Job Description

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the Massachusetts state public defender agency, is seeking a Manager of Agency Information Systems to oversee the day-to-day operations agency’s custom application development, databases, and maintenance efforts as well as manage a team of developers, analysts, and vendors. This position will be based in our Boston Office.

We fight for equal justice and human dignity by supporting our clients in achieving their legal and life goals. We zealously advocate for the rights of individuals and promote just public policy to protect the rights of all.

Our Values

Courage • Accountability • Respect • Excellence

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MISSION STATEMENT

CPCS is committed to protecting the fundamental constitutional and human rights of our assigned clients through zealous advocacy, community-oriented defense, and the fullness of excellent legal representation. We are dedicated to building and maintaining strong professional relationships, while striving to accept, listen to and respect the diverse circumstances of each client, as we dedicate ourselves to meeting their individual needs. It is our CPCS mission to achieve these goals, and in furtherance thereof, we embrace and endorse diversity, equity and inclusion as our core values as we maintain a steadfast commitment to: (1) Ensure that CPCS management and staff members represent a broad range of human differences and experience; (2) Provide a work climate that is respectful and supports success; and (3) Promote the dignity and well-being of all staff members. CPCS leadership is responsible for ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion. The ability to achieve these goals with any level of certainty is ultimately the responsibility of each member of the CPCS community.

AGENCY OVERVIEW

CPCS is the state agency in Massachusetts responsible for providing an attorney when the state or federal constitution or a state statute requires the appointment of an attorney for a person who cannot afford to retain one. The agency provides representation in criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, family regulation, guardianship, mental health, sexually dangerous person, and sex offender registry cases, as well as in appeals and post-conviction and post-judgment proceedings related to those matters.

The clients we represent are diverse across every context imaginable and bring many unique cultural dimensions to the matters we address. This reality creates a critical need for CPCS staff to be culturally competent and able to work well with people of different races, ethnicities, genders and/or sexual orientation identities, abilities, and limited English proficiency, among other protected characteristics.

DIVISION OVERVIEW

The Information Technology (“IT”) Division enables and enhances the delivery of the Agency’s mission to serve our clients through the creation of innovative digital products and the support of staff, private counsel, and vendor partners. We accomplish these objectives by providing application development and infrastructure services focusing on client success and strategic IT service delivery both as technology leaders and partners in the fight for equal justice and zealous advocacy on behalf of our clients.

The Manager of Agency Information Systems supports the Director of Applications in overseeing the day-to-day operations of the agency’s custom application development, databases, and maintenance efforts, including private attorney and vendor billing systems and staff attorney case management systems. The Manager is responsible for supervising staff, coordinating work, and ensuring assigned projects and operational activities are executed effectively and in alignment with established strategies, standards, and priorities.

The Manager supervises developers and analysts and serves as a key operational liaison between technical staff, analysts, end users, and external partners. While not primarily a coding role, the Manager is expected to possess sufficient technical knowledge to guide staff, identify risks, and communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

This role requires travel across the Commonwealth and must have a valid driver’s license with the ability to use a reliable personal vehicle for transportation on a reimbursable basis.

The Manager of Agency Information Systems reports to the Director of Applications.

Qualifications

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

• Associates’ degree in Information Technology and Information Systems, Computer Science, Systems & Network Administration, or related degree or an equivalent combination of skills, education, and experience;
• Five (5) or more years of experience in application support, application development, system implementation, or IT project management;
• Three (3) or more years of experience supervising IT staff, contractors, or vendors;
• Demonstrated experience coordinating multiple concurrent projects or operational priorities in an IT environment;
• Valid driver’s license with the ability to use a reliable personal vehicle for transportation on a reimbursable basis;
• Demonstrated experience supporting application development or maintenance in a production environment; and,
• Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS

• Experience supporting or managing enterprise or agency-wide application portfolios with diverse user populations;
• Working knowledge of modern web application architectures, database platforms, and application lifecycle practices;
• Experience coordinating work across internal teams and external vendors in a regulated or compliance-conscious environment;
• Experience in a public sector, legal, or mission-driven organization with complex stakeholder needs;
• Demonstrated ability to balance operational demands with longer-term improvement initiatives;
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills, both written and verbal;
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders;
• Strong customer service orientation and commitment to responsive support;
• Demonstrated analytical, problem-solving, and attention-to-detail skills;
• Ability to translate requirements into actionable technical or operational tasks;
• Experience working with external vendors and partners;
• Strict adherence to confidentiality and data protection requirements; and,
• Commitment to cultural competence and the mission of CPCS.

Responsibilities

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Providing daily supervision of Applications team members, including ensuring that annual performance evaluations are completed in a timely manner, assigning tasks, and providing mentoring and support;
• Coordinating and managing day-to-day application development, testing, maintenance, and support activities in alignment with established priorities;
• Executing project plans and schedules defined by the Director of Applications and support project management activities, including tracking deliverables, risks, and issues;
• Participating in design and planning discussions to clarify requirements and translating approved business and technical requirements into actionable work for staff;
• Overseeing ongoing application support, maintenance, testing, and enhancements within assigned systems;
• Ensuring applications are developed, tested, and supported in adherence to established security, compliance, and architectural standards;
• Monitoring application performance, coordinating troubleshooting and issue resolution, and identifying operational improvement opportunities for recommendation to the Director of Applications;
• Coordinating work with external vendors and contractors and serving as the primary operational liaison between users, analysts, developers, and partners;
• Escalating risks, resource constraints, and operational issues to the Director of Applications and supporting consistent application of established processes, standards, and quality expectations;
• Serving as an operational subject matter expert for assigned applications and database structures; and,
• Other duties as assigned.

EEO Statement

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran or military status, genetic information, gender identity, or sexual orientation as required by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other applicable federal and state statutes and organizational policies. Applicants who have questions about equal employment opportunity or who need reasonable accommodations can contact the Chief Human Resources Officer, Sandra DeBow-Huang, at sdebow@publiccounsel.net