Systems Programmer Jobs in San Jose, CA

Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about our One Team Leadership Values and Expectations, including quality and excellent customer service and here to learn more about San José.

The City of San José is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of San José is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at 408-535-1285, 711 (TTY), or via email at CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov.

About the Department

The San José Police Department is dedicated to providing public safety through community partnerships and 21st Century Policing practices, ensuring equity for all. The Department is committed to treating all of San Jose’s diverse community members with dignity, fairness, and respect, while protecting their rights and providing equal protection under the law.

Position Duties

The San José Police Department relies on mission-critical technology systems that operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to support public safety operations. The Department maintains one of the largest and most complex technology environments within the City of San José, including 21 remote facilities, more than 1,000 desktop workstations, approximately 450 Mobile Data Computers (MDCs), and over 80 application and database servers operating within a Microsoft Active Directory environment.

Under the direction of the Information Systems Analyst within the Systems Development Division's Applications Team, the Systems Applications Programmer II will provide technical support, application development, systems integration, and operational support for critical public safety applications used by the Police Department.

The Systems Applications Programmer II will be responsible for the following functions:

• Support, maintain, and enhance mission-critical public safety systems, including Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD), Records Management System (RMS), Automated Field Reporting (AFR), Mobile Data Computer (MDC), and other departmental applications.
• Design, develop, test, implement, and maintain software applications, interfaces, scripts, reports, and automation solutions that improve operational efficiency and business processes.
• Provide programming, scripting, coding, troubleshooting, and technical support for CAD, RMS/AFR, and other Department applications.
• Collaborate with Department personnel, business stakeholders, City departments, and software vendors to analyze business requirements, troubleshoot issues, and implement technical solutions.
• Support Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms and cloud-based applications utilized by the Department.
• Perform regular system audits, quality assurance reviews, and data validation activities to ensure system integrity, accuracy, security, and compliance.
• Develop, create, and deliver user training, technical documentation, and procedural guides tailored to the operational needs of various Department units.
• Compile, analyze, extract, and report data from Department systems to support operational, administrative, and executive decision-making.
• Develop reports, dashboards, data visualizations, and business intelligence solutions utilizing reporting tools such as Power BI and SQL-based reporting platforms.
• Implement, test, and support application upgrades, patches, releases, interfaces, and new technology deployments.
• Develop and maintain Department-specific applications, tools, workflows, and integrations to improve business processes and operational effectiveness.
• Support application programming interfaces (APIs), data exchanges, and integrations between internal and external systems.
• Provide customer support through phone, email, walk-in assistance, remote support, and the Department's Help Desk ticketing system.
• Track, document, and follow through on issues involving CAD, RMS/AFR, mobile applications, and other Department systems while coordinating with vendors and stakeholders through resolution.
• Participate in project planning, testing, implementation, and support activities for technology initiatives and public safety modernization projects.
• Ensure compliance with Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), Department of Justice (DOJ), City, and Department technology policies and standards.
• Participate in an on-call rotation and provide after-hours support for critical public safety applications operating in a 24x7 environment.

Desired Technical Qualifications

In addition to the Citywide Systems Applications Programmer II competencies, successful candidates should possess experience with one or more of the following technologies:

• Microsoft SQL Server
• Oracle Database, SQL*Plus, and SQL Developer
• Microsoft Visual Studio / .NET Development
• SharePoint Online and Microsoft 365
• Microsoft Azure and Cloud Services
• SimplGov
• JavaScript
• HTML/XML
• Application development and release management

Highly Desirable Qualifications

The following experience is highly desirable:

• Supporting law enforcement, public safety, emergency communications, or criminal justice technology environments.
• Experience with CAD, RMS, AFR, Mobile Data Computing (MDC), Computer-Aided Dispatch, or other public safety applications.
• Experience working with CJIS security requirements and DOJ compliance standards.
• Experience supporting enterprise-level SaaS and cloud-based applications.
• Experience with systems integration, data conversion, API development, and vendor-supported applications.
• Experience providing technical support in a 24x7 mission-critical environment.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a customer-focused technology professional with strong analytical, technical, and problem-solving skills. The successful candidate will possess the ability to manage multiple priorities, communicate effectively with technical and non-technical users, and deliver reliable solutions in a fast-paced public safety environment. The candidate should demonstrate initiative, accountability, attention to detail, and a commitment to providing exceptional customer service.

Additional Information

Selected candidates will be required to successfully complete an extensive background investigation and satisfy all requirements necessary to access Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) systems and related law enforcement technologies.

Minimum Qualifications

Background: Candidates selected for this position must successfully complete a comprehensive background investigation as required by the Police Department.

