Director of Information Technology, College of the Liberal Arts

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JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

The College of the Liberal Arts at the Pennsylvania State University seeks candidates for the position of Director of Information Technology. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies of the College of the Liberal Arts, the Director of Information Technology (IT) provides strategic leadership, vision, and direction for ITLA (Information Technology Services of the Liberal Arts) in support of the missions of the College.

This position is responsible for the oversight and management of existing IT services along with the development of new services based on developing needs to support the College's strategic vision.Information Technology is an integral and critical component of ensuring the College can achieve its research and teaching goals. ITLA supports approximately 2,700 endpoints, including Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems, and approximately 50 Windows and Linux servers, and 13 custom written applications primarily in Microsoft.NET.

Possessing a high level of business acumen and excellent communication skills, the Director of IT advocates for and manages a complex set of resources that support IT operations while also working collaboratively to provide faculty and staff with innovative and seamless support as they move through their teaching, research, service, and administrative responsibilities.

It is particularly important that the Director of IT connects with research faculty to help in the navigation of changing University services in areas such as data management and acquisition, software acquisition, high-performance computing, and application development.

This position collaborates with leadership and other IT directors across the University in order to ensure that the services provided across Liberal Arts take advantage of and contribute to available technical infrastructure, support, and consulting services. The Director of IT also fosters a positive culture committed to inclusion, diversity, and investment in staff by understanding the talent needs for the IT area, providing training and opportunities for professional development, and fostering a sense of connectedness to the University's mission and goals.

The Director of IT will also utilize analytical ability, judgment, presentation, and problem-solving skills in fulfilling the other responsibilities of this position, which include but are not limited to:

Strategic Planning and Leadership

• Serve as Liberal Arts' senior IT leader, serving as a liaison between IT functions, unit IT professionals, and senior leadership within the College

• Monitor the overall IT landscape, identifying gaps and staying informed of technological trends and advancements to support operations

• Continuously seek ways to improve business processes, policies, and infrastructure, and to allocate personnel, to deliver the most efficient and effective IT services

• Provide strategic leadership, managing activities using standard service management practices to ensure service delivery, continuity and quality

• Communicate with, understand the needs of, and build trust and buy-in with various stakeholders across the College, including faculty, staff, and administrative leaders

• Understand the academic culture of a research-intensive university and the relationship between research, teaching, and service activities of departments and individuals

• Develop and maintain professional relationships with campus leadership, department chairs, school/college deans, and faculty at all ranks, as well as other directors and managers in academic partner units

• Adapt, and help ITLA personnel adapt, to changing University organizational needs within the IT space, broadly defined

Service Management and Network Operations

• Manage IT-related services within the College

• Coordinate with University IT when necessary to ensure consistency of processes and policies

• Oversee network operations staff and ensure network and data security

• Lead IT consulting initiatives and interface with vendors for procurement and maintenance of IT infrastructures, and serve as point of contact for other campus computing professionals

• Understand the unique needs of different units and researchers within a diverse college within a research-intensive university, and the relationship between central services and research services within different units and facilities

• Build collaborative partnerships to improve, enhance, or launch new services and support across multiple segments of the institution

• Maintain confidentiality with regard to the information being processed, stored, and accessed by the network and computing devices

Management and Team Development

• Establish training and development goals and objectives through directing and developing staff members

• Successfully advocate for diversity and the values of inclusion among a dynamic diverse group of faculty, staff, and students; incorporate the differences, complexities, and opportunities that diversity brings to an organization

• Define individual performance objectives and development plans and ensure alignment with project and department objectives

• Leverage IT staff skills and expertise to work with stakeholders to advance research, teaching, and IT innovation

• Effectively monitor overall performance of the team and conduct required performance and evaluations as needed

Financial and Budgetary Strategy

• Develop a financial strategy that is fiscally responsible and sustainable

• Identify, develop and report on the ITLA's unit strategies and budget resources, including how they align with the College's and University's strategic plans

• Make decisions regarding resource alignment and prioritization, including personnel resources, financial allocations, and project prioritization, and communicate plans back to College leadership

Benefits include (visit https://hr.psu.edu/benefits for more detailed information):

• Medical, dental, vision, and retirement plans

• 75% tuition discounts (including for a spouse and dependent children up to the age of 26)

• Generous vacation and sick time

• 15 paid holidays/campus closure days

Education and Experience:

This position will be filled as an Information Technology Manager at the level of Senior Manager, which requires a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree and ten years of relevant experience, including three years of supervisory experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

An outstanding commitment to customer service, excellent problem-solving analysis and critical thinking skills, the ability to learn new things quickly and independently, high performance in a team environment, and a proven ability to work successfully in a diverse work environment are required. An awareness of emerging trends in IT is also highly desired.

In addition, successful candidates must either have demonstrated a commitment to building an inclusive, equitable, and diverse campus community, or describe one or more ways they would envision doing so, given the opportunity.

Application Instructions: To be considered, applicants must upload a cover letter and resume.

The College of the Liberal Arts is supportive of flexible work arrangements when aligned with the ability to meet the needs of the unit and the essential duties of the position. Questions related to flexible work should be directed to the hiring manager during the interview process.

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion inall ofits forms.We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusive excellence that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage theeducational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusive excellence as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.

The salary range for this position, including all possible grades is:

Salary Structure - additional information on Penn State's job and salary structure.

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS: