About the Department

We are the Metropolitan Council, the regional government for the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area. We plan 30 years ahead for the future of the metropolitan area and provide regional transportation, wastewater, and housing services. More information about us on our website.

We are committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

Information Services is the central IT department supporting all divisions of the Metropolitan Council. Our 140 team members provide technology, practices, and innovative solutions that enable the core services of the Council.

How your work would contribute to our organization and the Twin Cities region:
The ServiceWorks Practice Manager provides leadership, coordination, governance, and continual improvement for Information Services operational practices, standards, and process governance activities across the Metropolitan Council. This role is responsible for establishing and sustaining consistent IT Service Management (ITSM) and operational governance practices that enable reliable, customer-focused, compliant, and measurable service delivery across all Council divisions.

The position leads cross-functional process governance initiatives aligned to ITIL 4, ServiceWorks program objectives, and Council operational priorities. The incumbent collaborates with IS leadership, Service Owners, platform administrators, project teams, and business stakeholders to develop, implement, govern, measure, and mature enterprise-wide operational practices and governance frameworks.

This role functions as a strategic and coordination role through leadership of cross-divisional governance initiatives, facilitation of operational alignment, management of organizational process dependencies, and oversight of operational improvement roadmaps, metrics, and governance reporting.

The ServiceWorks Practice Manager is responsible for aligning operational processes, governance standards, platform workflows, organizational adoption, and continual improvement efforts to support operational excellence, risk reduction, service quality, compliance, and organizational transparency.

Full Salary Range: $42.58 - $69.09 hourly/$88,566 - $143,707 yearly
Anticipated Salary Range: $48.33 - $61.54 hourly/$100,526 - $128,003 yearly
The starting salary will depend on the selected candidate's experience, skills, education, and internal salary equity.

This position is eligible for a
hybrid (both remote and onsite) telework arrangement. The candidate's permanent
residence must be in Minnesota or Wisconsin. This position will create a
six-month eligibility list for current and future openings.

Position Duties

Enterprise Practice Governance and Leadership

Lead the governance, coordination, and continual improvement of enterprise IS operational practices including Incident Management, Service Request Management, Change Enablement, Problem Management, Knowledge Management, and related operational governance functions.
Develop and maintain enterprise operational standards, governance frameworks, workflows, procedures, process documentation, RACI models, and performance measures aligned to ITIL 4 and ServiceWorks objectives.
Establish governance structures and operational review processes to ensure consistency, accountability, compliance, and measurable performance across IS functions.
Lead cross-functional operational governance initiatives requiring collaboration among multiple divisions, stakeholders, and leadership levels across the Council.
Facilitate operational governance forums, steering committees, CAB activities, and continual improvement discussions.
Ensure operational practices align with Council security, compliance, audit, risk management, and enterprise governance requirements.
Coordinate operational process dependencies, priorities, risks, impacts, and organizational change activities across multiple IS functions and initiatives.

Operational Process Improvement and Strategy

Drive enterprise operational maturity initiatives and continual service improvement efforts through analysis of performance metrics, trends, customer feedback, operational risks, and service outcomes.
Lead operational roadmap planning activities aligned with ServiceWorks strategic priorities and IS organizational goals.
Identify opportunities to improve service quality, workflow efficiency, operational transparency, organizational accountability, and customer experience.
Coordinate with Service Delivery Analysts, technical teams, project managers, and business stakeholders to align operational processes with organizational initiatives and service delivery objectives.
Support development and implementation of operational governance policies, standards, and organizational best practices.
Promote data-driven operational decision-making and measurable improvement outcomes across IS.

Governance Reporting and Organizational Coordination

Develop and maintain operational dashboards, KPIs, governance reporting, maturity assessments, and executive-level status communications.
Provide operational governance updates and presentations to IS leadership, governance committees, and senior management groups.
Monitor operational performance, compliance trends, service risks, process adherence, and improvement initiatives.
Coordinate organizational communication regarding operational standards, governance expectations, and process changes.
Support enterprise operational planning and prioritization activities through governance analysis and reporting.
Facilitate organizational alignment between operational governance objectives, platform capabilities, and service delivery expectations.

Tool, Platform, and Data Governance

Partner with ServiceWorks platform administrators and technical teams to align workflows, automation, reporting, forms, and system functionality with approved governance standards and operational processes.
Ensure operational data quality, governance integrity, documentation consistency, and reporting accuracy across ServiceWorks processes and systems.
Coordinate process governance requirements related to Configuration Management, Asset Management, Service Management, Knowledge management, and Change Enablement.
Support evaluation and implementation of operational enhancements, workflow automation opportunities, and governance controls within enterprise ITSM platforms.
Collaborate with technical and operational teams to ensure platform capabilities support organizational governance and reporting needs.

