NCDEQ – Specialist- Expert

Job Description

*Please note that this is an in-person only job position*
Position Overview

The NCDEQ Data Office is seeking a System Specialist –
Expert to provide advanced technical leadership in support of the agency’s
enterprise data platforms, applications, and analytical systems. This role is
responsible for ensuring the reliability, scalability, and strategic evolution
of data systems critical to NCDEQ’s mission of providing science-based
environmental stewardship for the health and prosperity of all North
Carolinians.

The System Specialist – Expert serves as a senior technical
authority and works independently while providing guidance to peers and
cross-functional teams. This role requires deep technical expertise, strong
analytical skills, and extensive experience supporting complex systems,
development platforms, and data-centric applications.

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Strategic Guidance

– Provide
expert-level leadership in the design, support, and optimization of data
platforms, system architectures, and business applications across NCDEQ.

– Guide
teams on best practices for system usage, maintenance, performance tuning,
and lifecycle management.

– Serve
as a primary technical advisor to leadership, product teams, and program
owners on system-related impacts and opportunities.

Application & Systems Expertise

– Demonstrate
advanced understanding of system architecture and application development
principles, enabling effective support of specialized systems used across
the Data Office.

– Evaluate
system requirements, integration points, and architectural dependencies to
ensure stable and secure operations.

– Lead
complex troubleshooting efforts, diagnosing systemic issues and
implementing sustainable solutions.

Development, Analysis & Implementation

– Perform
end‑to‑end analysis, design, and implementation of system enhancements,
data workflows, and platform improvements.

– Conduct
data analysis, system performance evaluation, and configuration tuning to
support Data Office initiatives.

– Develop
and maintain comprehensive technical and user documentation.

– Oversee
testing, validation, and deployment of system changes, ensuring alignment
with agency standards and governance requirements.

– Support
business process modernization and data transformation projects,
collaborating with program areas and IT partners.

System Support & Continuous Improvement

– Lead
production support efforts for critical systems and applications,
including incident resolution and root‑cause analysis.

– Implement
monitoring, quality assurance practices, and continuous improvements to
enhance system reliability and usability.

– Contribute
to data governance, security reviews, and compliance requirements for
enterprise data systems.

Expected Skills & Competencies

– Demonstrated
ability to work independently without supervision while leading complex
technical initiatives.

– Proven
leadership skills and ability to mentor and guide technical staff.

– Expertise
with enterprise-scale data systems, development platforms, and technical
architecture.

– Strong
analytical, diagnostic, and problem‑solving capabilities.

– Advanced
knowledge of system development lifecycles, modern architecture patterns,
and data integration methodologies.

– Excellent
communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical
concepts for diverse audiences.

– Extensive
industry experience and/or advanced education in information systems,
computer science, data engineering, or a related field.