Technical Operations Lead

Location: Boston, MA
Duration: 6 Months

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Technical Operations Lead to oversee and coordinate the adoption and implementation of future-state operational protocols for a large-scale technology transformation program.

The Technical Operations Lead will work closely with technical leadership, project management, systems integrators, software/SaaS vendors, security teams, business stakeholders, and various organizational IT departments to ensure successful implementation and operational readiness.

The role will be responsible for establishing operational frameworks, coordinating department-level technology adoption, overseeing testing and implementation activities, managing technical deliverables, and supporting the transition to ongoing operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish future-state operational frameworks, models, roles, and responsibilities.
• Coordinate with IT organizations and representatives across multiple departments to ensure successful implementation of the new solution.
• Communicate and manage local technology requirements, issues, access needs, testing, approvals, security requirements, and operational concerns.
• Develop technical plans for system retirement, data conversion, security migration, data integration, and compliance where applicable.
• Coordinate testing and approval of department IT solutions, including user access and local IT operational requirements.
• Work with system integrators and SaaS/product vendors to establish the overall operational model.
• Oversee vendor deliverables, performance metrics, service-level agreements (SLAs), upgrades, defect fixes, maintenance, and configuration changes.
• Work with security and risk teams to address IT security and compliance requirements.
• Coordinate departmental testing activities with Quality Assurance and Testing teams.
• Develop implementation plans covering IT adoption, communications, coordination, and testing.
• Support architecture review activities and communicate technical decisions to relevant departments.
• Assist with technical environment management and Help Desk implementation for post-go-live/Hypercare support.
• Establish procedures for SaaS upgrades and system maintenance.
• Define monitoring functions and operational SLAs to maintain a high-quality operational environment.
• Support compliance and risk mitigation activities and monitor vendor adherence to security protocols.
• Monitor data and system environments and communicate operational status.
• Communicate project progress, risks, issues, and potential scope changes to technical and program leadership.
• Act as a liaison between incident response teams and subject matter experts.
• Monitor operational reports and logs for unusual events or issues.

Vendor & Implementation Support

• Support the generation and approval of technical operational artifacts and deliverables.
• Assist with the transition of legacy data from existing local IT systems and servers into the new solution.
• Manage planning, delivery, and implementation of vendor-provided work products.
• Perform resource planning and management.
• Track vendor performance, issues, risks, and deliverable progress.
• Conduct regular meetings with local IT representatives to communicate project plans and capture department-specific requirements.
• Support business owners and project teams in understanding changing business requirements and operational change management needs.

Testing & Quality Assurance

Participate in and support:

• Quality Assurance testing
• Business process testing
• Integrated System Testing (IST)
• User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
• End-to-End testing
• Performance testing
• Penetration testing
• Disaster Recovery testing
• Integration testing

Ensure project deliverables meet business requirements and recommend appropriate procedures and tools for troubleshooting, patching, exception handling, and issue escalation.

Required Skills

• Extensive technical knowledge and experience working in diverse operational environments.
• Experience with Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms.
• Knowledge of relational database structures and SQL.
• Experience in technical leadership and technical decision-making.
• Strong experience with system administration and monitoring across application platforms.
• Experience with multiple phases of software/system testing, including unit, system, integration, parallel, and UAT.
• Strong knowledge of LAN/WAN/VPN and remote networking technologies and protocols.
• Experience with network infrastructure including routers, switches, firewalls, and related protocols.
• Knowledge of information security frameworks such as ISO 2700x, ITIL, and NIST.
• Strong project risk analysis and resolution skills.
• Excellent problem-solving, negotiation, and decision-making abilities.
• Strong leadership skills and experience working in matrixed organizations.
• Ability to understand the relationship between systems architecture and business requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with SaaS/cloud implementations, particularly migration of legacy on-premise applications to cloud environments.
• Experience working with diverse technical configurations, technologies, and processing environments on projects of similar size and complexity.
• Experience leading data integration, system operations, and security initiatives.
• Strong experience in project plan development, delivery oversight, and status reporting.
• Experience developing executive-level status reports and communications.
• Experience implementing Data Quality programs.
• Experience performing or supporting system audits within government organizations.
• Experience with state government technology implementations and operations.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Systems Analysis, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 10 years of IT design and implementation experience.
• Deep knowledge of multiple technical disciplines, including:
  • Application development
  • APIs
  • Audit compliance
  • Database management
  • Infrastructure and network design
  • Middleware
  • Security, risk, and compliance management
  • Servers and storage