What are the responsibilities and job description for the IT PROGRAM MANAGER: APPLICATIONS & SYSTEMS position at City of San Marcos, CA?
Summary Description
Help shape how our city works
The City of San Marcos is continuing to evolve, modernizing how we operate, how we serve our community and how we support the employees who make it all happen. Technology plays a central role in that work, and we're looking for someone who wants to help shape it with intention and purpose.
We are seeking an IT Program Manager to oversee systems and applications, who will help define how the City's business systems are selected, managed and improved over time - with a focus on ownership, clarity, consistency and long-term value.
Why this role matters
IT systems and applications touch nearly every part of city operations - from finance, human resources, permitting and licensing, public works asset management and beyond. When these systems are managed well, work is easier, decisions are clearer and the services to the community are stronger.
In this role, you’ll help move the city away from one-off decisions and toward a shared, transparent approach to managing systems. You’ll work with departments to understand their needs, set clear expectations and guide decisions so technology supports the way the city works today — and where it’s headed next.
This Is Your Opportunity To
At the City of San Marcos, we live our values: teamwork, professionalism, fiscal responsibility, and customer service. We believe in operating like an efficient business while keeping people at the center of what we do — both the community we serve and the employees who serve it.
Here, your work will matter. Your ideas will be heard. And your efforts will help shape how the city operates for years to come.
San Marcos is …
Recruitment is open continuous, with first application review on January 28, 206
First technical panel interview: Week of February 9th
Second department interview: Week of February 16th
REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES
The full listing of the Program Manager job description can be found here .
A day in the life: IT Program Manager - Systems and Applications
In this role, your work is shaped by both day-to-day coordination and the opportunity to build something new. This position is being established from the ground up, which means you will help define how the city understands, manages, and plans for its enterprise applications.
You will work closely with departments and IT colleagues to identify and document the city’s existing systems, creating a clear inventory of systems and applications and establishing ownership for each one. This foundational work helps bring clarity to how systems are supported, improved, and prioritized over time.
As part of your ongoing responsibilities, you will guide how application-related decisions are made. This includes reviewing requests for new systems or enhancements, evaluating impacts, and helping ensure decisions are consistent, transparent, and aligned with city priorities. You will partner with infrastructure, cybersecurity, and end user support colleagues to ensure applications are secure, reliable, and well supported.
You will maintain visibility into the overall health of the City’s application portfolio, tracking issues, coordinating with vendors and helping resolve challenges as they arise. When systems impact multiple departments, you help bring stakeholders together, clarify expectations, and keep work moving forward with clear ownership and communication.
Planning and documentation are key parts of the role. You will help develop application roadmaps, support budget planning and refine processes that promote long-term sustainability. You may also prepare updates for leadership, providing clear information about system status, risks and next steps.
Throughout the day, success in this role comes from creating structure where there is currently uncertainty, building trust through consistency, and helping the organization move from ad hoc system decisions to a shared, well-understood approach to managing enterprise applications.
At The End Of The Day, Success Looks Like
The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.
Knowledge Of
Operations, services, and activities of a assigned Division and/or Department ; principles and practices of program development and administration; methods and techniques of directing assigned responsibilities and programs; principles and practices of municipal budget preparation and administration; principles of supervision, training, and performance evaluation; pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations pertaining to the functions of the assigned Division and/or Department ; ability to understand, analyze, and integrate technical requirements into program planning and execution across multiple functional areas; demonstrated knowledge of technical requirements, industry standards, and best practices relevant to program execution of assigned functions ; principles of public administration; customer service skills and techniques; office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.
Ability To
Assist in overall management of the assigned Division and/or Department; manage and direct assigned program, functions, and service areas; participate in the development and administration of goals, objectives, and procedures for the assigned Division and/or Department; analyze and assess programs, policies, and operational needs and make appropriate adjustments; research, analyze, and evaluate new service delivery methods and techniques; select, supervise, train, and evaluate staff; plan, organize, direct, and coordinate the work of lower level staff; delegate authority and responsibility; analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendation in support of goals; adapt the City's programs and activities to meet community needs and requirements . . Prepare clear and concise administrative , technical, and /or financial reports; prepare and administer large and complex budgets; interpret and apply applicable federal, state, and local policies, laws, and regulations; identify and respond to sensitive community and organizational issues, concerns, and needs; operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications; communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work; demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of the cultural diversity of the community.
