Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To provide senior application consulting expertise in the directing, planning, integrating, designing and implementing of information architecture (e.g. interactive applications in a multi-platform environment), plans and strategies, and ministry standards for data management and application development. To provide project management and team direction in the design, development, maintenance and implementation of complex and specialized software and hardware platforms to ensure the business needs of internal and external health care stakeholders are met throughout the province.

Duties / Responsibilities :

As senior technical expert in application strategies and architectures for the Corporate Systems Support Unit, the position:
1. Provides data management, methodology, and application architecture expertise in the development of major information technology plans and strategies by: identifying opportunities for the enhancement or implementation of new data strategies and application tools; advises and participates in the development of data management and application development standards for the Corporate Systems Support Unit (CSS); assesses the impact of application changes on system performance by preparing business cases, feasibility studies, cost and resource estimates, and coordinating user acceptance for applications developed by the unit.

2. Participates on ministry/government/public health stakeholder committees to coordinate and develop common data and application development policies, architectures and best practices.

3. Provides senior technical expertise and group leadership for building and maintaining major complex and specialized multi-purpose and multi-client data base systems (e.g. multi-tiered applications consisting of reusable components) by coordinating the development of general design specifications and ensuring functional design conforms to government-wide, cluster and ministry guidelines, policies, directives and standards.

4. Develops proposals for major technical or operational service delivery activities such as: data management, application development, and application repository components; provides a strategic framework for the development and maintenance of applications developed by the CSS unit information and architecture (e.g. end-to-end tracking of requirements to meet the business objectives of internal and external stakeholders).

5. As the senior project team lead evaluates and recommends complex and specialized technical design features and alternatives to ensure proper procedures for data security and application maintainability; identifies components subject to data corruption and application integrity. Initiates and leads projects to develop frameworks, standards and procedures to ensure data security, maintainability, and high-level user efficiency.

6. Consults and provides senior technical expertise to internal and external public health care stakeholders (e.g. ministry staff, Health Canada, and public health units), vendors and consultants to determine application development strategies and to ensure recommendations and enhancements are compatible with operational standards and procedures.

7. As senior project/team leader occasionally travel is required throughout the province to provide technical support to internal and external stakeholders by ensuring the selection and use of appropriate technical or operational methods and practices. Additional duties as assigned by management to handle immediate and emerging Public Health needs.

Staffing and Licensing :

N/A

Knowledge :

Position requires extensive knowledge of OPS I&IT and Cluster strategies, directives, policies and procedures; ministry/program applications to ensure business proposals and development are aligned with MBS directives/guidelines and with I&IT architectural reviews and approvals.

Job requires extensive knowledge of data management and information methodologies, tools and techniques, data base management system design, information architecture to provide data management expertise and to advise on data base design standards, recommendation and solutions for data integrity and security.

Job requires specialized knowledge of multi-tiered open-standard technologies (J2EE), including data base management systems in virtual private network environments, and knowledge of data management and application development software and methodologies to assess and advise on software/hardware issues related to data organization and design, to maximize performance and capabilities of data bases, and to advise on the acquisition of new and emerging software and methodologies.

Job requires a through understanding of major systems development methodology, programming languages, data base concepts, data dictionaries and application repositories to lead the design, testing and implementation of multi-purpose and multi-client data bases, and data and application management structures; and to ensure compliance with application development standards and quality assurance standards.

Job requires advanced knowledge of major project management methodologies, analytical tools and processes, tendering process and contract administration to lead projects, to develop project plans, resource estimates and schedules, and to conduct technical and financial analysis of vendor proposals to ensure project deliverables are met within specified timeframes and established parameters.

Skills :

Position requires very advanced analytical, interpretive reasoning and problem solving skills and a disciplined methodological approach (OOAD or the then current industry open standards) assisted by software tools to review and analyze data, application, and workflow requirements in support and development.

Job requires researching and analyzing data management and application requirements to address integrity/security/performance issues, and develops recommendations for ministry policies and standards.

Job requires analyzing and developing proposals for data management, application and infrastructure component development, ministry information technology plan utilizing knowledge in system performance issues, and data and application organization in relation to ministry and stakeholder's business strategies and operational requirements.

Job also develops recommendations for guidelines and plans to ensure effective development/maintenance of information architecture.

Job requires evaluative and problem solving skills to assess client requirements in relation to multi-purpose and multi-client database systems, and lead projects in the design/development of data and application models for systems, data bases, data management structures, application development infrastructure standards, policies and procedures.

Job requires evaluative skills to develop technical design features and alternatives to ensure effective operation of information systems, including security and quality control and identifying components subject to data corruption or application integrity.

Job requires strong communication skills to prepare reports, briefing notes and papers on data management and application policies and standards; write reports summarizing project objectives and deliverables; explain technical solutions to IT and non-technical internal and external stakeholders.

Job requires interpersonal skills to present proposals to senior management on data management and application infrastructures for Health Care Programs and Corporate Systems Support projects, discuss data management and application development methods, and negotiate and monitor vendor contracts for provision of services or acquisition of hardware/software.

Freedom of Action :

Job requires working within ministry and government directives, policies and guidelines and within external public health stakeholder endorsements related to the acquisition of and use of information technology, and requirements for data and application security; and within recognized systems, data base, and application development techniques and practices. Job requires decision making by determining complex data base design standards; determining application development infrastructure and quality assurance standards and tools; recommending proposals for data management and application developed components of the CSS unit information technology plan; lead the design of multi-purpose and multi-client data base systems; implementing policies, standards and procedures related to management and use of ministry data and the enhancement of application infrastructure and application repository. Work such as proposals for data management and application architecture strategies and the corresponding components of the CSS unit information technology plan are reviewed for soundness within the content of overall project, project technology strategies, and business plans and operational requirements.