Director of Information Technology

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $150,000 - $170,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Assistant Head of School, the Director of Information Technology is a member of the senior leadership team. The director will play a key role in driving innovation and evaluating emerging technologies to determine what to bring to The School to support its mission, goals, and program. In addition, the director will incorporate technology considerations into strategic planning and create a sustainable financial model for our technology commitments and will work with the senior administrative team to ensure the development, implementation, and evaluation of technology at The School. The Director will deploy technology, and lead large scale technology transformation initiatives, define and implement technology policies, along with flexible problem solving, joyful tinkering to have a deep sense of the needs of contemporary children and adults to seamlessly integrate technology and design-based planning and principles into the school strategies and best practices for the school’s Technology and instruction support. The Director will also be responsible for compliance and disaster recovery frameworks and will explore the uses of technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of administrative operations.

The incumbent will provide leadership and strategic oversight to the Educational Technology Manager. Establish renewal plans, replacement cycles, and disposal plans for technology equipment. They will operate under a clear set of practices/guidelines for maintaining privacy, confidentiality, and security in its use of digital technology and will continue to develop and modify our responsible-use policy that is framed in the positive, flexible format to accommodate changes in technology. The position will also have management responsibilities for the Senior Database Administrator, Technology Support Specialist and Librarian.

Responsibilities

General Technology: 

• Evaluates and identifies both long and short-term requirements for hardware, software, cloud computing, apps, AV systems, and the vision for The School's information processing systems
• Manage the IT security risk assessment process, including the identification, evaluation, and mitigation of risks to the organization’s information assets
• Collaborate with other departments to integrate security with business processes to minimize risk
• Responsible for maintaining technology operations to include systems administration, network management, telecommunications management, system and data security, system and data backup, and emergency recovery plans
• Ensures continuous delivery and security of technology services and monitors IT systems performance
• Oversees, supervises, and provides guidance and direction to the technical support team to ensure that all faculty and students have access to the appropriate tools for 21st-century learning and that systems are functioning efficiently
• Defines, develops, maintains, and implements policies and processes that enable effective information security and ensure technology safety measures are in place for students and staff
• Establishes a system of data collection and analysis that provides for continuous improvement of program effectiveness and/or changing needs
• Liaises with Columbia University Information and Technology (CUIT) to leverage University assets including partnerships and technology sharing
• Lead and coordinate responses to audits, ensuring timely submission of required documentation, remediation plans and follow-up actions
• Maintain documentation and records necessary for audit, regulatory compliance, accreditation reviews and technology governance

Management and Team Leadership:

• Provide strategic leadership, oversight, supervision, and management of the Educational Technology Manager, ensuring alignment of instructional technology initiatives with the School’s mission, curriculum goals, and strategic priorities
• Direct management and supervision of the Senior Database Administrator, Technology Support Specialist and Librarian

Minimum Qualifications

• B.A./B.S. degree in related fields is required
• Minimum 7 years of IT experience 
• Knowledge of emerging technologies and their applications
• Knowledge of current technology environments including telecommunications, networks, database administration, programming, media, and desktops
• Knowledge of G-Suite for Education platform and ability to use/learn to use Google Management Console to support 1:1 Chromebook to student initiative
• Strong project management skills and demonstrated ability to plan, organize, and manage programs and projects
• Experience in the application of technology to instructional practice (may be substituted in part for the five (5) years of technology management and/or leadership experience)
• Understanding of software development life cycle (SDLC)
• Create and maintain documentation for migration plans, software application processes, and workflows
• Plan and execute migration of servers, applications, and databases from on-premises environments to cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) or between data centers
• Ability to design, implement, and manage cloud-based systems to optimize performance and cost
• Ability to lead successful teacher development
• Demonstrated leadership ability
• Strong performance management skills
• Experience in project management methodologies and activities including estimating costs, project scheduling, and resource allocation
• Has advanced knowledge of Apple products, OSX
• Demonstrates a commitment to cultural competence Equity and Justice in their learning and leadership
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to communicate with end users, colleagues, and management
• Familiarity with New York City public and private schools
• Must have strong communication and interpersonal skills, project coordination experience, and the ability to work well with all levels of internal management and staff, as well as families and outside professionals
• Ability to handle multiple priorities simultaneously, and excellent organizational, technological, and follow-up skills
• Experience with audits and compliance reporting
• Ability to maintain confidentiality for all communications

Preferred Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field is preferred
• Minimum 7-9 years of experience in a school or equivalent setting
• Fluency in Spanish

If you are passionate about streamlining operations, implementing automation, and improving user experiences, we would love to hear from you. Join The School at Columbia and be part of a dynamic team driving innovation and excellence.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.