DISTRIBUTED COMPUTER SYSTEMS CONSULTANT - 48007071(BLIND SERVICES)

Requisition No: 849878 

Agency: Department of Education

Working Title: DISTRIBUTED COMPUTER SYSTEMS CONSULTANT - 48007071(BLIND SERVICES)

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 48007071 

Salary:  $55,000.00 to $60,500.00 Annually 

Posting Closing Date: 06/01/2025 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

Florida Department of Education

Division of Blind Services

Management Information Systems (Information Technology)

Location: Tallahassee (Leon County) – State Office (Turlington Building)

Position Title: Distributed Computer Systems Consultant (Career Service)

Salary Range: $55,000.00 to $60,500.00 Annually

CANDIDATES ARE TYPICALLY HIRED AT THE MINIMUM SALARY

This advertisement may be used to fill multiple vacancies up to six months. 

APPLICATION INFORMATION & HIRING REQUIREMENTS

Application Information:

Your Candidate Profile (application) must be complete in its entirety.

• Work History (in easy to review chronological order) Consists of:
• Any position held by a State of Florida Agency
  • Any position held by a Florida University
  • All periods of employment from high school graduation
  • All periods of current or prior unemployment
  • Gaps 3 months or more must be accounted for*
  • Any Education
  • Any Volunteer Experience
  • Your resume and application must match
• *Gaps 3 months or more must be addressed – you will need to account for and explain any gaps in employment including unemployment. You can either list these in your application under Period of Employment or attach a word document listing your gaps.
• It is unacceptable to use the statement “See Resume” in place of entering work history. Your candidate profile will be converted to your official application.
• Include supervisor names and phone numbers for reference checks or the contact information for your Human Resources office to verify current or former employment.
• Experience, education, training, knowledge, skills and/or abilities as well as responses to pre-qualifying questions must be verifiable to meet the minimum qualifications.  

Hiring Information and Requirements:

• The Bureau of Personnel Management reviews every application for prior State of Florida and Florida University work history in the People First system.
• If claiming Veteran’s Preference, the candidate MUST attach supporting documentation such as the DD214 and your VA Letter that reflects level of disability if applicable. Applicable to career service positions only.
• If claiming Right to First Interview, the candidate MUST attach a copy of your official layoff letter when applying. This only applies to employees laid off from Career Service positions. Applicable to career service positions only.

If you are missing any of the items above, your packet may be held up at the final review step.

NOTE: Responses to qualifying questions must be clearly supported by the state application and any omission, falsification, or misrepresentation in the answering of the qualifying questions will be cause for immediate elimination from the selection process.

Office Contact: 

Thi Le, Data Processing Manager

Phone: 904-348-2733

Job Description:

This position will work in the Division of Blind Services, State Office, supporting the Information Technology Team.  The incumbent in this position will serve as a liaison between the business community and the Division of Blind Services’ (DBS) Information Technology Team to provide technical solutions to meet user needs. The incumbent must possess expertise in the business unit(s) they support, as well as an understanding of the IT organization’s systems and capabilities. The incumbent will:

• Analyze business partner operations to understand their strengths and weaknesses to determine opportunities to automate processes and functions.
• Assist in the business process of redesigning and documentation as needed for new technology.
• Translate high-level business requirements into functional specifications for the IT organization and will manage changes to such specifications.
• Educate the IT organization on the direction of the business and will negotiate agreements and commitments by facilitating communication between business unit(s) and IT from initial requirements to final implementation.
• Must possess an understanding of technological trends and use this knowledge to bring solutions to business units supported to enhance the enterprise’s competitive edge.

Duties & Responsibilities:

(Note: The omission of specific job duties does not preclude management from assigning specific duties not listed herein if such duties are a logical assignment to the position.)

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) has an open position that is responsible for executing the following functions:

• Be available to support DBS offices statewide via remote support and at times, travel throughout the state to the field and district offices to provide in-person support.
• Possess the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Attend all assigned meetings. 
• Provide feedback on areas of improvement and new services.
• Be flexible to travel to field locations for training on application updates, etc. 
• Serve as the primary analyst between the business units and the Information Technology Department.
• Disseminate information regarding tools, reports and technology enhancements.
• Document agency IT applications and business units’ specification requirements.
• Conduct and coordinate test plans for system updates and enhancements.
• Update business intelligence tools (i.e. QPIS Reports, Dashboards, Ad-Hoc reporting, etc.)
• Provide technical support for existing reports, dashboards and other tools.
• Design templates, accessibility guides and technical design of existing or future reporting solutions.
• Communicate with customers (internal and external).
• Provide training on system updates (i.e. AWARE upgrades, Social Security Application, Rehab Center Management, National Voter Registration App, Federal Reporting, etc.)
• Coordinate user acceptance testing.
• Generate custom reports summarizing business, financial and economic data for review by senior management, clients or stakeholders. 
• Serve as primary resource for the alignment of division IT policies and procedures.
• Assist the Data Processing Manager with procedures and standards development that align with department-wide policies.
• Coordinate the DBS Technology Plan and work with the Data Processing Manager to ensure staff stay on track with deadlines.
• Assist with W.I.O.A. and WINTAC readiness plans from a data perspective.
• Implement, translate, and train division staff when applicable.  
• Maintain a professional understanding of accessibility guidelines.
• Participate in IT related audits, help coordinate requests and assist with audit findings.
• Participate as a team member responsible for Social Security Reimbursement.  This includes working with the IT Team to ensure the Social Security Administration (SSA) Tracker is up to date and reimbursements are being processed consistently.
• Serve as a primary resource for business and IT related special projects.
• Statewide Help Desk Application Implementation – Document and align business rules and procedures to meet the needs of the end users.
• Website Content Updates – Coordinate content delivery from business units and work with the Web Administrator to ensure content is updated.
• Accessibility Project – Work with the Data Processing Manager and act as an accessibility team liaison to ensure the success of statewide accessible content creation.
• SharePoint\Shared Drive consolidation and updates – Translate changes regarding SharePoint and Shared drive changes to end users and ensure data is consolidated and maintained in a professional manner.
• Disaster Recovery and CSIRT member – Assist with alignment of disaster recovery and security incident response coordination.
• Serve as the backup for RSA-911 Reporting submission – Maintain a detailed understanding of the reporting process and use the Edit Checker application to correct errors and anomalies.
• Work with the Division's HR Team on special projects including training projects that involve the People First Learning Management System and the Articulate program. 

