Associate CIO / Executive Director of IT Services

Responsibilities:

Client Relationship & Operational Leadership

Serve as the primary Managed Services leader embedded on campus , operating as a visible, trusted, and engaged technology partner. This is a hands-on Executive Director role , combining executive presence, operational ownership, and direct involvement in day-to-day technology leadership. Operate as the primary on-site leader and escalation point for Managed Services, balancing strategic oversight with active operational participation.

Build and maintain strong relationships with campus leadership, departmental stakeholders, faculty, and staff.

Partner closely with the client CIO to support institutional priorities and operational technology planning.

Translate institutional objectives into actionable operational technology initiatives and support plans.

Participate in institutional governance, operational planning, and leadership meetings as appropriate.

Communicate operational risks, service impacts, project updates, and technology recommendations effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Ensure alignment between Managed Services delivery standards and client expectations.

Promote a culture of accountability, responsiveness, collaboration, and customer service excellence.

Enterprise Applications Leadership

Provide primary operational and functional for enterprise applications and institutional systems.

Coordinate support activities related to

ERP/SIS platforms

Enterprise integrations and middleware

SaaS platforms

Database environments

Reporting and analytics platforms

Application lifecycle and release management

Partner with institutional stakeholders to prioritize operational support needs, enhancements, and system improvements.

Coordinate vendor relationships and support escalations related to enterprise applications.

Support enterprise system modernization and optimization initiatives.

Serve as the on-site Executive sponsor and day-to-day leader for the Colleague ERP environment.

Provide hands-on leadership and strategic direction to Enterprise Applications teams supporting Colleague and related systems.

Act as the primary bridge between functional campus stakeholders and enterprise application technical teams , ensuring solutions align with institutional needs.

Guide enterprise application roadmap discussions in partnership with campus leadership and Managed Services Centers of Excellence.

Support application team growth, maturity, and operational excellence, balancing oversight with direct engagement .

Infrastructure Services Leadership

Provide leadership and operational oversight for institutional infrastructure services and technology operations.

Ensure availability, performance, reliability, and operational stability of core technology systems and services.

Coordinate operational support and planning for

Network infrastructure

Server and storage environments

Cloud infrastructure and hosted services

Microsoft 365 and collaboration platforms

Identity and access management

Endpoint management solutions

Backup and disaster recovery systems

Telecommunications and unified communications platforms

Virtualization and infrastructure platforms

Lead infrastructure lifecycle planning, operational maintenance activities, and modernization initiatives.

Coordinate operational escalation and incident management activities.

Ensure operational documentation, standards, and procedures are maintained and updated.

Managed Services Coordination & Service Delivery

Coordinate with centralized Centers of Excellence (CoEs) to ensure effective service delivery and operational support.

Collaborate across infrastructure, applications, security, help desk, and project management teams to support institutional technology needs.

Monitor operational performance, service quality, and adherence to contractual obligations and service expectations.

Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on operational maturity, efficiency, and customer experience.

Assist with implementation and adoption of standardized operational processes, procedures, and tooling.

Support operational reporting, service reviews, and KPI tracking activities.

Cybersecurity & Compliance

Partner with institutional and Managed Services security leadership to support cybersecurity initiatives and operational security practices.

Assist with vulnerability remediation, patch management coordination, and operational security planning.

Support compliance efforts related to

FERPA

GLBA

PCI-DSS

Cybersecurity insurance and audit requirements

Participate in incident response coordination and operational recovery efforts.

Promote security awareness and operational best practices across technology services.

Leadership & Staff Development

Provide director leadership and mentoring to on-site teams and service delivery resources.

Build and mature a high-performing team where growth and transformation are required.

Foster a collaborative and customer-focused team environment.

Support staffing coordination, resource planning, and workload prioritization activities.

Assist with employee performance management, coaching, and professional development efforts.

Encourage continuous improvement, operational accountability, and knowledge sharing.

Financial & Vendor Management

Assist with operational budget planning and technology forecasting activities.

Support technology procurement, vendor management, and contract coordination activities.

Participate in lifecycle planning and operational cost management efforts.

Coordinate vendor relationships, support escalations, and service reviews.

Qualifications & Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business, or a related field required.

Minimum of 7 years of progressive IT leadership experience.

Significant experience leading or supporting Ellucian Colleague ERP environments in a higher education setting.

Demonstrated ability to operate as a working executive leader, balancing strategic leadership hands-on operational responsibility

Experience leading enterprise infrastructure and enterprise application operations.

Experience working within complex operational technology environments.

Experience supporting executive-level stakeholders and organizational leadership.