System Release Manager - Business Technology

Full Job Description

Under general direction the System Release Manager for Business Technology plans, coordinates and delivers software enhancements, patches, and system updates for the Ventura County Financial Management System (VCFMS). This position serves as the hub between system administration, programming, reporting, training, user groups, and the software vendor to ensure the new features are properly evaluated, tested, documented, and successfully deployed.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This classification typically reports to agency or department management. Assignments are made at the I or II level depending on the relative complexity of the service operation or other work performed, and the impact on other County agencies and departments. Incumbents at the higher level are expected to demonstrate greater initiative, self-direction and independent judgment.

This series differs from the Staff/Services Manager series in that the latter manages a relatively large section/division or provides staff assistance typically to Deputy Directors or Directors. This series also differs from the Administrative Officer series in that the latter primarily deals with agency/department budgets, fiscal or personnel matters and generally reports to a Deputy Director or Director.

In addition, the Staff Services Specialist I/II differs from the Program Administrator series in that the latter works within or manages a specific "stand-alone" program within a department or agency and, generally is not involved in line operations supervision or management.

PAYROLL TITLES AND ANNUAL SALARIES
Staff/Services Specialist I: $73,582.75 - $105,452.35
Staff/Services Specialist II: $79,396.05 - $113,389.81

NOTE: If appointed at the lower level, incumbent may be promoted to the higher level without further examination upon meeting the minimum requirements, demonstrating satisfactory performance, and in accordance with the business needs of the department.

EDUCATIONAL/BILINGUAL INCENTIVE: Incumbents may be eligible for an educational incentive of 2.5%, 3.5%, or 5% based on completion of an Associate's, Bachelor's, or Master's degree that is not required for the classification. Incumbents may also be eligible for bilingual incentive depending upon operational need and certification of skill.

DEPARTMENT/AGENCY: Auditor Controller

Staff/Services Specialist I and II are represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and are eligible for overtime compensation.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
OPENING DATE: Wednesday, December 24, 2025
CLOSING DATE: Continuous and may close at any time; therefore, the schedule for the remainder of the process will depend upon when we receive a sufficient number of qualified applications to meet business needs.
REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS: Applications will be reviewed on a weekly basis beginning the week of January 05, 2026.

Requirements

Depth and breadth of assignments increase at the higher level and may include, but are not limited to the following:

Processes the Initial Review of each of the 3 Software Containers Provided Annually for the Ventura County Financial Management System (VCFMS).

Eliminate New Features for modules that are not applicable to VCFMS; inventory the Mandated New Features, the software patches & the general New Features; analyze each inventoried Mandated New Feature to prioritize their implementation and repeat for the software patches and general New Feature; meet with the VCFMS System Administrator to review and confirm the inventoried and prioritized New Features and software patches; fully document the selection/non-selection and prioritization of each item so that references can be made throughout the rollout processes.

Maintain and publish Quarterly Rollout Plans for the coming 2 years; maintain the searchable Backlog of prioritized and categorized New Features not yet included in a Rollout Plan with estimated rollout dates.

Meet regularly with the identified user SMEs to determine if any current user issues can be addressed by the inventoried New Features; determine the user priority of the current known issues; document the user required test, data conversion, reporting and training requirements for New Features or software patches; meet with the VCFMS System Administrator to review and evaluate potential changes to the Quarterly Rollout Plans based on user input and measured against available VCFMS and Programming Team resources related to reporting, programming, testing, training, documentation and support as well as User Acceptance Testing (UAT).

Meet daily with the IT Services Programmers to oversee development efforts.

Provide general direction, priorities and expected outcomes to the IT Services staff responsible for developing the TestSavvy Scripts; review the TestSavvy Script outputs to ensure expected outcomes; coordinate with the User SMEs to review completed TestSavvy outputs and coordinate further UAT efforts or requirements.

Meet daily with the Insight ESSENTIAL Reports Development Team to review and discuss New Feature report development priorities and expected outcomes; review the completed reports to ensure expected outcomes; coordinate with the User to review completed Insight ESSENTIAL Report products; coordinate any further UAT reporting requirements and/or approve the report migrations.

Meet daily with the VCFMS Training Team and Coordinate with the CEO Cornerstone Team.

Provide any priority updates made to the current Rollout Plan; ensure that the existing user training session materials are being updated correctly and will be completed timely without issue; test and coordinate the prioritized development of new training materials needed for new software features; also coordinate with the VCFMS Help Desk to develop and deliver User Quick Tips and Step-By-Step Procedures as needed; update/Adjust the Quarterly Rollout Plans based on the disposition of the current training efforts and coordinate weekly with the VCLearning Hub Team for both the scheduling and delivery of the training sessions.

Meet weekly with the VCFMS Administration Functional Teams to assess Current System Issues/Trends and the Level of deployable resources.

Meet with the VCFMS Help Desk to determine if any current issues can be addressed by the inventoried New Features; meet with the VCFMS Functional Teams to assess the same; update the current and future Quarterly Rollout Plans based on the urgency of each issue and also the available resources to meet a targeted implementation date; meet with the VCFMS System Administrator to review and receive approval of the updated Quarterly Rollout Plans.

Meet weekly with the Software Vendor to Address System Issues and Release Migrations.

Generate system issue tickets with the software vendor; review the Software Vendor’s Open Ticket Inventory and coordinate with VCFMS staff to provide additional information or real time issue demonstrations; meet weekly with the software vendor to prioritize and review the open tickets; coordinate the implementation of needed Hot Fixes; coordinate software container migrations to VCFMS production.