Core Values And Expectations
At the City of San Marcos, we uphold a set of core values that guide our work culture and decision-making processes. In this role, you will be expected to demonstrate the following values:
Education And Experience
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Education/Training
A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in information technology, business administration, public administration or a related field is highly desirable .
Experience
Five years of increasingly responsible experience in running programs including administrative and supervisory responsibility.
License Or Certificate
Possession of an appropriate , valid driver's license with satisfactory driving record, may be required depending on assigned functional area.
Depending on the functional area, this position may require specific certifications, licenses, or credentials as mandated by local, state, or federal regulations. Employees must obtain and maintain any required qualifications necessary for compliance with applicable laws and industry standards.
Help shape how our city works
The City of San Marcos is continuing to evolve, modernizing how we operate, how we serve our community and how we support the employees who make it all happen. Technology plays a central role in that work, and we're looking for someone who wants to help shape it with intention and purpose.
We are seeking an IT Program Manager to oversee systems and applications, who will help define how the City's business systems are selected, managed and improved over time - with a focus on ownership, clarity, consistency and long-term value.
Why this role matters
IT systems and applications touch nearly every part of city operations - from finance, human resources, permitting and licensing, public works asset management and beyond. When these systems are managed well, work is easier, decisions are clearer and the services to the community are stronger.
In this role, you’ll help move the city away from one-off decisions and toward a shared, transparent approach to managing systems. You’ll work with departments to understand their needs, set clear expectations and guide decisions so technology supports the way the city works today — and where it’s headed next.
This Is Your Opportunity To
- Partner with staff and leaders to turn business needs into practical, sustainable system solutions.
- Help define how systems and applications are chosen, prioritized and managed across the city.
- Bring clarity and consistency to technology decisions that affect multiple departments.
- Strengthen accountability by helping the organization understand who owns what - and why.
- Shape systems that support employees and improve service to the community.
- Strong experience working with enterprise systems and business applications.
- A practical problem solver who can balance structure with flexibility.
- A collaborator who enjoys working across teams and departments.
- A clear communicator who can explain complex topics in plain language.
At the City of San Marcos, we live our values: teamwork, professionalism, fiscal responsibility, and customer service. We believe in operating like an efficient business while keeping people at the center of what we do — both the community we serve and the employees who serve it.
Here, your work will matter. Your ideas will be heard. And your efforts will help shape how the city operates for years to come.
San Marcos is …
- One of the top 25 places to raise a family (Fortune Magazine)
- The health care hub of North County (Kaiser’s hospital opened last year and Scripps just announced its next hospital will be in San Marcos)
- An education leader, home to Cal State San Marcos and Palomar Community College
- Top 10 safest city in California
- A competitive salary
- Our 9/80 work week means you'll have every other Friday off
- A hybrid work schedule may be available after six months, based on successful onboarding and role readiness.
- Generous health benefits (all medical premiums employer paid at 90%)
- Time off (15 paid holidays, vacation, sick and executive leave)
- Participate in the CalPERS retirement system (Classic members 2% @ 55, PEPRA members 2% @ 62) and Social Security
Recruitment is open continuous, with first application review on January 28, 206
First technical panel interview: Week of February 9th
Second department interview: Week of February 16th
REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES
The full listing of the Program Manager job description can be found here .
A day in the life: IT Program Manager - Systems and Applications
In this role, your work is shaped by both day-to-day coordination and the opportunity to build something new. This position is being established from the ground up, which means you will help define how the city understands, manages, and plans for its enterprise applications.
