Sr. IT Manager Data Operations

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona is a local, independent Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and a not-for-profit health insurance company headquartered in Phoenix. Founded in 1939, the company has more than 1,800 dedicated employees throughout its Phoenix, Tucson, Chandler and Flagstaff offices. Providing health insurance products, services and networks to more than 1 million Arizonans, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona offers various health plans for individuals, families, and small and large businesses. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona also offers Medicare supplement plans to individuals over age 65.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona helps to fulfill its mission of improving the quality of life of Arizonans by delivering a variety of health insurance products and services to meet the diverse needs of individuals, families, and small and large businesses as well as providing information and tools to help individuals make better health decisions.

Internal Use: 34-35 (Sr. Mgr.)

The position is responsible for leading multiple data foundations operations teams to support the BCBSAZ core data domains, initiatives, and data assets within the Data Operations function. As the Data Operations leader, you will work to develop, implement and support the BCBSAZ integration layer, Data Hubs, and support initiatives involving data assets, workflow, and technology capabilities critical to supporting the BCBSAZ core businesses, Commercial, Individual, Government, and Provider entities.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Required Work Experience

• 10 years of experience managing relational database technologies, application, hardware or network support with an emphasis on design, architecture and technical problem solving
• 10 years of experience in the health insurance field
• 7 years of application development and ETL support
• 7 years of experience with strategic implementation and maintenance of technology infrastructure
• 5 years of experience in support of data platforms
• 5 years of employee management experience

Required Education

• Bachelors Degree in in statistics, mathematics, data science, predictive analytics, economics, operations research or other related technical field

Required Licenses

• N/A

Required Certifications

• N/A

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Preferred Work Experience

• 15 years of experience in designing, implementing and supporting multiple tier application and database solutions.
• 15 years of experience in infrastructure operations or application development
• 7 years of project management experience, preferably within a large-scale, complex, IT organization

Preferred Education

• Masters Degree in data science, predictive analytics or related field

Preferred Licenses

• N/A

Preferred Certifications

• Project Management Professional Certification
• Technical certifications in software architecture and systems design
• ITIL v3 Certification

Database ADMINISTRATION MANAGEMENT

• Develop and implement the long term data operation standards and protocols for the Enterprise to correspond to the broader Organizational data strategy
• Define, develop, implement and monitor Data quality checks across BCBSAZ internal and external data systems
• Apply knowledge of data operations principles, business drivers, and related areas to impact business results including the BCBSAZ data operations run books, framework, tools, escalation matrix, and support solutions; consistent across data assets
• Responsible for the overall technical direction of the Date Operations team, including the coordination for the definition of standards for SQL Server administration
• Support BCBSAZ Core data system ODS, EDW, Data Hubs, MSSQL Database
• Responsible for distributing work to the Database Services and SharePoint team and scheduling of tasks
• Direct systems design, programming, implementation and modification activities in conjunction with Team Leaders, other IT technical managers, users, and management.
• Analyze design and architectural issues and adjust system design to solve problems in a dynamic environment; align business requirements with enterprise technology alternatives and options. Provide perspective on leading industry trends, and recommend new and emerging technologies.
• Optimize database infrastructure through virtualization, clustering and load balanced technologies and provide Subject Matter Expertise (SME) input into solution design, and optimization for virtualized/cloud solutions
• Ensure integrity of solutions and qualified state during their lifetime; conduct product evaluations and tradeoffs.
• Work with Information Security Services and Corporate Integrity to maintain system and application security

• Maintain application and database currency

Database and SharePoint Operations

• Oversee day-to-day departmental administration by coaching and motivating managerial staff and departmental personnel to make maximum use of experience and skills.
• Develop staff, including development and maintenance of training materials for new and existing staff, establishing performance goals, regular follow up with staff and year-end performance evaluations.
• Maintain effective working relationships to ensure teamwork in achieving corporate goals. Ensure service level agreements are established, monitored and managed effectively; identify, prioritize, and resolve issues with business areas and vendors
• Monitor quality performance, develop and maintain effective workflows, and seek to maximize system efficiencies.
• Review relevant production and operating policies to ensure that the most efficient processes are in place and determine tactical plans to improve processes and services that can be streamlined and/or improved.
• Drive Data Management and Data lifecycle methodologies through storage optimization, consolidation, and data protection.
• Establish Database Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery planning and testing for Infrastructure systems to achieve Recovery Time Objective established by Business owners
• Perform cost, risk, supportability, effectiveness, and architectural compliance analysis on systems and applications.

