Director of Technology

Director of Technology at 17A Who We Are: 17A is a new type of management consulting firm. We come from places like McKinsey, Palantir, JP Morgan Philanthropies, and venture-backed Healthcare startups. We share a common goal: improving the quality of government and social services. 17A believes that trust in government is something to be continuously built and earned, through strong service delivery. We have a dynamic core team, and partner with Consultants, known internally as Project-Based Team Members, to bring the best combination of expertise to what we do. Our team has varied skills from a range of industries and experiences, including management consulting, technology and analytics, and public service. If you've spent the early part of your career in consulting or a fast-paced analytical environment and you're ready to apply those skills to something with direct civic impact, 17A is for you. The Opportunity: As our organization scales, we're looking for a sharp, systems-minded IT leader to own our internal technology strategy and keep our team running at full speed. This is a high-impact , critical individual contributor role with cross-functional reach. You'll partner closely with our operations and project teams, serve as the go-to resource for IT troubleshooting and support, and vision and execute the strategic groundwork for how we build and manage our tech infrastructure over time. What You'll Do: This isn't a purely reactive helpdesk role, and it isn't a purely theoretical strategy role. We need someone who can vision and action on both levels - someone who gets excited about building the right systems from the ground up while also rolling up their sleeves to solve day-to-day IT challenges alongside our team. You may also manage a small team of support staff or an external helpdesk vendor as we grow. Key Responsibilities: IT Strategy & Planning Assess our current technology offerings and develop a forward-looking IT roadmap aligned with organizational growth Evaluate, recommend, and implement tools and systems that reduce friction and improve team and operational performance Drive IT policies, standards, and governance - keeping things practical and right-sized for a fast-moving organization Anticipate infrastructure needs before they become problems, and build scalable solutions accordingly IT Helpdesk & Support Serve as the primary escalation point for IT issues across 17A Manage day-to-day troubleshooting for hardware, software, networking, and access/permissions - fast and with minimal disruption Partner to identify IT support needs (including helpdesk), evaluate vendor options, and manage those relationships over time Build lightweight documentation and self-service resources so the team can resolve common issues independently, where appropriate PMO & Project Execution Lead and track IT-related projects from scoping through implementation - keeping stakeholders informed and timelines on track Partner with operations and project leads to surface technology needs early and translate them into clear, executable plans Bring structure to cross-functional initiatives without adding unnecessary process overhead AI & Automation Integration Identify opportunities to automate repetitive IT and operational workflows using modern tools (Zapier, Make, AI agents, etc.) Run small, smart experiments to test what works, and scale what does Stay current on emerging tools and bring informed recommendations to leadership The Skillset: You'll thrive in this role if you: Have 5+ years of IT experience, with a track record that spans both strategic planning and hands-on technical support Have experience working in a fast-paced, growth-stage environment where structure is being built, not inherited Are comfortable as a primary individual contributor who also knows how to manage up, across, and - when needed - a small team or vendor Are a strong cross-functional communicator who can translate technical concepts for non-technical colleagues Have familiarity with modern SaaS and no-code tooling (Slack, Notion, Google Workspace, Airtable, Zapier, etc.) Are a natural problem-solver who defaults to pragmatic, right-sized solutions over over-engineered ones Are low ego, high ownership with a bias for action -— you take pride in the work whether it's building the roadmap or fixing someone's printer Partners to provide responsive IT support that builds trust and minimizes disruption for employees Navigate ambiguity across tools, vendors and partner clients to get to solutions - even when you do not directly own them Location: This position is remote eligible within the United States. Compensation and Benefits: This is a full-time role with an annual salary range of $140–175k, commensurate with experience, plus performance-based incentives, health benefits, 20 days paid time off, separate sick time, company holidays, and life and disability insurance. Accommodation Statement: Improving public service delivery requires a team with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, familial status, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, domestic violence victim status, prior arrest or conviction record, military status, predisposing genetic characteristics, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, or status with regard to public assistance. We encourage and welcome applicants who identify with groups traditionally underrepresented in government to apply.