Job Description

Job Description and Duties

Under direction of the Information Technology Manager II (IT Mgr II), the Information Technology Specialist I (IT Spec I) will serve as a Service Designer in the Critical Services Team. The IT Spec I will assess and improve the health of vital government services by centering user needs, equity, and service outcomes in addition to technical performance. The duties require the IT Spec I to collaborate with IT and policy teams to understand full-service journeys from end user platforms to backend systems; strong verbal and written communication skills to work with internal technical and non-technical teams, map user journeys, identify pain points, and co-create solutions that improve access, speed, and trust; support end user interviews, usability testing, and collect user feedback to improve services; document service blueprints, workflows, and system maps to identify connections and handoff issues; and assist in integrating user centered design into system & services assessments and modernization roadmaps.

Telework
Telework is available

Visa Sponsorship

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

CA Residency:

Candidates who reside outside of the State of California may be admitted to the job interview. However, upon a job offer, candidates must provide proof of residence in California prior to their appointment becoming effective, or the offer may be rescinded.

• Must pass a fingerprint background criminal record check completed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
• May be required to travel to various offices and locations throughout the State and surrounding areas to provide client services and attend meetings, conferences and training.
• May be required to travel via private or public transportation including overnight lodging.
• May be required to carry a mobile device and be available by phone and/or email.
• May be required to work outside of normal business hours: periodic off-shift and weekend work.
• Works in an office environment operating a laptop, keyboard, mouse, monitor(s) and printers under non-natural lighting for prolonged periods.
• Must maintain consistent, predictable attendance.
• Professional business attire may be required.

Special Requirements

Do not submit the "Equal Employment Opportunity" questionnaire (page 5) with your completed state application (STD. 678) - For exam use only.

Please do NOT include your Social Security Number on any of the submitted documents.

Statement of Qualifications (SOQ)

All interested applicants are required to submit a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ). You must provide direct responses to each of the numbered items listed below. Each individual response must be numbered and include the full text of the numbered items prior to your response. The SOQ header should include the Job Code #, your name, "Statement of Qualifications". The SOQ should include specific examples of your education, training, and/or experience. Limit SOQ to no more than two pages, single-spaced, one-inch margin and twelve-point Arial font.

Each question includes optional prompts. You are not expected to answer every prompt, use them to guide your reflection. 

Note: Applicants who do not follow these instructions may be disqualified from the selection process. Cover leters and resumes do not take the place of the SOQ.

1. Describe a time when you improved a service, product, or experience based on user needs.

Include your role, project scope, and timeline. Consider addressing:

• How you identified user needs (e.g., research, data analysis, journey mapping)
• How you turned insights into specific changes
• What improvements you led or contributed to
• The impact on users, service delivery, or outcomes
• What you learned and how it shapes your current work

Focus on your contributions and how user needs influenced the outcome

2. Public services often involve many teams, rules, and legacy systems. Share a time you made a progress in a complex or bureaucratic environment.

Include your role, context and timeline. Consider:

• Challenges you faced with bureaucracy or coordination
• How you understood the environment and key players
• What actions you took to move the work forward
• T he outcome of your work
• What you might do differently and why

Highlight your strategic thinking, ability to navigate complexity, and impact

3. Why do you want to join the Critical Services team at the Calfornia Department of Technology?

Consider:

• What draws you to this work or mission
• The impact you hope to make
• What you want to learn or grow into
• How this role fits your values or goals

We're looking for genuine responses that reflect your alignment with our mission

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Knowledge of service design, human-centered design, or systems thinking.
• Knowledge of journey maps, stakeholder maps, and basic prototyping.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills across technical and non-technical teams.
• Strong understanding of software development life cycle models of both Agile and traditional project management principles and practices and the ability to blend them together in the right proportions to fit a project and business environment
• Strong knowledge and understanding of business needs with the ability to establish/maintain high level of customer trust and confidence
• Experience in creating wireframes, storyboards, user flows, process flows and site maps
• Ability to work well under pressure, adapt to unexpected events, prioritize and multi-task in a deadline driven environment.
• Ability to understand how government works and empathy for the people it serves.
• Ability to build equitable, trauma-informed, and accessible public services.
• Experience in UX, public policy, sociology or community engagement is a plus.

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

Additional Application Instructions

Using the online application system as specified in the announcement is the preferred method of applying for civil service job opportunities; however, applicants may instead apply by way of U.S. mail, parcel delivery or courier service, or in person, as set forth in this announcement.

Applicants who wish to submit hard copy applications shall use the most current version of the State Application (STD. 678) revised 10/2023. The position number and job control number must be identified in the job title line of the STD 678 (these numbers will auto-populate in the job title of the STD 678 if submitting an electronic application through CalCareers Account). The hard copy application MUST be signed . Applicants who fail to submit the most current version of the STD. 678 may be disqualified.  

Note : Applications MUST include the “From dates“ and “To” dates, “Hours Per Week”, and “Duties Performed” fields for all job listed in the “Employment History” fields, and contact names and phone numbers of supervisors. State employees must list the specific departments for which they worked and indicate the specific civil service classification titles held (not working titles). Applications that are submitted blank will be considered incomplete. Reference to a resume in place of a description of the duties will not be accepted. Failure to submit a completed STD 678 may result in you being screened out. Only the most qualified candidates will be invited to an interview.

Please note that the CalCareer system will not allow you to make changes to your application information once it is submitted. For all other questions regarding your CalHR CalCareer account, you may contact the CalCareer Unit at (866) 844-8671

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.
• Statement of Qualifications - Required.  Please see "Special Requirements" section for further information.
• Other - If you are using EDUCATION to meet the minimum qualifications for this classification, you MUST provide your unofficial transcripts as proof of meeting the education requirements as listed in the Classification Specification (please see the Class Specification located under "Minimum Requirements" on the left-hand side of this job posting).  Applicants who completed their education outside of the United States (with foreign degrees/transcripts) must provide a foreign transcript evaluation.  The transcript evaluation must state the number of units to which foreign coursework is equal.  Foreign education evaluation services can be found at .  Official transcripts and official foreign degree transcripts will be required prior to appointment.  If you are not using educaiton to qualify for this classification, you do not need to submit transcripts.  To bypass the required document, select Choose/Upload and select Bypass File.

Job Tags

Permanent employment, Full time, Second job, Work at office, Remote work, Visa sponsorship, Work visa, Shift work, Night shift, Weekend work,

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