Application Systems Specialist II

Applications Systems Specialist II (NS)

This position serves as the Cloud Operations Lead responsible for provisioning and administering enterprise-grade AWS infrastructure supporting complex information technology applications across DHHS. Operating in a hybrid data center environment, this role ensures continuous system availability, drives automation and optimization, and ensures compliance with security and privacy standards. The position requires technical leadership in areas such as server management, database support, and infrastructure troubleshooting, and plays a vital role in supporting operational needs and emergency response scenarios. Key duties span infrastructure deployment, team guidance, and cross-functional collaboration within a mission-critical IT environment.

Key duties include:

• Provisions and maintains enterprise-grade AWS infrastructure to support large-scale IT applications.
• Drives automation and orchestration of cloud infrastructure using IaC and CI/CD tools.
• Troubleshoots AWS infrastructure and resolves operational issues to ensure high availability.
• Plans, reviews, and deploys patches and upgrades in mixed (Windows/Linux) AWS environments.
• Addresses platform and infrastructure-related audit findings in collaboration with internal teams.
• Leads operational cost optimization and cloud performance tuning initiatives.
• Coordinates with internal teams on infrastructure planning and compliance alignment.
• Provides technical guidance to operations staff and sets team priorities.
• Supports incident response and resolution for cloud production issues.
• Ensures alignment with security and privacy requirements in all operational practices.

Salary Grade Range: $91,600.00 - $160,299.00

Candidates now meet the minimum qualifications for a position if they possess the minimum education and experience listed in the vacancy announcement. The Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)/ Management Preferences are not required. Applicants who possess the following skills are preferred:

• Demonstrated experience with provisioning and managing AWS infrastructure for large-scale applications.
• Demonstrated experience with scripting in Python, Bash, or PowerShell for automation.
• Demonstrated experience with infrastructure automation tools such as Terraform, CloudFormation, or Ansible.
• Demonstrated experience managing AWS services, including EC2, S3, VPC/Subnet, Messaging, and RDS.
• Demonstrated experience supporting cloud environments with a focus on operational stability and compliance.

REPOST - Previous Applicants Do Not Need To Reapply To Be Considered For This Vacancy

The Posting Will Close At 11:59 P.M. The Night Before The End Date

This Position Is Funded In Part Through Federal Funds

About the NC DHHS Information Technology Division:

In collaboration with our partners, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) protects the health and safety of all North Carolinians and provides essential health and human services. The IT division (ITD) is one of the divisions that reports to the Operational Excellence portfolio. The ITD division comprises six sections: Implementation and Operations, Strategy and Workforce, Enterprise Technology, Vendor and Finance, Data and Analytics, and Cyber and Privacy. Team ITD offers the following services, but not limited to, implementations, operations, project/portfolio management, infrastructure, consulting, business division liaison, digital transformation, IT strategy, enterprise technology, IT contract and vendor management, and data office services.

Compensation and Benefits:

The State of North Carolina offers excellent comprehensive benefits. Employees can participate in health insurance options, standard and supplemental retirement plans, and the NCFlex program (numerous high-quality, low-cost benefits on a pre-tax basis). Employees also receive paid vacation, sick, and community service leave. In addition, paid parental leave is available to eligible employees. Visit the website for State Benefits

Supplemental Contact Information

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is an Equal Opportunity Employer that embraces an Employment First philosophy, which consists of complying with all federal laws, state laws, and Executive Orders. We are committed to reviewing requests for reasonable accommodation at any time during the hiring process or while on the job. For more information about DHHS:

DHHS uses the Merit-Based Recruitment and Selection Plan to fill positions subject to the State Human Resources Act with the most qualified individuals. Hiring salary will be based on relevant qualifications, internal equity, and budgetary considerations pertinent to the advertised position.

In accordance with the Governor's Executive Order 303, our agency supports second-chance employment for individuals who were previously incarcerated or justice-involved. We invite all potential applicants to apply for positions for which they may be qualified.

Application Process

• Information should be provided in the appropriate areas, to include the following: Education, including high school and all degrees obtained, Work Experience, and Certificates & Licenses. It is critical to our screening and salary determination process that applications contain comprehensive candidate information.
• Answers to Supplemental Questions are not a substitute for providing all relevant information within the body of your application. To receive credit for the supplemental questions, you must provide supporting information within the "Work Experience" section of the application to support your answers.
• If multiple applications are submitted to an individual posting, only the most recent application received prior to the closing date will be accepted. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM on the closing date.
• Applicants may be subject to a criminal background check. All candidates selected for positions considered "Positions of Trust" will be subject to a criminal background check.
• Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information regarding the status of your application over the phone. To check the status of your application, please log in to your account. Upon the closing date, applications are "Under Review" and will be screened by Human Resources for the qualified applicants. The hiring process may take several weeks.
• Degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions. Transcripts and degree evaluations may be uploaded with your application. The State of North Carolina/Office of State Human Resources uses the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) as a referral resource for applicants who need to have their credentials certified as equivalent.
• For a list of organizations that perform this specialized service, please visit the NACES membership website at

Degree/College Credit Verification

Degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions. Transcripts, degree evaluations, and cover letters may be uploaded with your application.

Veterans' and National Guard Preference

• Applicants seeking Veteran's Preference must attach a DD-214 Member-4 Form (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) to their applications.
• Applicants seeking National Guard Preference must attach an NGB 23A (RPAS), along with the state application, if they are a current member of the NC National Guard in good standing.
• Applicants who are former members of either the NC Army National Guard or the NC Air National Guard, with honorable discharge and six years of creditable service, must attach a copy of the DD 256 or NGB 22, along with the state application.

ADA Accommodations

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), DHHS is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, DHHS will ensure that people with disabilities, or known limitations covered by the PWFA, are provided with reasonable accommodation. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the person indicated below.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

If there are any questions about this posting, please contact Talent Acquisition at View email address on click.appcast.io. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completing this application.

Minimum Education and Experience

Some state job postings say you can qualify by an "equivalent combination of education and experience." If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See the Education and Experience Equivalency Guide for details.

Bachelor's degree in computer science or an IT-related field, or related technical degree from an appropriately accredited institution, and six years of progressive experience in business application, business intelligence, or enterprise application consulting or development

OR

Associate's degree in computer science or an IT-related field, or related technical degree from an appropriately accredited institution, and seven years of progressive experience in business application consulting or