• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $125,000 to $150,000

Position Summary

The Director of Information Technology ( IT) is responsible for the strategic direction and management of all aspects of technology, cybersecurity, data analytics and reporting for the administrative offices of SEAS. This position, which reports to the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, works with senior leadership to set the strategic direction for initiating and implementing the use of information technology to fulfill the mission of SEAS. The Director of IT provides operational and budgetary management and managerial direct and indirect supervision for a full-time IT team. The incumbent advises and makes recommendations on the latest IT, research and data analysis trends.  The Director is a critical senior leader of the Dean’s Office, upholding its shared mission, core values and leadership principles.

Responsibilities

• (40%) Strategic Planning and Management:

  • Works with the SEAS senior leadership to set the strategic direction and oversees management and implementation of all aspects of technology, data analytics and reporting.  Aligns IT and data strategies with the overall Strategic Plan of SEAS as well as the individual strategies of each department.

  • Serves as chief analyst in various functional initiatives by providing strategic analysis for SEAS administration

  • Detects emerging trends and makes recommendations for change.  Leads innovation.  Evaluates new systems and recommends solutions.  Collaborates to design, implement, and modify processes and procedures to improve workflow or look for ways to simplify business processes. 

    Collaborates with the leadership in the Columbia Video Network (CVN) to support their mission.

• (35%) Compliance, Security & Policy Development:

  • Collaborates with CUIT on policy compliance, security and risk assessment and management.  Ensures SEAS applications, systems and databases are compliant with the University’s ITRM and RSAM processes.

  • Develops recommendations for and implements procedures related to SEAS IT governance, including the use and purchase of computer hardware and software, installation, access, and security.  Develops and maintains a business recovery plan (BRP) to ensure timely and effective restoration of data and IT services in the event of a disaster.  Sets policy standards and ensures documentation processes.

  • Oversees management of data reporting mechanisms and databases for strategic reporting and data inquiries.  Ensures data integrity, security and maximizes efficiency for reporting needs.

  • Leads key SEAS initiatives related to critical areas of IT and data policy.  Works closely with other Dean’s Office Senior Staff, Leadership and Management teams to make recommendations, guide and educate unit partners on IT and data analysis best practices and efficient implementation of tools, platforms, resources and techniques.

• (20%) Lead and Manage Team Effectiveness

  • Oversees services in support of technology infrastructure, hardware, software, client support, web design and publishing, application development/integration needs, and strategic analytics and reporting.

  • Sets vision and goals for the team. 

  • Provides leadership, guidance, performance management and plans for professional development and training.

  • Develops relationships needed for each project and serves as liaison to various SEAS, University and, where relevant, external constituencies.

  • Determines and manages the strategies for maintaining vendor relationships and integration with University information systems.

• (5%) Perform other related duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree required; Minimum of 5-7 years’ related experience required. Demonstrated leadership, management, and strategic planning skills necessary.  Experience in managing a budget and vendor relationships required. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills essential.  Must be a results- and goal-oriented individual with the persistence and patience necessary to work effectively with a variety of internal and external constituencies. Must have ability to gain credibility with diverse constituencies. Must have ability to detect emerging trends and make recommendations for change. Must possess a high degree of personal integrity and ethics.  Strong quantitative and analytical skills required.  Proficiency in SQL required.  Ability to handle confidential information with exceptional judgment and discretion necessary. Accuracy and attention to details and timelines essential. Ability to combine vision with strong creativity and tactical execution.

• Advanced degree preferred.  Experience in a complex decentralized academic environment desirable.  Strong IT experience in the following areas preferred:  information security, software development, project management, strategic planning, IT governance, consultancy, systems architecture and administration, client support, storage, virtualization, and operational management.

• Candidate should have strong project management, systems operations, hardware, standard office software and networking skills.  Superior ability to identify, diagnose and resolve hardware/software problems. Expertise in Reporting: (PowerBI, Business Objects, Crystal Reports, Python)

• Advanced Knowledge of: MS Windows XP/Vista/7, MAC OS X, MS Office Products (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook), General PC hardware, Networking (TCP/IP, DNS, WINS, DHCP), Wireless Communication and Anti-Virus Software, Active Directory.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

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