're putting user needs first

Part of California's Government Operations Agency, the Department of Technology (CDT) is one of the largest technology suppliers for state and local government in California. Together with state agencies and entities, we deliver technology for everyone. To meet Secretary Batjer’s challenge, our department is changing: adding new skills and new capabilities to support a culture of understanding user needs – not just government needs – and making sure we meet them.

Learn more about the hiring process and employee benefits

• the hiring process (PDF)
• hiring FAQs (PDF) and
• employee benefits (PDF)

You can also join our mailing list to get updates about new opportunities and positions.

What we've started

Our demonstrator projects (the California’s Child Welfare Digital Service, and more to come) start by understanding user needs. Then, we work iteratively with private sector partners. Finally, we build in the open: because it makes things better.

You can read more about the Child Welfare Digital Service in a blog post hosted by our friends at 18F.

California's Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS) handles important services like social services, public health and Medi-Cal, the Medicaid program. The Office for Systems Integration (OSI) runs the technology for all these services.

With the Child Welfare Digital Service, CHHS and OSI, with California's Department of Technology, have started the work of making sure our technology meets users' needs.

But, there's a lot more to do.

Join us

Our work in modernizing, building and delivering new digital services for the state means we need people experienced in designing and delivering shared services across multiple technical platforms.

Across the Department of Technology, the Office for Systems Integration and new teams like the Child Welfare Digital Service, we're looking for researchers, designers, content designers, strategists, architects, developers and more to deliver digital services that meet user needs.

Join us, and help deliver simpler, clearer, faster digital services for everyone in California.

How to apply

1. Read the opportunities, open positions and future open positions below

• They're all on-site in the Sacramento region with some flexibility for remote work.

2. Have a question?

• Submit a Github Issue (we'd prefer that, to keep things in the open)
• If it's something you'd like to keep private, then send an email to Melissa Matsuura

3. To apply for a...

• digital service pool opportunity, email Adrian Farley with your resume and a note about which opportunity you're applying for
• digital service team (California Child Welfare Digital Service) opportunity, email Adrian Farley with your resume and a note about which opportunity you're applying for
• open or future California Department of Technology position, email Melissa Matsuura to get started

Get updates about new opportunities and positions

Join our mailing list to get updates about new opportunities and positions.

Digital service pool opportunities

These opportunities are on-site in the Sacramento region, with flexibility for remote work.

1. Principal, User researcher

• plan a research program for a service
• develop clear understanding and empathy for users
• design, conduct and analyze user research using a range of techniques
• provide guidance on design based on understanding of user needs and behavior
• set standards for ensuring digital services in California meet user needs

For reference only, see the U.K. Government Digital Service (GDS) job description for User researcher.

2. Principal, Designer

• run and lead service design workshops
• create and rapidly iterate service prototypes
• engage whole multi-disciplinary teams with the design process
• identify, design and set California cross-government service design standards and patterns

For reference only, see the GDS job description for Designer.

3. Principal, Content Designer

• run and lead service design workshops
• create and rapidly iterate service prototypes
• engage whole multi-disciplinary teams with the design process
• identify, design and set California cross-government service design standards and patterns For reference only, see the GDS job description for Designer.

4. Principal Technical Architect, Legacy Replacement and Modernization

• understand legacy platforms, products, transactions and system architectures
• work with delivery teams and third parties
• decide technical requirements and iterative approaches to transform legacy applications
• make sure new and updated platforms, products, transactions and system architectures are robust, scalable, open and secure

For reference only, see the GDS job description for Technical Architect.

5. Principal Technical Architect, Security and Privacy

• work with delivery teams and third parties
• decide security and privacy requirements, and improvements for software development and web operation
• make sure new and updated platforms, products, transactions and system architectures are robust, scalable, open, secure and protect user privacy

For reference only, see the GDS job description for Technical Architect.

