Technical Lead I-Disaster Recovery

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) has an exciting Technical Lead opportunity within the Service Engineering group.

About the Role: 

The Technical Lead will plan, build, and run the design & implementation of BCBSM’s enterprise-wide DRM (Disaster Recovery Management) program, including testing, policies, maturity models, methodologies, sourcing strategies, plans, metrics and scorecards for all components of the program.

In this Technical Lead opportunity, you will:

• Provide recommendation for prioritization of IT initiatives based on disaster recovery/business resiliency needs, IT workload, and budget.  Review, analyze and finalize cost estimate plan for DR team/systems.
• Provide technical guidance on the business impact and opportunities. Develop and present proposals for modifications or replacement systems to improve business results.  Recommend options, identify risks and analyze cost vs. benefits.
• Work with Business and Technical application owners in identifying and maintaining the Tier 0/1 applications/systems list.
• Oversee the implementation (i.e., testing, issues resolution) of DR systems or modifications.  
• Ensure Technical Recovery Plans and technical solutions meet or exceed customer expectations.
• Analyze technology trends to determine impact to the achievement of business goals.  Perform assessments and provide recommendations based on business relevance, appropriate timing and deployment. Evaluate and ensure the conceptual completeness of DR technical solutions.
• Motivate direct team members and fosters a team environment. Recommend training programs targeting specific areas of improvement. Provide performance feedback to managers for team members.

Technical Leads are responsible for activities that contribute to planning, creating, and implementing the IT vision and strategy in alignment with the organization’s strategic objectives. They contribute to the development of IT standards, best practices, and technology processes or solutions and often serve as consultants in their domain of expertise. Provide technical expertise to develop and refine methodologies and approaches for their specific field of proficiency; provide thought leadership and advance processes, techniques, and methods; and apply these skills and frameworks to solve business problems and achieve organizational objectives. Analyze trends, assess the impact of emerging ideas, practices, and technologies on the business, provide solutions to address technology and business issues, and may manage financial resources while ensuring the development of high-quality solutions. Additionally, they function with autonomy and establish strategic and lasting relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to drive satisfaction with technology capabilities.

• Works with business partners to understand and shape business needs.
• Manages the integration of IT processes or solutions across one or more product, platform, or functional area.  
• Provides consultation regarding the strategy and implementation of IT initiatives to support products, platforms, services, and business strategies.
• Works to optimize the alignment of IT and business strategies and may serve as a trusted guide during strategy development.
• Contributes to the achievement of the technology vision and provides critical input for development and implementation of integrated business technology solutions.
• Provides input for business and technology planning.  
• Manages IT technology solutions to ensure successful fulfilment of end-user requirements, and proper and accurate testing and implementation.
• Provides clarity on objectives, scope, and required organizational change management.
• Actively participates in and may lead governance activities and boards that involve their areas of responsibility.
• Ensures compliance with enterprise technology standards, governance processes, and performance metrics to ensure IT delivers value to the enterprise.
• Maintains a close relationship with product owners, business units, and IT Managers to identify potential applications for emerging technologies.
• Tracks and understands emerging technologies and how they might apply within the organization. 
• Works with stakeholders to continually optimize IT governance and decision-making processes as the business context and technology landscape changes.
• Gathers feedback and measures performance to identify improvement and optimization opportunities and adjusts solutions accordingly.
• Explores and identifies solutions, methodologies, and frameworks to improve operational efficiency, service delivery and/or information management across all lines of business and technology platforms.
• Manages/ensures adherence to budget for relevant projects or programs.
• Provides indirect leadership, coaching, and mentoring to individuals and project/program team members. 
• Supports individuals in career development as needed by assisting with networking, shadowing opportunities, position opportunity identification, etc.
• Provides advice regarding the vendor relationship decision-making and contract development process. 
• Identifies risks by vendor, assesses vendors, and monitors and mitigates risks, as appropriate.
• Researches and represents thought leadership to advise senior leaders on best practices in their space of expertise.
• Serves as an emerging thought leader to business partners and IT leaders to uncover ways technology can generate increased business value. 
• Partners with Enterprise Architect(s) to refine and/or help create the vision and guide the evolution of BCBSM’s business, systems, and technologies. 
• Executes change through frequent communication to stakeholders about the change and the impact of the change (individual and business). 

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in related field preferred.
• Minimum seven (7) years of relevant IT and business/industry work experience required. 
• Minimum three (3) years of indirect leadership experience preferred. 
• Experience consulting with people at a variety of levels preferred.
• Deep knowledge in an area of expertise required.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and successfully execute IT projects and generate associated business value. 
• Knowledge of project management tools and methodologies required.
• Knowledge of agile methodology preferred.
• Knowledge of product management principles preferred.
• Ability to communicate technical topics in a clear, succinct, and relevant way.
• Knowledge of current and emerging technologies, technology directions, and strategic application to business needs, including the ability to differentiate between a relevant trend and hype.
• Applies values, business strategy, policies, precedent, and experience to make complex decisions. Knows when they have enough information to make a decision and makes it. Considers the consequences of a decision and assesses the options before reaching a conclusion.
• Interacts with clients to identify opportunities that meet organizational and technological needs, as well as meet internal criteria for best practice that meet the client’s specific operational requirements as they relate to its organizational strategy. Provides recommendations that align short-term needs with strategic performance drivers.
• Participates in change initiatives by implementing new directions and providing appropriate information and feedback. Offers ideas for improving work and team processes. Experiments with new approaches and improves productivity through trial and error.
• Tailors communication style and method (vocabulary, pace, etc.) for the audience. Uses stories, analogies, or examples that effectively illustrate a point. Asks open-ended questions that encourage others to give their point of view. Checks understanding by stating what he/she understands of the message and asking the speaker to verify or clarify.
• Sets enhanced objectives for self and others. Monitors performance trends and identifies opportunities to improve standards. Provides regular feedback and suggests alternative approaches necessary to ensure that organizational objectives and high standards are achieved. Delegates responsibility and reallocates resources as needed to ensure that priorities are met.
• Shares new ideas and consistently demonstrates openness to the opinions and views of others. Identifies new and different patterns, trends, and opportunities. Generates solutions that build upon, adapt, and go beyond tradition and status quo.
• Investigates areas of disagreement. Presents facts, analysis, and conclusions or solutions in a way that demonstrates command of content, factors in perspectives and interests of the audience, and shows what's in it for them or what meets the common good.
• Analyzes errors, successes and failures, and sets strategies to rectify and increase knowledge. Solicits performance feedback after each assignment. Identifies personal strengths and weaknesses and defines areas for self-development.
• Creates, explores and implements a strategy for supporting current business needs. Tracks and reviews trend data. Creates components for potential scenarios. Compares and contrasts ways of achieving a prescribed strategy.