Data Team Lead - IT Software Engineer III

Please Note: Applications will be accepted through 11:59 PM MDT on the posting end date. 

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) seeks a Data Team Lead – Software Engineer III to join the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Information System (IFWIS) team at the headquarters office in Boise, Idaho. The IFWIS team is an interdisciplinary group of developers, GIS analysts, and data coordinators that work behind the scenes to turn data into information and create digital solutions to further IDFG's mission to protect, preserve, perpetuate, and manage Idaho's wildlife resources.

The successful Data Team Lead – Software Engineer III will be an accomplished information technology professional actively contributing to product delivery and support of enterprise solutions at one of the premier natural resource agencies in the country. Primary responsibilities include providing technical leadership in the design, development, and installation of enterprise-class information systems; participating in an agile product delivery framework focused on delivering business value for stakeholders; and ensuring robust operational support mechanisms are developed and maintained to ensure organizational success. IDFG provides staff with unique opportunities for in-the-field collaboration with Fish & Game professionals to solve complex conservation and research challenges to preserve natural resource opportunities for future generations.

Why IDFG? We are a premier natural resource agency dedicated to preserving, protecting, perpetuating, and managing Idaho's fish and wildlife for this great state. We are committed to creativity, innovation, and excellence as we cultivate opportunities for our customers to engage with our natural resources and become resource stewards for future generations. We are highly dedicated to our mission, committed to our team, and we know how to balance work/life commitments while loving the work we do. 

What We Offer: 

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision insurance - employee only coverage for PPO $70.74/month for medical and vision & $12.08/month for dental
• Participation in one of the Nation's best state retirement systems
• Generous vacation and sick leave accrual that begins as soon as you start
• Eleven paid holidays in a year
• Eight weeks of Paid Parental Leave
• Multiple saving plans-optional 401k and 457 plans
• Group Life Insurance/Disability Insurance/Supplemental Life Insurance - state provided basic life insurance coverage and affordable supplemental plans
• Public Sector Student Loan Forgiveness (eligibility requirements may apply)
• Employee Assistance Program - confidential support, information, and resources for all of life's challenges
• State and Department Wellness Programs
• Ongoing training opportunities
• Potential flexible work schedule 

Responsibilities:

• Leadership – This position plays a prominent role in IDFG’s Data Management Lifecycle. Work includes coordination, collaboration, and mentoring across teams and business units to align data capture methodologies and standards with delivery of operations/maintenance tasks and product/service delivery. An effective and enthusiastic communicator is sought to drive customer value, understanding, and positive relationships.
   
• Management - This position includes supervisory duties of the data management team and junior database administrator(s).
   
• Administration – Serve as the lead SQL Server Database Administrator. Provision and deprovision associated user bases. Create/maintain data dictionaries and data models for existing and new products. Align technical solutions with forward-thinking architectures to ensure maintaining concurrency with mature industry best practices and standards. Align with IFWIS’ approach to adoption of select ITIL principles through an iterative approach with the goal of increasing capabilities and competencies.
   
• Development – Contribute expertise within IFWIS’ agile product delivery life cycle utilizing technologies key to the Department’s core mission. Develop and maintain solutions utilizing MS SQL Server, R, Posit products (especially RStudio), Shiny for R, Windows Server OS, Linux OS, Azure DevOps (boards, repos, pipelines, test plans). Contribute to API development and management across platforms including Esri ArcGIS Enterprise, AGOL and Esri client-side systems. Build out prioritized product requests while maintaining code and configurations for existing statewide biological data systems.
   
• Reporting – Maintain, and expand as prioritized, IFWIS’ capabilities to disseminate data products to staff, partners and constituencies. Utilize common, repeatable practices to ensure timely delivery of accurate information to inform management actions by the department.
   
• Project Management - work within the existing project management framework to champion the successful completion of projects.
   
• Mission Specific Skills – employ biological and/or ecological knowledge to facilitate and proactively understand data curation needs and project requirements.

Minimum Qualifications: (All qualifications listed below are required. To be considered for this position, applicants must meet the minimum experience and/or education standards as outlined in each of the typical qualification guidelines. A detailed resume or work history must be submitted, clearly demonstrating /supporting how you meet each requirement. This information is essential to our initial evaluation process. Incomplete applications or those lacking relevant details may not be considered for further review.) 

• Considerable knowledge of data architecture, software architecture, common software design patterns, development and testing practices (Typically gained by Bachelor's degree in an information technology discipline or equivalent from an accredited college AND at least two years of work experience using data architecture, software architecture, common software design patterns, development, and testing practices OR a master's degree in an information technology discipline or equivalent from an accredited college OR at least five years of work experience using data architecture, software architecture, common software design patterns, development, and testing practices.)
• Considerable knowledge of programming languages and software development tool suites. (Typically gained by at least one course of classroom instruction at an accredited college or vocational-tech level directly related to least one programming language and software development tool suites and at least 18 months of work experience using programming languages and software development tools OR at least two years of work experience using programming languages and software development tools.)
• Experience creating, interpreting and documenting user requirements (Typically gained by at least two years of work experience on more than one development project.
• Experience analyzing development solutions to show costs and benefits. (Typically gained by at least two years of work experience analyzing development solutions to show costs and benefits.)
• Experience coding, testing and deploying production systems. (Typically gained by at least two years of work experience testing and deploying production systems.)
• Experience establishing and defining architecture and development standards. (Typically gained by at least two years of work experience establishing and defining architecture and development standards.)

The ideal candidate will have considerable knowledge in many areas, including: 

• Supervision, leadership, management and effective communication.
• SQL Server database administration and development.
• Product development that includes R, RStudio, Shiny for R, ESRI ArcGIS enterprise solutions.
• Software development using common web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React).
• Biological/ecological systems.

This unique blend of skills will enable the candidate to create proactive and sustainable working relationships with internal and external cross-functional partners while also developing and supporting biological data driven solutions that put conservation on the ground. Please note, these qualifications are not required, however if you have relevant education or experience in the areas listed above, please be sure to include it within your application material that you submit. Candidates with this education or experience may be given additional consideration during the interview process. 

Thank you for applying with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game!