6. Principal, Product and Delivery Strategist

• work with service and product managers to define a product approach that will meet user needs
• define the skills needed by a service, and map where those skills can be supplied (e.g. internally, from another department or agency, or from external contractors)
• work with procurement teams to support user-centered, iterative service delivery by reviewing procurement documentation and assisting in negotiations
• check there’s budget to cover the proposed approach and analyze what project running costs
• analyze and map risks, and propose solutions

For reference only, see the GDS job description for Business analyst.

Digital service team opportunities

These opportunities are with the California Child Welfare Digital Service. They're on-site in the Sacramento region, with flexibility for remote work.

1. Dev/Ops

• build automation for production systems
• run production systems
• help the development team build software that’s easy to use
• work with developers to optimize existing applications and design new ones
• encourage everyone to think about how new applications will be run and maintained

For reference only, see the GDS job description for Web ops.

2. Scrum coach

• work at the team or program level

• embed an agile culture using techniques from a wide range of agile and lean methodologies, but be agnostic about methodology

• help create an open and trust-based environment, enabling a focus on delivery and continuous improvement

• assess culture and processes to identify improvements, and put those improvements into practice with the right kind of support

For reference only, see the GDS job description for Agile Coach.

3. Product and Delivery Strategist

• work with service and product managers to define a service design, delivery and continuous improvement approach that will meet user needs
• define the skills needed by a service, and map where those skills can be supplied (e.g. internally, from another department or agency, or from external contractors)
• check there’s budget to cover the proposed approach and analyze the project’s running costs
• analyze and map risks, and propose solutions

For reference only, see the GDS job description for Business analyst.

4. Senior Developer

• build web products, RESTful web services and implement APIs that meet user needs
• build automated tests to support continuous deployment
• share knowledge of tools and techniques
• lead in helping recruit developers and helping to sift and interview
• be experienced in back-end development with detailed knowledge of at least Ruby, Java, Python, Javascript, Scala or Go
• quickly research and learn new programming tools and techniques

For reference only, see the GDS job description for Senior Developer.

5. Designer

• work with a multi-disciplinary team to deliver services that meet user needs
• deliver designs that meet web standards, making sure key elements are included from the beginning
• contribute to the development and continual improvement of services
• have solid experience of web and mobile application interface design and the core skills of sketching, design production, hand-coded HTML and CSS and rapid prototyping

For reference only, see the GDS job description for Designer.

6. Junior Visual designer

• work with a multi-disciplinary team to deliver services that meet user needs
• produce design concepts for digital services working to tight deadlines
• design reusable elements to deliver a consistent user experience
• design and create well-designed, consistent and user-focused communication material

For reference only, see the GDS job description for Junior Visual designer.

Current open positions at the California Department of Technology

Separate from the above digital service opportunities, open positions are posted on the Department of Technology website. If you’re interested in building a career, you can learn how to become a permanent employee with the State of California. You can also find out about the benefits the State offers, like retirement, healthcare, and learn about the stability of working for the public sector.

Current vacancies are updated daily on the CDT website.

Future open positions at the California Department of Technology

1. Senior Analyst and/or Managerial positions

• Security Auditing and Assessment
• Security Governance, Risk and Compliance
• IT Project Oversight
• IT Procurement & Oversight
• IT Project Management
• Network Management

2. Technical Lead positions

• Digital Services
• Infrastructure Security
• Security Vulnerability and Compliance Management
• Network Engineering
• Network Architecture & Security Engineering
• Cloud Computing and Services
• AIX Support
• Mainframe Operating System Support
• Storage Support
• Database Products (DB2, eCommerce, ADABAS, CICS, IDMS)
• Windows Operations & Support

3. Analyst positions

• IT Procurement and Oversight

• Infrastructure Change Management

• Data Center Processing Support

• Service Desk Support

• PeopleSoft ERP Operational Support

• PeopleSoft Programming Support

• • *

With thanks to Code for America, 18F, the U.S. Digital Service and the U.K. Government Digital Service.

Made in California.