Strategy

• Assess and uncover gaps in-process data quality, analyze the source of the issue, create a plan to resolve the underlying issues/concerns, and execute solution
• Create and own Non-production test data sets to support development and testing teams
• Participate in developing technical strategy; apply and promote technology that optimizes the portfolio of technologies, tools, products, and applications.
• Establish and meet short and long term department goals in accordance with overall company objectives and divisional strategic planning.
• Work business leaders and subject matter experts to use technology to improve business processes, promote the strategic use of information technology, and enable workforce utilization and efficiency.
• Deliver assessment services, develop business cases, design solution architecture, and recommend multi-phased, complex migration programs that address technology, people/organization, and process change.
• Ensure re-use of existing services, solutions and components wherever possible to minimize development or acquisition of new solutions; ensure new solutions are designed and developed in a cost-efficient manner, and meet service quality.
• Partner with other technology leaders to identify points of leverage, integration, and resource sharing.

Project Management

• Coordinate and manage installations, upgrades, changes and integrations including test design, execution and support
• Develop timelines, work estimates, cost projections, and manage projects to approved guidelines; review and consult on design and technical approach of projects to ensure consistency.
• Review software procurement plans for compliance with IT standards and architectural decisions.
• Provide analytical and programming support and planning for IT projects, initiatives, and systems.
• Ensure change management protocols maximize benefit and alleviate unnecessary disruption.

Financial

• Manage use of corporate funds including budgeting, financial management, and reporting. Identify opportunities to achieve administrative efficiencies while maintaining service.
• Provide capacity planning, forecasting, and budgeting of equipment, software, service, and license needs to support Information Technology and our Business partners.
• Review software procurement plans for compliance with IT standards and architectural decisions.
• Conduct vendor negotiations to contain or reduce contract services expense and/or one time purchase expense

OTHER

• The position requires a full-time work schedule. Full-time is defined as working at least 40 hours per week, plus any additional hours as requested or as needed to meet business requirements.
• Position may require evening, weekend, or on-call schedules, depending on project requirements and/or system status.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

Required Job Skills

• Intermediate skill in use of office equipment, including copiers, fax machines, scanner and telephones
• Intermediate PC proficiency
• Intermediate proficiency in spreadsheet, database and word processing software
• Strong ITIL foundation
• Expert technical skills related to components such as network, server, OS, database, middleware and client
• Advanced knowledge and experience with application technologies implemented within delivery organization
• Advanced skill in computer system validation including SOP development, implementation and adherence
• Advanced Knowledge of hardware, software, operating systems, and applications.
• Knowledge of Microsoft, UNIX, and LINUX operating systems.
• Experience working with high volume, transactional, large capacity systems in a 24x7 environment.
• Robust experience and knowledge in current technical architectures.

Required Professional Competencies

• Ability to take appropriate risks, using available data.
• Ability to build synergy with a diverse team in an ever-changing environment
• Anticipate downstream technical needs and steer architectural designs to appropriately factor in considerations.
• Strong analytical skills to support independent and effective decisions.
• Strong verbal and written communications skills and the ability to interact professionally with a diverse group of executives, managers, and subject matter experts.
• Highly skilled at designing and implementing multiple tier architecture solutions, developing high-performance and secure systems and system integration
• Work effectively with management, project managers, business analysts, developers, engineers, architects, system administrators, and QA to conceive, design, and deliver successful software solutions.
• Able to operate at varying levels of abstraction including business and product strategy, design, and implementation

Required Leadership Experience and Competencies

• Provide leadership, promote teamwork, meet objectives and exercise independent judgment
• Experience leading and implementing projects and working collaboratively with other departments levels
• Ability to prioritize tasks and work with multiple priorities, sometimes under limited time constraints.

PREFERRED COMPETENCIES

Preferred Job Skills

• Expert knowledge designing highly redundant, scalable, multi-tier enterprise transaction processing systems from front end to back end.
• Knowledge of HIPAA security and privacy standards.

Preferred Professional Competencies

• N/A

Preferred Leadership Experience and Competencies

• N/A

Our Commitment

BCBSAZ does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status or any other protected group.

Thank You

Thank you for your interest in Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. For more information on our company, see azblue.com. If interested in this position, please apply.