Business Consultant II (Special Project Worker)

Provides highly complex technical consulting and support services for defining, developing and improving functional or business processes to meet user and organizational needs. Works with departmental management and staff to define problems and management requirements. Serves as a senior technical liaison between department users and the Information Technology organization in order to provide advanced technical solutions to meet user needs. Leads the gathering of organization needs as well as the design of advanced solutions through direct interaction with stakeholders. Provides expertise in supporting highly complex department applications and functions. Conducts advanced process redesign and compiles documentation, as required for complex applications. Translates the highest-level organization requirements into functional Information Technology specifications and manages changes to such specifications. Focuses on strategic technical solutions in accordance with total departmental and organizational goals.

This is the second in a series of two business consultant-related job classifications within the Information Technology job family. Provides complex technical consulting and support services for defining, developing and improving functional or business processes to meet user and organizational needs.  The Business Consultant II serves as a senior technical expert in analyzing the highest level business process needs and designing advanced solutions to meet these needs with an emphasis on strategic technical solutions. This classification typically supervises or leads subordinate Information Technology staff and/or teams performing high-level technical business problems.  This classification may require a flexible work schedule in order to meet the needs of the department.

• Provides highly complex technical consulting and support services for defining, developing and improving functional or business processes to meet user and organizational needs. Works with departmental management and staff to define problems and management requirements.
• Solicits and interprets client requests, documents client needs and automated procedures and works with users to improve business processes. Proposes strategic solutions appropriate within the broader context of departmental, County Information Technology and total organizational goals.
• Resolves day-to-day technology needs of the department with a focus on the analysis of processes, dissecting problems and suggesting solutions. Reviews business processes, analyzes existing procedures and systems and makes recommendations for improvements. Develops process performance measures and plans the transition to a new process.
• Participates in continuous review and update to ensure that processes meet changing departmental and organizational conditions. Identifies processes for improvement, documents existing processes, and identifies and analyzes gaps between current processes and the desired state.
• Interfaces and collaborates with other IT staff in the design of new programs, processes, projects and software. Conducts highly complex analysis, design, programming, validation, testing and training and maintenance. Assists with and may oversee application testing and product defect tracking. Interfaces with software project team members to assist in all aspects of requirements and testing activities. Participates in the coordination and monitoring of software development activities. Reviews programs written by others. Establishes test procedures and tests and debugs programs.
• Leads teams in identifying, analyzing and developing improvements for management, data, and business processing needs. Oversees advanced complex project work conducted by subordinate and/or peer Information Technology staff, providing expertise and assistance, as required. Solves quality problems by interfacing with all project development members and product-line project activities. Supervises subordinate Information Technology or support staff.
• Serves as a liaison with Information Technology System (ITS) in network administration within a user department. May possess primary responsibility for administration and troubleshooting of a stand-alone departmental network.
• May install computer hardware, software and peripheral devices, as required. Troubleshoots problems encountered by department users, performs highly advanced diagnostics and provides limited user training. Coordinates and may oversee technical support work provided by ITS. Maintains inventory of department hardware and software.
• Evaluates vendor hardware and software for user department. Collaborates with users, researches product information and assesses available products. Leads or participates in development of formal Requests for Proposals (RFPs) or Request for Information (RFIs) to obtain computer systems, hardware and software. Monitors ensuing contracts through implementation to insure vendor performance or delivery of services.
• Creates and/or develops enhancements needed for highly complex departmental databases. Maintains production, development and test database systems to meet user needs and provides systems support and security for self-contained departmental databases.
• Configures document management systems.
• Provides end-user and system support for specified department applications and functions.
• Produces periodic status and operational reports for high-level management review.
• Conducts training efforts of systems implementation, including documentation, instruction and hands-on-training of others.
• May develop policies, operating procedures and protocols related to database systems within a department. May monitor databases and servers and consult with department staff to develop database applications and facilitate the effective use of database systems.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Education and Experience:
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration or a directly related field AND eight (8) years of relevant work experience, including two (2) years of team lead, supervisory or management, experience;

OR,

Any combination of education and experience that has been achieved and is equivalent to the stated education and experience and required knowledge, skills, and abilities sufficient to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of this job.

Licenses, Registrations, Certifications, or Special Requirements:
Valid Texas Driver's License.

Preferred:
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) Certification.
Certified Novell Administrator (CNA) Certification.
Certified Novell Engineer (CNE) Certification.
Oracle Database Administrator (DBA) Certification.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Policies, practices, procedures and terminology of assigned function.
• Federal, State, Local and County applicable laws, rules, regulations and guidelines.
• Information technology hardware, software and peripherals as related to assigned function.
• Existing automated business applications and their relationships to each other and interfaces with other automated systems.
• Software engineering and the software development lifecycle.
• Computer equipment to include word processing, spreadsheets, databases and a variety of software packages.
• Integrated criminal justice and governmental technology systems, case management systems/databases.
• May be required to develop knowledge of and adhere to  federal and state laws requiring the confidential handling of certain information.

• Understanding technical problems and solutions in relation to current, as well as future, business environment.
• Problem-solving and decision-making.
• Training users on computer applications.
• Translating highly complex concepts for peers and customers.
• Network administration and maintenance.
• Installation, maintenance and troubleshooting of hardware, software and peripherals.
• Both verbal and written communication, including presentations and communicating technical issues in non-technical language.

• Identify and analyze highly complex end-user problems and develop strategic, practical technological solutions.
• Lead, supervise and/or work independently and efficiently and as part of a team.
• Manage time well, perform multiple tasks and organize diverse activities.
• Research, compile, analyze, interpret and prepare a variety of memorandums or reports.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with departmental clientele, representatives of outside agencies and providers, other County employees and officials, and the general public.

Physical requirements include the ability to lift/carry up to 35-40 pounds occasionally, visual acuity, speech and hearing, hand and eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate a computer and office equipment. Subject to standing, sitting, walking, climbing, crawling, bending, stooping, crouching, kneeling, pushing, pulling, reaching, twisting, balancing, repetitive motion, and squatting to perform the essential functions. Subject to exposure to variations in extreme heat, cold, mechanical, fume/odor, and dust/mites.

Travis County employees play an important role in business continuity. As such, employees can be assigned to business continuity efforts outside of normal job functions.

Work Hours: 8 am - 5 pm, Monday-Friday. May work some

holidays, some nights, some weekends

Location: 416 West 11th Street, Austin, Texas

78701

Department: District Attorney

Criminal, Education, and Employment

Background Checks Required.