Organizational Education and Adoption

Develop and deliver operational governance training, workshops, process education, and organizational adoption activities.
Provide consultation, mentorship, and operational guidance to IS staff, leadership, Service Delivery Analysts, and governance participants.
Promote organizational understanding of operational standards, governance expectations, service accountability, and customer-focused practices.
Support onboarding and operational adoption activities for new or revised governance processes and standards.
Foster a culture of continual improvement, collaboration, operational accountability, and service excellence across IS.

Minimum Qualifications

Any of the following combinations of education (in IT, Business Administration, or similar) and progressively responsible experience in IT Service Management, operational governance, enterprise process management, program coordination, or related operational leadership functions:

High school diploma or GED and 8 years of experience.
Associate's degree and 6 years of experience.
Bachelor's degree and 4 years of experience.

What additional skills and experience would be helpful in this job (desired qualifications):

ITIL 4 Managing Professional, Practice Manager, or Intermediate certifications.
Experience with ITIL 4 practices, operational governance frameworks, and continual improvement methodologies.
Experience with ITSM tools and enterprise workflow platforms such as Ivanti Neurons, ServiceNow, Cherwell, or similar platforms.
Experience implementing or governing enterprise ITSM programs in a public-sector or large enterprise environment.
Experience with training development, mentoring, and organizational education.
Experience developing operational standards, governance documentation, workflows, and reporting structures.
Experience supporting operational governance within hybrid operational and project-based environments.
Experience facilitating governance boards, CAB processes, or enterprise operational review forums.
Experience with operational reporting, dashboarding, and workflow automation initiatives.

What knowledge, skills, and abilities you should have within 6 months on the job:
Knowledge of:

Enterprise operational process management and governance structures.
Operational metrics, KPI development, governance reporting, and performance measurement techniques.
Service delivery, operational compliance, audit, and risk management principles.
Organizational change management and operational adoption strategies.
Operational governance support within hybrid operational and project-based environments.
Portfolio, operational dependency, and enterprise coordination concepts.

Skills in:

Operational governance facilitation and enterprise coordination.
Building organizational alignment and facilitating cross-functional collaboration.
Executive communication, presentation development, and stakeholder engagement.
Process analysis, operational improvement planning, and governance reporting.
Written and verbal communication with technical and non-technical audiences.

Ability to:

Lead enterprise operational governance initiatives involving multiple divisions and stakeholder groups.
Build consensus, facilitate organizational alignment, and influence operational improvements without direct authority.
Anticipate and balance operational priorities, organizational risks, and stakeholder needs.
Analyze operational performance data and drive measurable improvement initiatives.
Develop and communicate operational governance strategies and recommendations to leadership audiences.
Coordinate complex operational initiatives with multiple dependencies and organizational impacts.
Foster collaboration, accountability, and customer-focused service delivery practices across IS.

What you can expect from us:

We offer the opportunity to make a difference and positively influence the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
We encourage our employees to develop their skills through on-site training and tuition reimbursement.
We provide a competitive salary, excellent benefits and good work/life balance.

More about why you should join us!

Other Qualifications

Union/Grade: AFSCME/Grade H
FLSA Status: Exempt
Safety Sensitive: No

What your work environment would be:
Work is performed in a standard office setting. May require travel between primary work site to other sites.

What steps the recruitment process involves:

We review your minimum qualifications.
We rate your education and experience.
We conduct a structured panel interview.
We conduct a selection interview.

Once you have successfully completed the steps above, then:
If you are new to the Metropolitan Council, you must pass a drug test (safety-sensitive positions only), and a background check which verifies education, employment, and criminal history. A driving record check and/or physical may be conducted if applicable to the job. If you have a criminal conviction, you do not automatically fail. The Metropolitan Council considers felony, gross misdemeanor, and misdemeanor convictions on a case-by-case basis, based on whether they are related to the job and whether the candidate has demonstrated adequate rehabilitation.

If you are already an employee of the Metropolitan Council, you must pass a drug test (if moving from a non-safety sensitive position to a safety-sensitive position) and criminal background checks if the job you're applying for is safety-sensitive, is a supervisory or management job, is in the Finance, Information Services, Audit, or Human Resources departments, or has access to financial records, files/databases, cash, vouchers or transit fare cards. A driving record check and/or physical may be conducted if applicable to the position.

