Assistant Director for Election Technology, Division of Elections

Assistant Director for Election Technology, Division of Elections
Tennessee Department of State
Division of Elections

Mission: The mission of the Office of the Secretary of State is to exceed the expectations of our customers, the taxpayers, by operating at the highest levels of accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and accountability in a customer-centered environment.

Supervisor: Coordinator of Elections

Summary: Serves as the Division of Elections' technology manager and advisor, who works in coordination with the Tennessee Secretary of State’s IT Division and is responsible for statewide election technology strategy, cybersecurity, state voter registration data, election reporting systems, business continuity planning, technology procurement, and oversight of election technology support provided to Tennessee's 95 county election commissions.

This position coordinates technology projects, monitors system performance, supports election security efforts, and serves as a liaison between the Division of Elections, state IT personnel, county election officials, and technology vendors. The position helps ensure election technology systems remain secure, dependable, and compliant with applicable state and federal requirements. The Assistant Director supervises two employees.

Key Responsibilities:
Technology Leadership

• Assist in planning and implementing the Election Division's technology strategy.
• Coordinate the day-to-day operation of all state election technology systems and applications.
• Recommend improvements to enterprise technology standards and governance policies.
• Support technology modernization initiatives.

Cybersecurity & Risk Management

• Coordinate with CISA, DHS, FBI, TBI, and other security partners.
• Support the development and maintenance of cybersecurity policies and incident response plans.
• Participate in risk assessments and security reviews.

Election Systems Oversight

• Assist with administration of the statewide voter registration system.
• Support operation and testing of election night reporting systems.
• Assist with management of online voter registration systems.
• Coordinate technology evaluations and testing of election-related systems and applications.
• Prepare and upload data for the GoVoteTN application and voter lookup tools.
• Assist with administration of candidate and petition portal systems.
• Support preparation of election certification documents and technology-related election records.

Data Governance

• Manage statewide voter registration data quality.
• Compile candidate and petition data.
• Maintain election data standards.
• Develop data validation procedures.
• Ensure compliance with federal and state reporting requirements.
• Work with other Tennessee state agencies for voter registration services and voter list maintenance.

Reporting & Analytics

• Produce state and federal election reports.
• Develop executive dashboards and business intelligence tools.
• Support legislative and public information requests.
• Conduct training.
• Generate list maintenance reports.
• Does state compares.
• Produce election certification documents.

Database Administration

• Maintain data integration between state and county systems.
• Monitor database performance and integrity.

Budget & Procurement

• Assist with development of technology budgets and strategic funding plans.
• Administer HAVA-funded technology projects.
• Direct technology procurement activities.
• Monitor vendor performance and contract compliance.

County Support

• Provide technical support and guidance to 95 county election commissions.
• Lead statewide technology initiatives.
• Coordinate emergency technology response for elections.
• Conduct training.
• Coordinate election security with counties.

Minimum Qualifications:
Education
Bachelor's Degree in:

• Computer Science
• Information Systems
• Cybersecurity
• Information Technology
• Public Administration with Technology Emphasis

Master's degree preferred.
Experience

• 7+ years of progressive IT leadership experience.
• Experience managing cybersecurity initiatives.
• Experience with election systems, government technology, or critical infrastructure strongly preferred.

Preferred Certifications

• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
• Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• CompTIA Security+

Salary: Commensurate with experience and State of Tennessee benefits package.