Lead Interface Specialist

Job Description and Duties

THIS POSITION MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A HYBRID WORK SCHEDULE. THE AMOUNT OF TELEWORK IS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE DEPARTMENT AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS BUSINESS NEEDS ARISE.

Are you looking for a fast-paced and rewarding opportunity to play a key role in delivering mission-critical Enterprise technology solutions? The Employment Development Department (EDD) is seeking an experienced Interface Specialist (IT Specialist II) to support the design and delivery of intuitive, accessible, and customer-centered digital experiences that enhance usability, improve service delivery, reduce fraud, and increase operational efficiency.

As part of EDD's modernization efforts, the Interface Specialist will collaborate with business stakeholders, user experience (UX) professionals, developers, architects, and project teams to design user interfaces that align with business objectives, customer needs, and accessibility standards. This is an exciting opportunity to help shape Enterprise applications by translating complex business and technical requirements into seamless, user-friendly digital experiences.

Under the general direction of the EDDNext Application Delivery Manager, the incumbent will lead interface design activities throughout the system development lifecycle. Responsibilities include researching user needs; creating wireframes, mockups, prototypes, and interface specifications; ensuring compliance with usability and accessibility standards; collaborating with cross-functional teams to refine user workflows and visual design; supporting usability testing and user acceptance testing; and providing recommendations that promote consistency, continuous improvement, and successful delivery of Enterprise solutions. The incumbent will also help establish and maintain design standards and contribute to a cohesive, customer-focused digital experience across EDD applications.

This position may be eligible for a hybrid work schedule. The amount of telework is at the discretion of the Department and is subject to change as business needs arise. Employees are required to report to their headquarters office on their assigned in-office days. Travel expenses to and from the assigned headquarters are the responsibility of the employee.

Position located at 10969 Trade Center Dr., Rancho Cordova, CA 95670. 

Effective July 1, 2025, specific Bargaining Units and associated Excluded State employees are subject to a salary reduction between 2% - 4.62% in exchange for hours in the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) per month. For more details, please click  here to visit the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) website.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

Visa Sponsorship

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without the need for visa sponsorship by the start date of employment.

Standard office environment. Cubicle, some travel may be required.

Special Requirements

It is strongly encouraged to apply through your CalCareer Account at  .

Please only submit ONE application.  Electronic applications submitted through your CalCareer Account are highly recommended and will be received/processed faster than other methods of filing.

If you are unable to apply electronically through your CalCareer account, please mail a completed and signed State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 and application package to the mailing address provided in the “Application Instructions’ section below and ensure the following:

• Clearly indicate the Job Code #, Position Number and the Classification Title of this position in the “Examination or Job Title(s) For Which You Are Applying” section located on Page 3 of your State Examination/Employment STD Form 678.

• Clearly indicate the basis of your eligibility (list, transfer, reinstatement, etc.) in the “Explanations” section located on Page 3 of your State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678.

• Remove and do not submit the “Equal Employment Opportunity” questionnaire (Page 10) with your completed State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678.  This page is for examination use only.

• Do not include your full Social Security Number on your documents and/or do not provide any LEAP information.

Examination/Assessment

If selected for hire , you must obtain list eligibility by taking and passing the examination. If you already have list eligibility for this classification, you do not need to retake the examination unless your list eligibility has expired.

Click the examination link below for more information and to take the exam:

For more information about the State hiring process,  click here . To watch tutorials on how to apply for a State job,  click here .

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Knowledge of State of California programs, policies, business processes, and enterprise information technology environments.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with technical and business stakeholders and communicate complex interface and integration concepts to diverse audiences.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot interface issues, identify root causes, and implement reliable, scalable integration solutions.
• Experience designing, developing, implementing, or supporting interfaces between enterprise applications using APIs, web services, middleware, message queues, ETL processes, or other integration technologies.
• Experience working in large-scale government, public sector, or other highly regulated environments is desirable.
• Experience performing data mapping, data transformation, data validation, and reconciliation to ensure accurate and secure data exchanges between enterprise systems.
• Knowledge of enterprise integration architecture, application interoperability, interface standards, and secure data exchange protocols, including REST, SOAP, JSON, XML, SFTP, and messaging technologies.
• Knowledge of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), Agile, Scrum, DevOps, and system integration best practices.
• Experience developing interface specifications, technical documentation, data mapping documents, interface control documents (ICDs), process flows, and implementation plans.
• Experience collaborating with application developers, solution architects, database administrators, infrastructure teams, vendors, quality assurance staff, project managers, and business stakeholders to deliver successful integration solutions.
• Knowledge of integration governance, interface lifecycle management, change management, configuration management, and production support processes.
• Experience planning and supporting interface testing, including unit testing, system integration testing, end-to-end testing, user acceptance testing (UAT), and production validation.

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website,  , and the CalPERS website,  .

Statement of Qualifications Requirements

A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is REQUIRED. The SOQ will be considered the first phase of the hiring process for this position. If your qualifications are competitive, you will be invited to an interview. The SOQ should be typed and not more than two pages in length, not less than 12-point Arial font, single-spaced, and must include a response to the statement below, including specific examples:

1.  Describe how your work experience and education qualify you for the role and responsibilities of this position based on the job posting.
2. Describe your experience designing, developing, implementing, or supporting interfaces between enterprise systems. Include the technologies, integration methods (e.g., APIs, web services, message queues, file transfers), your role, and the outcome.

Résumés and/or cover letters DO NOT take the place of the SOQ. Applications received without an SOQ or SOQs that do not include a response to the statement above will not receive further consideration and will be excluded from the hiring process.

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.
• Statement of Qualifications - A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is Required.  Please see “Statement of Qualifications Requirements” section for more information about the SOQ.