IMPORTANT: If you make a false statement or withhold information, you may be barred from job consideration.

The Metropolitan Council is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and veteran-friendly employer. The Council is committed to a workforce that reflects the diversity of the region and strongly encourages persons of color, members of the LGBTQ community, individuals with disabilities, women, and veterans to apply.

If you have a disability that requires accommodation during the selection process, please email [email protected].

Benefits

We believe our employees are a key to our agency's success! In order to attract and retain high quality employees, the Council provides a highly competitive benefits package both in choice and coverage levels. Some highlights about our benefits are listed below:

Guaranteed monthly retirement income through Minnesota State Retirement System pension fund
Opportunity to save additional funds for retirement on a tax-deferred basis through a voluntary deferred compensation (457) plan
Two or more medical plans from which to choose, with employer contribution towards premiums over 80%
Dental insurance, life insurance and vision insurance

The following benefits are provided to all employees as part of working for the Council. You will have access to free:

Well@Work clinic
bus/rail pass valued at over $1200 per year
parking at many job locations
fitness centers at many job locations
Employee Assistance Program
extensive health and wellness programs and resources

Supplemental Questions

Applicant Instructions: It is important that your application shows all relevant education and experience you possess. The supplemental questions listed below are to further evaluate your education and experience and to determine your eligibility for this position. Answer each question completely, and please do not type "see resume." Otherwise, your application will be considered incomplete, and you will not receive further consideration for this position. The experience you indicate in your responses should also be consistent with the Work History section of this application. If you attach a resume and/or cover letter to your application, it will be reviewed at the education and experience review step.

I have read and understand the above instructions regarding my application and supplemental questions.

How did you first hear about this job opening?

CareerForce Center
Community Event/Organization
Employee Referral
Facebook
Glassdoor
Indeed
Job Fair
LinkedIn
Metro Transit Bus Advertisement
X (formerly known as Twitter)
Website: governmentjobs.com
Website: metrocouncil.org
Website: metrotransit.org
Website: minnesotajobnetwork.com
Other

If you selected 'Other', please describe where you first heard about this job. if you selected 'Employee Referral' please enter the employee's first and last name, ID number (if known), and job title.

Type N/A if not applicable.

The Metropolitan Council recognizes that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and generative tools are increasingly used in application processes. While the Council permits the use of AI to assist in the preparation of application materials, all applicants must certify the following statement:

I affirm that all information provided in my application including any uploaded documentation is true and accurate. I further affirm that I have personally reviewed, verified, and approved all content, including any content generated with the assistance of AI. I will provide all interview responses directly and in real-time without unauthorized assistance. I will not use AI avatars, external assistance in answering including computer-generated suggestions, or any recording and transcription tools during the interview process unless I have received prior approval from Human Resources for a disability-related reasonable accommodation.

Select the option that best describes your completed education (in IT, Business Administration, or similar) and progressively responsible experience in IT Service Manager, operational governance, enterprise process management, program coordination, or related experience:

High school diploma or GED and at least 8 years of experience
Associate's degree and at least 6 years of experience
Bachelor's degree or higher and at least 4 years of experience
Some combination of relevant education and experience, but not enough to meet one of the above options
None of the above

Please select any certifications you have:

ITIL Managing Professional
ITIL Practice Manager
ITIL Intermediate
Other/none of the above

If you selected "Other" in response to the previous question, please enter what relevant certification(s) you have. Enter "N/A" if you have no relevant certifications.

Describe your experience leading or governing one or more enterprise ITSM practices (such as Incident, Change Enablement, Problem, Knowledge, or Service Request Management). If this does not apply, enter "N/A."

Provide an example of a cross-functional operational governance initiative that you led where you had to influence stakeholders without direct supervisory authority. If this does not apply, enter "N/A."

Briefly describe your experience using an enterprise ITSM platform (such as Ivanti Neurons, ServiceNow, Cherwell, or a similar solution) to improve operational governance, reporting, or workflow automation. If this does not apply, enter "N/A."

Briefly describe your experience working with stakeholders from diverse personal and professional backgrounds, including those with limited technical knowledge. If this does not apply, enter "N/A."

Required Question

Agency Information

Employer: Metropolitan Council
Address: 390 Robert St. N.

St. Paul, Minnesota, 55101
Website: https://metrocouncil.org

ServiceWorks Practice Manager (Program Manager, ITSM)

Job description