DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC SECURITY

DIVISION OF TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
1400 WEST WASHINGTON STREET, PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85007

Salary: $84,824-$119,511 

Grade: 29

Closing Date: June 7, 2026

Would you like to be part of an amazing team that helps Arizonans thrive? At the Department of Economic Security (DES) we strengthen individuals, families, and communities for a better quality of life. DES is looking for individuals who are committed to service, community, and teamwork. To learn more about DES please visit des.az.gov; or click on the link here to view ‘Our DES’ video. Come Join the DES Team!

The Department of Economic Security, Division of Technology Services, is seeking an experienced and highly motivated professional to join our team as an Applications Development Manager. This position will serve as a Solutions Architecture Team Lead.

The Solutions Architecture Team Lead is a hands-on leadership role responsible for designing and delivering modern, scalable technology solutions with a strong focus on Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Architecture, and emerging technologies. This position combines deep technical expertise with strong project management capabilities to lead solution design, architecture governance, and successful delivery of complex projects.

This position may offer the ability to work remotely within Arizona based upon the department's needs and continual meetings of expected performance measures.

The State of Arizona strives for a work culture that affords employees flexibility, autonomy, and trust. Across our many agencies, boards, commissions, many State employees participate in the State's Remote Work Program and are able to work remotely in their homes, in offices, and in hoteling spaces. All work, including remote work, should be performed within Arizona unless an exception is properly authorized in advance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Managing professional employees and supervising medium-to-large, complex technical or business support or production operations teams consisting of application developers, solutions architects, database, and quality assurance analysts.
• Providing leadership to supervisors and our professional staff.
• Leading the architecture and designing of AI-powered solutions and modern technology platforms.
• Working closely with Technical Product Managers, Project Managers and with business teams to architect technology solutions to meet client needs.
• Providing hands-on technical leadership in areas such as Generative AI, Machine Learning, Cloud-native architecture, APIs, and Data platforms.
• Managing the technical delivery of integrations, security, single-sign-on, and application-customizations.
• Publishing and presenting architecture and innovative solutions to technology leaders and business executives.
• Tracking and identifying technologies to solve business problems and present findings to technology leaders.
• Defining and implementing development best practices including secure coding, adequate unit testing, code quality checks, automated build processes, and continuous integration.
• Ensuring compliance of new and existing applications with technology standards and policies.
• Preparing reports for the Applications Development Senior Manager to identify the health of software applications, performance metrics and the status of development projects.
• Providing technical information required to develop the annual budget, including cost to upgrade or renew software and hiring additional resources.

Knowledge of:
• Broad and deep understanding of all facets of management and leadership, as well as a vision for DES technical environment as it relates to application development and the
• being managed.
• Thorough working knowledge of the infrastructure technologies, in-house developed applications and vendor applications utilized in the enterprise.
• The organization's methodologies and tools including waterfall, Agile, and Scrum.
• The organization's policies and procedures.
• The interrelationships among various internal and external organizational functions.
• Advanced software/testing methodologies.
• Designing systems to intrinsically support Quality and Performance Testing.
• Application architecture, design, coding, automated testing practices and implementation.
• Strong understanding of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Generative AI, and Large Language Models (LLMs).

Skills In:
• Designing and implementing AI-powered solutions and cloud-based systems.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communications.
• Modern technologies such as Python, RESTful APIs, Kubernetes, Docker, serverless computing, and AI frameworks.
• Strong technical leadership and solution design skills with the ability to create architectural blueprints and diagrams.
• Advocating for technology changes that provide value and support agency goals.
• Championing a cohesive and consistent approach to improvement in the organization.
• Customer service and conflict resolution.
• Maintaining confidentiality.
• Listening skills which include the ability to listen to others without interrupting,
• Keeping emotions under control.
• Remaining open to other’s ideas and trying new things.
• Creating and fostering lines of communication that help multiple teams to identify solutions.
• Defining immediate and long-term goals, priorities, and operational plans to ensure team goals are aligned with the goals and priorities of the organization.

Ability to:
• Balance, prioritize and organize multiple tasks.
• Manage/lead medium to large size complex technical teams.
• Develop/grow teams and resources to meet the needs of DES and its clients.
• Leverage networks of people to better define and solve problems.
• Provide clear and concise direction.
• Work collaboratively in teams and across organizations.
• Synthesize feedback and adjust plans accordingly.
• Build strong relationships both inside and outside of the organization.
• Evaluate and test emerging technologies.
• Apply creative solutions to business problems to ensure business needs are most effectively met.
• Understand and anticipate needs and priorities of both internal and external customers.
• Evaluate new technologies and recommend innovative solutions that deliver business value.

The ideal candidate for this position will have:

• Bachelor's degree plus 10 or more years of programming and analysis experience (or equivalent experience).
• Master's degree is preferred.
• Salesforce.com Certified Advanced Developer and/or AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional are preferred.
• Hands-on experience designing and implementing cloud-based AI/ML solutions. Demonstrated Project Management experience leading technical projects from inception to delivery.

• Bachelor's degree plus 5 or more years of related experience in related discipline (or equivalent experience).
• Employee shall obtain and maintain a valid Level One fingerprint clearance card that meets DES requirements for a Level One card pursuant to Arizona Revised Statute 41-1969.
• All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).
• Successfully pass background and reference checks; employment is contingent upon completion of the above-mentioned process and the agency’s ability to reasonably accommodate any restrictions.
• This position may require driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements. Any employee operating a motor vehicle on State business must possess and retain a current, valid class-appropriate driver’s license, complete all required training, and successfully pass all necessary driver’s license record checks. The license must be current, unexpired, and neither revoked nor suspended. Employees who drive on state business are subject to driver’s license record checks, must maintain acceptable driving records, and must complete all required driver training. An employee who operates a personally owned vehicle on state business shall maintain the statutorily required liability insurance (see Arizona Administrative Code (A.A.C.) R2-10-207.11).

The Arizona Department of Economic Security offers a comprehensive benefits package to include:

• Affordable medical, dental, life, and short-term disability insurance plans
• Participation in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) and long-term disability plans
• 10 paid holidays per year
• Paid vacation and sick time
• Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child.
• Deferred compensation plan
• Wellness plans
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Stipend Opportunities
• Infant at Work Program
• Rideshare and Public Transit Subsidy
• Career Advancement & Employee Development Opportunities

By providing the option of a full-time or part-time remote work schedule, employees enjoy improved work/life balance, report higher job satisfaction, and are more productive. Remote work is a management option and not an employee entitlement or right. An agency may terminate a remote work agreement at its discretion.

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

State employees are required to participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS), the State sponsored retirement contribution plan and the Long-Term Disability (LTD) program after a 27-week waiting period. The ASRS defined benefit plan provides for life-long income upon retirement. You will also have the option to participate in a voluntary deferred compensation program to take advantage of tax-deferred retirement investments.

On, or shortly after, your first day of work you will be provided with additional information about the available insurance plans, enrollment instructions, submission deadlines and effective dates.

For questions about this career opportunity, please contact us at (480) 536-3791 or email OODHRstaffing@azdes.gov.

The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by contacting (480) 536-3791 or OODHRStaffing@azdes.gov. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.