01/01/2010 01525

APPLICATIONS DEVELOPER ADMINISTRATOR

DEFINITION: This is administrative and consultative work in the analysis, planning, design, programming, and maintenance of computer applications.

An employee in this job is responsible for analytical, developmental, evaluative, administrative, and highly advanced consultative work in the design and maintenance of highly complex agency systems. Work at this level normally involves managerial responsibility for planning, directing, and scheduling the work of subordinate staff engaged in highly advanced technical or supervisory work involving the analysis, planning, design, programming, and maintenance of applications. In the absence of managerial duties over highly advanced technical or supervisory staff, duties may involve administrative and consultative responsibilities as the expert technical architect requiring a mastery in business system design, providing expertise and technical guidance to the highest level of management to resolve sensitive information technology problems or conditions of unusual complexity, and conducting highly advanced research in the analysis of business systems and their adaptation to information technology solutions. Work involves overall project management responsibilities including determining project scope, cost and schedule estimates, project requirements and objectives, anticipated benefits, cost and budget amounts, and required technical skills and available human resources. Work normally involves managing multiple projects and subordinate staff; monitoring and reporting project progress; identifying, raising, and resolving administrative and technical issues; and conducting periodic project reviews. Work is performed independently using initiative and judgment in managing large and complex computer systems. Work is reviewed for achievement of objectives through periodic conferences and reports.

EXAMPLES OF WORK: Plans, directs, schedules, and evaluates the work of a technical staff involved in the analysis, planning, design, development, testing and debugging, maintenance, and documentation of highly complex computer applications to fulfill the needs of the client's business system.

Manages highly complex applications development projects by determining the scope; preparing cost and schedule estimates; documenting project requirements, objectives, anticipated benefits, and costs; ensuring that required technical skills and staff resources are available to complete the project within established time frames; monitoring and reporting on progress against the established plan; resolving critical issues; and conducting formal reviews at critical project milestones.

Consults with agency program officials to determine business or existing system inefficiencies or problems, objectives and operational needs, level of utilization of existing systems, and equipment capability to identify information technology alternatives and provide solutions for improving operations.

Serves as the applications development expert on project teams that include business analysts, subject matter specialists, lower level applications developers, and other information technology personnel.

Serves as administrator or technical consultant and resident expert in the design and monitoring of the execution of applications testing and implementation plans.

Conducts continuing reviews of computer technological developments applicable to applications development and prepares long range forecasts of developments relevant to agency applications.

Directs detailed studies of current systems, including system procedures, information flows and methods of work organization and control to develop logical models of the current systems.

Directs the development of objectives, specifications, program coding, testing and quality procedures, documentation, and transition and implementation plans for proposed systems.

Directs or conducts advanced research designed to improve application systems and related equipment and plans for long range improvements.

Investigates, analyzes, and resolves critical problems which require deviation from traditional methods and procedures in the field of applications development.

Maintains contact with equipment vendors and professional organizations to ensure that the most current practices and techniques are utilized.

Manages the contract process by determining the best vehicle for the contract, ensuring Commonwealth procedures are being followed, making vendor evaluation and selection decisions or participating in decision making, and tracking contract budgets.

Negotiates with vendors to ensure a timely delivery of quality services and products and makes decisions regarding vendor non-compliance.

Ensures sound knowledge transfer from vendor to agency staff.

Manages contracts by meeting with vendors and reviewing status reports, work products, and invoices to ensure that the work was completed correctly and as described in contract.

Directs information technology strategic planning methodologies by working with agency managers to develop system applications that align user systems with the agency's mission.

Makes decisions for application development projects regarding efficiency, scalability and growth, reusability of components, integration and interaction of the system, and appropriate framework, platforms, and standards.

Designs, develops, and implements agency wide application architectures which define the interrelationships among individual applications and the infrastructures that support them.

Conducts analyses, investigates parameters, and develops prototypes for employing complex or emerging technologies into applications development projects and architectures.

Directs the development of criteria to evaluate highly complex commercially available software to determine whether systems can be created using available products or whether traditional application development is required.

Directs the performance of highly complex customizations of commercially available software products to provide functionality not originally provided.

Directs the performance of business intelligence functions for data warehouses.

Directs the development of middleware solutions.

Employees in this job may participate in the performance of subordinates' work consistent with operational or organizational requirements.

Performs the full range of supervisory duties.

Performs related work as required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Knowledge of the system development life cycle.

Knowledge of the principles and practices of information technology project management.

Knowledge of computer programming techniques.

Knowledge of business process analysis methods.

Knowledge of system design and system flow concepts.

Knowledge of data management concepts.

Knowledge of data modeling methods and techniques.

Knowledge of business process modeling methods and techniques.

Knowledge of computer programming maintainability, reusability, reliability, availability, usability, and scalability.

Knowledge of resource management principles.

Knowledge of information life cycle management.

Knowledge of budgetary processes and procedures.

Knowledge of personnel processes and procedures.

Knowledge of procurement processes and procedures.

Knowledge of the principles and practices of employee supervision.

Knowledge of information security practices as they relate to information technology.

Knowledge of research principles and techniques to identify business requirements and solutions to problems.

Knowledge of information technology strategic planning methodologies and techniques.

Knowledge of practices in applications and systems development methodologies, such as assisted systems engineering, rapid application development, joint application development, unified process, rational unified process, and shared application development approaches.

Knowledge of the principles and techniques of application development documentation and strategies.

Knowledge of the tools used throughout all stages of software development.

Knowledge of the hardware to build and execute an application.

Knowledge of application impact on infrastructure components such as CPU utilization, memory, disk input and output, and the network.

Knowledge of operational procedures such as job control language, job scheduling, job restart, and job error handling.

Knowledge of object oriented application development techniques.

Knowledge of database concepts.

Knowledge of training techniques.

Knowledge of task estimation principles.

Knowledge of status reporting techniques.

Knowledge of the principles and practices of applications architecture.

Knowledge of multiple levels of application testing techniques such as unit, system, user, and stress.

Knowledge of techniques to manage projects, change requests, and problems.

Ability to analyze business processes to assess data requirements.

Ability to analyze business processes to identify functional requirements.

Ability to analyze business processes to assess solution requirements.

Ability to identify correct logic relationships and statements.

Ability to read and interpret technical materials such as specifications, technical manuals, and other project documentation.

Ability to analyze information in order to diagnose and troubleshoot technical problems.

Ability to communicate effectively orally.

Ability to communicate effectively in writing.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING: One year as a Senior Applications Developer;

                                                                                                                                                                             or

Four years of information technology experience in applications development or applications maintenance, and an associate’s degree in any information technology field;

                                                                                                                                                                             or

Six years of information technology experience that includes four years of experience in applications development or applications maintenance;

                                                                                                                                                                             or

Two years of information technology experience in applications development or applications maintenance, and a bachelor's degree in any information technology field;

                                                                                                                                                                             or

An equivalent combination of experience and training.