Schedule and Host Quarterly Rollout Roundtables.

Orally present the current Quarterly Rollout Plan; address timelines and data conversion approach/issues; seek feedback and document any new user issues or concerns; publish the minutes of the round table session along with the updated current Rollout Plan; coordinate with the Help Desk to provide post-rollout implementation user support.

Attend the monthly Vendor Focus Group Meetings & Travel to the Annual Conference.

Represent the County of Ventura in the nationwide Focus Group Meetings hosted by our software vendor via TEAMS for the functional areas utilized by VCFMS; travel annually to the nationwide conference hosted by our software vendor and return with pertinent updates to the County team; occasionally, provide a Ventura County presentation at the national conference.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

These are entrance requirements to the examination process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.

TRAINING, EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE:
Any combination of education and experience which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

The required knowledge, skills, and abilities can be obtained by:

• Possession of a Bachelor's degree in a related field (e.g. Business Administration, Accounting, Technology, Finance, Economics, Statistics, or Mathematics).

PLUS

• Three (3) years (Level I) or four (4) years (Level II) of responsible experience in administering or supporting a major financial accounting system for a large employer.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT

• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Word

DESIRED

• Experience with Microsoft Access

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES

Working to considerable knowledge of:

• Hosted Cloud based system operations, services and activities;
• Systems analysis and design methods;
• Computer application systems and development procedures;
• Fiscal operational processes and their relationship to automated solutions;
• Application of automated systems for financial reporting and accounting purposes;
• Structured Query Language (SQL);
• Project and time management techniques and tools;
• Planning, organizing and directing work to meet workload demands;
• Work processes/methods related to the specific assignment;
• Principles and practices of effective supervision;
• Laws and regulations affecting governmental financial operations;
• Monitoring and control methods;
• Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and Generally Accepted Auditing Standards.

Working ability to:

• Analyze and evaluate administrative and abstract accounting concepts and procedures;
• Analyze financial/accounting data and draw logical conclusions;
• Evaluate and reconcile financial data from multiple financial accounting systems;
• Perform complex analytical and critical examination of fiscal operations and activities;
• Interpret and apply professional principles and standards;
• Develop, modify and implement financial accounting modules;
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with technical, administrative and system users alike;
• Exercise sound judgment;
• Train users in the operation of the financial system.

Skilled in:

• Effective oral and written communications;
• Developing and executing Test Scripts;
• MS Office software.

Additional Information

FINAL FILING DATE: This is a continuous recruitment and may close at any time; therefore, apply as soon as possible if you are interested. Your application must be received by the County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura, California, no later than 5:00 p.m. on the closing date.

To apply online, please refer to our website at www.venturacounty.gov/jobs. If you prefer to fill out a paper application form, please call (805) 654-5129 for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.

NOTE: If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible. If interested, please click here for additional information.

Note to Applicants: Sufficient information must be provided under the Education/Work experience portion of the application and supplemental questionnaire to thoroughly and accurately demonstrate your qualifications to determine eligibility.

A resume may be attached to supplement your responses in the above referenced sections; however, it may not be substituted in lieu of the application.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE – qualifying All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this examination at the time of filing. The supplemental questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in the application being removed from further consideration. It is highly recommended that the supplemental questions within the application are completed with care and diligence. Responses such as "See Resume" or "Refer to Resume' are not acceptable and may disqualify an applicant from further evaluation.

APPLICATION EVALUATION – qualifying All applications will be reviewed to determine whether the stated requirements are met. Applicants meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the recruitment process.

TRAINING & EXPERIENCE EVALUATION: A Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E) is a structured evaluation of the job application materials submitted by a candidate, including the written responses to the supplemental questionnaire.

The T&E is NOT a determination of whether the candidate meets the stated requirements; rather, the T&E is one method for determining who are the better qualified among those who have shown that they meet the stated requirements.

In a T&E, applications are either scored or rank ordered according to criteria that most closely meet the business needs of the department.

Candidates are typically scored/ranked in relation to one another; consequently, when the pool of candidates is exceptionally strong, many qualified candidates may receive a score or rank which is moderate or even low resulting in them not being advanced in the process.

NOTE: The selection process will likely consist of an Oral Exam, which may be preceded or replaced with the score from a Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E), contingent upon the size and quality of the candidate pool.

In a typical T&E, your training and experience are evaluated in relation to the background, experience and factors identified for successful job performance during a job analysis.

For this reason, it is recommended that your application materials clearly show your relevant background and specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities.

If the T&E replaces the oral exam, candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

ORAL EXAMINATION - 100%: A job-related oral examination may be conducted to evaluate and compare participating applicants' knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to those factors which job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performance of the job.

Applicants must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

If there are three (3) or fewer qualified applicants, an examination will not be conducted. Instead, a score of seventy percent (70%) will be assigned to each application, and each applicant will be placed on the eligible list.

ELIGIBLE LIST

Candidates successfully completing the examination process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year.

The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future Regular, (including Temporary and Fixed-Term), Intermittent, and Extra Help vacancies for this and similar vacancies within the Auditor-Controller. There is currently one (1) Regular, Full-Time vacancy within the Auditor-Controller's Office.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A thorough pre-employment, post offer background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information, and driving record may be required for this position.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

For further information about this recruitment, please contact Esmeralda Oseguera by email at Esmeralda.Oseguera@venturacounty.gov or by telephone at (805) 477-7268.