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: 

• Proficient in reading comprehension, writing, and active listening. 
• Proficient with the English language and possess the ability to communicate effectively. 
• Ability to utilize critical thinking skills, can gather information and organize it in a consistent and legible manner.
• Ability to mentor, guide, and troubleshoot technology and systems design. 
• Basic knowledge of computer security, mathematics, flowcharting, operations analysis, planning, customer service, and accessibility issues. 
• Ability to learn and become familiar quickly with DBS specific custom applications, equipment selection, problem identification, idea generation, and decision making. 
• Ability to master new technologies quickly, understand accessibility issues and become familiar with assistive technology.
• Ability to support the Microsoft Office Suite of products including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Access. 
• Possess an accelerated understanding of the Windows operating systems.
• Skilled in creating PowerPoint Presentations, Excel Templates, Dashboard Configurations, and Word Templates. 
• Possess knowledge of application support, particularly the AWARE case management system. 
• Possess general knowledge of adaptive screen readers and magnification programs.

Who we are looking for:

The ideal incumbent must be productive under tight timeframes, balance multiple and competing priorities, and maintain goal-directed behavior and performance sometimes under stressful conditions. The incumbent must interact courteously with others. The performance and behavior of all employees must demonstrate consideration of the workload concerns of others and must not negatively affect productivity and morale of the unit. Attendance is an essential function of this position.

Other Miscellaneous Duties:

• Performs other duties as requested.
• Some travel is required.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a field of study reasonably related to computer systems analysis, computer programming or in planning or designing distributed computer systems, or in computer sciences or in management information systems or
• Four years of professional and relevant experience in computer systems analysis, computer programming or in planning or designing distributed computer systems, or in computer sciences or in management information systems. Preference will be given to those with a bachelor’s degree.

Preferred Qualifications:

Preference will be given to candidates with:

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Three (3) to five (5) years’ experience in computer systems analysis, computer programming or in planning or designing distributed computer systems, or in computer sciences or management information systems.

Division of Blind Services Mission Statement:

The Division of Blind Services ensure blind and visually impaired Floridians have the tools, support and opportunities to achieve success. In partnership with others, we create a barrier-free environment in the lives of Floridians with visual disabilities. The Florida Division of Blind Services helps blind and visually impaired individuals achieve their goals and live their lives with as much independence and self-direction as possible. The Division serves thousands of Floridians through its plethora of programs and services. District and Satellite Offices located throughout the state, as well as the Career, Technology and Training Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired (CTTC), and the Braille and Talking Books Library. The Division of Blind Servies has become a national model in education, employment and other services that foster independence for blind and visually impaired Floridians.

FLDOE: Division of Blind Services

WORKING FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA HAS BENEFITS!

• State Group Insurance coverage options+

           (health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental option)

• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions (www.myfrs.com)
• Nine paid holidays and a Personal Holiday each year
• Annual and Sick Leave Benefits
• Student Loan Forgiveness Program (Eligibility required)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Tuition Fee Waivers (Accepted by major Florida colleges/universities)
• Ongoing comprehensive training provided
• Career Growth      
• Highly skilled, professional environment
• Maternity and Parental Leave Benefits

For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

*We care about the success of our employees.

*We care about the success of our clients.

*We are always improving our technology, our tools, our customers' experiences and ourselves.

*We offer rewarding experiences for reliable, compassionate and professional employees. 

Leave Information (Career Service):

• Annual Leave - All full-time Career Service employees filling established positions earn annual leave in varying increments dependent upon years of creditable service. Employees with up to 5 years of creditable service earn 8.667 hours per month, with 5 to 10 years earn 10.833 hours per month and those with over 10 years of service earn 13 hours per month. Employees in Senior Management Service and Selected Exempt Service positions are credited with 176 hours of annual leave upon appointment. In subsequent years, the annual allotment is credited on the anniversary date of the initial appointment.
• Sick Leave - Career Service employees earn 8.667 hours of sick leave credits per month

Background Screening Requirement:

It is the policy of the Florida Department of Education that applicants for employment/volunteer undergo Level 2 background screening in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, Florida Statutes, as a condition of employment or being permitted to serve as a volunteer. You will be required to provide your Social Security Number to conduct the required verifications. No applicant for a designated position will be employed, contracted or permitted to volunteer until the level 2 screening results are received, reviewed, and approved by the Department. Level 2 background screening shall include, but not be limited to, finger printing for all purposes and checks under this requirement, statewide criminal and juvenile records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, federal criminal records check through the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and local criminal records checks through local law enforcement.

Selective Service System (SSS) and requirement:

Male applicants born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion in the Other Personal Services (OPS) or Career Service, or appointment in the Selected Exempt Service (SES) or Senior Management Service (SMS) unless they are registered with the Selective Service System (SSS) before their 26th birthday, or have a Letter of Registration Exemption from the SSS. Verification of Selective Service registration will be conducted prior to hire. 

For more information, please visit the Selective Service website.

If you experience problems applying online, please call the People First Service Center at (877) 562-7287.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE.  Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply.  Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements.  Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code.  Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here.  All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.