Other Qualifications

Competencies:

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated through education, training, and experience: Desirable competencies for this position include:

Job Expertise: Demonstrates knowledge of application development, systems analysis, software implementation, systems integration, database management, and enterprise application support. Possesses an understanding of industry best practices, information technology principles, security standards, and applicable federal, state, and local regulations. Experience supporting public safety, criminal justice, or mission-critical technology systems is highly desirable.

Professional certifications related to application development, database administration, cloud technologies, business intelligence, or Microsoft technologies are desirable.

Communication Skills: Communicates effectively both verbally and in writing. Prepares clear technical documentation, reports, training materials, and user communications. Demonstrates active listening skills and the ability to explain technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Computer Skills: Experienced with common business computer applications including but not limited to: Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle SQL Plus, Visual Studios, SharePoint, SimplGov, Azure, JavaScript, HTML, XML, Web Technology, Powershell, and SaaS applications and cloud solutions.

Decision Making: Identifies issues, evaluates alternatives, and exercises sound judgment when developing solutions. Demonstrates the ability to balance operational requirements, technical considerations, security requirements, and customer needs when making decisions.

Problem Solving: Analyzes complex technical and business issues, gathers relevant information, identifies root causes, and develops effective solutions. Demonstrates initiative, creativity, and persistence in resolving problems while maintaining system reliability and service continuity.

Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills: Builds and maintains productive working relationships with colleagues, customers, vendors, and stakeholders. Collaborates effectively across organizational boundaries, supports team objectives, and demonstrates professionalism, flexibility, and respect in all interactions.

Customer Service: Provides responsive, professional, and solution-oriented support to users and stakeholders. Demonstrates a commitment to delivering high-quality service, managing customer expectations, and ensuring timely resolution of issues in a mission-critical public safety environment.

Selection Process

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's education, training, experience, and responses to the Job-Specific Questions submitted with the online application. Applications will be screened based on the qualifications, competencies, and experience most relevant to the position.

Only candidates whose backgrounds best demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for successful performance in this role will be invited to continue in the selection process.

Additional phases of the selection process may include one or more interviews and a background investigation.

You will be prompted to answer the following job-specific questions during the online application process. Please note that there is a 4,000-character limit, including spaces, for each text response.

Describe your experience providing application development, programming, scripting, coding, troubleshooting, and technical support for enterprise applications. Include any experience supporting Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD), Records Management Systems (RMS), Automated Field Reporting (AFR), Mobile Data Computing (MDC), public safety systems, or other mission-critical applications. Please identify the technologies used, your specific role, and the outcomes achieved.

Please list all technical certifications you currently hold or have held, including the certification name, issuing organization, and year obtained. Examples may include Microsoft, Oracle, Azure, SQL, SharePoint, ITIL, Project Management, Security, or other technology-related certifications.

Describe your experience administering, supporting, developing, implementing, or integrating enterprise applications in a Microsoft Windows environment. Include any experience with Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), Records Management Systems (RMS), SharePoint, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, Azure, cloud-based solutions, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications, workflow automation platforms (e.g., SimpliGov), and systems integration. Please identify the systems you have supported and describe your specific role, responsibilities, and level of involvement with each.

Describe your experience providing technical support in a Help Desk, Application Support, or Information Technology environment. Include the types of users supported, the applications and systems supported, the tools or ticketing systems utilized, the complexity of issues handled, and your approach to diagnosing, troubleshooting, and resolving technical problems. Please provide specific examples of challenging issues you have successfully resolved.

Describe your experience working with Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle Database, SQL*Plus, SQL Developer, or other relational database management systems. Include examples of database administration, SQL query development, report generation, data analysis, troubleshooting, data integration, data migration, or application support activities you have performed. Please describe your level of responsibility and provide specific examples of projects or tasks you have completed.

Describe your experience working in a 24x7 operational environment supporting mission-critical applications and services. Include any on-call responsibilities, incident response activities, after-hours support, and your role in diagnosing issues, coordinating response efforts, and restoring service during system outages or critical incidents. Please provide specific examples of incidents you have managed and the actions you took to resolve them.

You must answer all job-specific questions in order to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration.

If you have questions about the duties of this position, please contact Rudy Yeung at rudy.yeung@sanjoseca.gov.

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application.

AI and the Hiring Process

We recognize that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming part of daily life and can be a valuable tool for learning, research, and professional growth. We encourage candidates to use AI responsibly as a support in preparing application materials, live assessments, and interviews. However, we value authenticity, accuracy and truthfulness. Application responses and interview answers must reflect your own knowledge, skills, and experiences. While AI can supplement preparation, it cannot replace the originality and judgment we look for in our employees. This ensures fairness, transparency, and equity for all applicants in the hiring process.