You will work closely with departments and IT colleagues to identify and document the city’s existing systems, creating a clear inventory of systems and applications and establishing ownership for each one. This foundational work helps bring clarity to how systems are supported, improved, and prioritized over time.
As part of your ongoing responsibilities, you will guide how application-related decisions are made. This includes reviewing requests for new systems or enhancements, evaluating impacts, and helping ensure decisions are consistent, transparent, and aligned with city priorities. You will partner with infrastructure, cybersecurity, and end user support colleagues to ensure applications are secure, reliable, and well supported.
You will maintain visibility into the overall health of the City’s application portfolio, tracking issues, coordinating with vendors and helping resolve challenges as they arise. When systems impact multiple departments, you help bring stakeholders together, clarify expectations, and keep work moving forward with clear ownership and communication.
Planning and documentation are key parts of the role. You will help develop application roadmaps, support budget planning and refine processes that promote long-term sustainability. You may also prepare updates for leadership, providing clear information about system status, risks and next steps.
Throughout the day, success in this role comes from creating structure where there is currently uncertainty, building trust through consistency, and helping the organization move from ad hoc system decisions to a shared, well-understood approach to managing enterprise applications.
At The End Of The Day, Success Looks Like
- Departments feel supported and informed
- Decisions are clear and consistent
- Systems are stable, well documented and moving in the right direction
- There is a shared understanding of priorities and next steps
The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.
Knowledge Of
Operations, services, and activities of a assigned Division and/or Department ; principles and practices of program development and administration; methods and techniques of directing assigned responsibilities and programs; principles and practices of municipal budget preparation and administration; principles of supervision, training, and performance evaluation; pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations pertaining to the functions of the assigned Division and/or Department ; ability to understand, analyze, and integrate technical requirements into program planning and execution across multiple functional areas; demonstrated knowledge of technical requirements, industry standards, and best practices relevant to program execution of assigned functions ; principles of public administration; customer service skills and techniques; office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.
Ability To
Assist in overall management of the assigned Division and/or Department; manage and direct assigned program, functions, and service areas; participate in the development and administration of goals, objectives, and procedures for the assigned Division and/or Department; analyze and assess programs, policies, and operational needs and make appropriate adjustments; research, analyze, and evaluate new service delivery methods and techniques; select, supervise, train, and evaluate staff; plan, organize, direct, and coordinate the work of lower level staff; delegate authority and responsibility; analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendation in support of goals; adapt the City's programs and activities to meet community needs and requirements . . Prepare clear and concise administrative , technical, and /or financial reports; prepare and administer large and complex budgets; interpret and apply applicable federal, state, and local policies, laws, and regulations; identify and respond to sensitive community and organizational issues, concerns, and needs; operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications; communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work; demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of the cultural diversity of the community.
Core Values And Expectations
At the City of San Marcos, we uphold a set of core values that guide our work culture and decision-making processes. In this role, you will be expected to demonstrate the following values:
- Be Problem Solvers (Customer Service):
- Actively identify and resolve issues to exceed customer expectations. Anticipate and address problems quickly to provide effective solutions.
- Be Good Partners (Teamwork):
- Collaborate across departments and with external partners to create mutually beneficial solutions that meet the needs of all stakeholders.
- Fiscal Responsibility (Operate like an Efficient Business):
- Make informed decisions with an emphasis on efficiency, always considering the financial impact to ensure the city’s long-term fiscal health.
- Build to Last (Professionalism):
- Maintain a high standard of work, ensuring that decisions and actions are sustainable and beneficial for the c ity in the long run .
Education And Experience
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Education/Training
A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in information technology, business administration, public administration or a related field is highly desirable .
Experience
Five years of increasingly responsible experience in running programs including administrative and supervisory responsibility.
License Or Certificate
Possession of an appropriate , valid driver's license with satisfactory driving record, may be required depending on assigned functional area.
Depending on the functional area, this position may require specific certifications, licenses, or credentials as mandated by local, state, or federal regulations. Employees must obtain and maintain any required qualifications necessary for compliance with applicable laws and industry standards.