­­Chief Information Officer / Vice President of Information Technology

College of Charleston

INSTITUTION:
Located in the heart of historic Charleston, South Carolina, the College of Charleston is a nationally recognized public university. Founded in 1770, the College is the oldest educational institution south of Virginia and the 13th oldest in the US. The College of Charleston is among the nation’s top universities for quality education, student life, and affordability. It’s beautiful and historic campus, combined with contemporary facilities, cutting-edge programs, and accessible faculty, attracts students from across the US and around the world.

Over 10,000 undergraduates and approximately 500 graduate students at the College enjoy a small campus feel blended with the advantages and diversity of a mid-sized, urban university. Students work closely with a committed faculty that is made up of more than 500 distinguished teacher-scholars. And the city of Charleston – world-renowned for its history, architecture, culture, and coastal environment – serves as a living and learning laboratory for experiences in business, science, technology, teaching, the humanities, languages, and the arts.

Mission Statement
The College of Charleston’s mission is to demonstrate social responsibility in meeting the educational and professional needs of our community, our state, our nation, and the world.

Vision
The College of Charleston will be a transformative national university redefining liberal arts education through innovation.

For more information please visit charleston.edu.

REPORTS/RELATIONSHIPS:
This position will report directly to ­­­­the President of the College of Charleston and serve on his Cabinet. The Chief Information Officer / Vice President of Information Technology will oversee the Division of Information Technology, directly supervising five full-time employees while indirectly supervising approximately 78 full-time employees.

BASIC FUNCTIONS:
The Chief Information Officer / Vice President for Information Technology (CIO/VP IT) will partner with other key leaders to integrate planning and service delivery while leading the ongoing commitment to support and promote the strategic use of information technology to advance the overall mission vision and values of the College.

The scope of the role necessitates a high level of familiarity with the various constituent needs across the organization and a commitment to the personal engagement necessary to meet the diverse needs of all units. The position is responsible for anticipating and maintaining a vision for future technology needs and for recommending strategies, priorities, and projects that will best achieve the College’s strategic goals and objectives.

The College seeks an established leader who, in collaboration with leadership faculty, and staff, is prepared to develop and execute an IT strategy that drives continuous improvement and propels the College forward in enhancing student experience and effectively supporting the academic, research, and administrative functions.

Specific duties will include, but not necessarily be limited to:

• Serve as the senior technology leader for the College providing the vision and leadership for developing and implementing information technology strategies and initiatives to minimize duplication of functions and maximize efficiencies. The position scope is inclusive of all divisions and campus locations. College-wide shared services currently include student applications, finance, human resource systems and academic affairs.
• Lead the Division of Information Technology and be responsible for managing the centrally deployed services through units responsible for communication and training (ITCT), enterprise applications management (EAM), IT finance and planning, infrastructure services, portfolio management (PMO), information security and privacy, and support services delivery.
• Collaborate with College leadership, faculty, and staff to ensure the IT strategy meets the collective needs of key stakeholders.  

• Provide an Information Technology vision that enables the College to achieve its strategic priorities and brings new and fresh perspectives to the organization.
• Serve as the primary advocate and spokesperson for technology strategy.
• Creates a reliable and secure infrastructure upon which enterprise applications, learning technologies, and research computing exist.
• Create and foster a culture of IT service excellence while structuring services and functions in a transparent and collegial manner.
• Create and maintain effective governance in collaboration with each function’s business owner, recognizing the responsibility that IT bears for acting as an effective connector between the university’s community of key stakeholders, enabling them to interact with each other and the Division of Information Technology.
• Partner with faculty and academic leadership to upgrade the effectiveness and efficiency of the College’s instructional and research programs through creative and prudent applications of technology.
• Manage the division’s functions and services in a timely, high-quality, and cost-effective manner consistent with the values and strategic plan of the College.
• Ensure the recruitment, retention, development, and evaluation of highly qualified personnel to support IT operations.
• Develop budget plans and prioritize efforts to provide highly reliable services while also responding to requests for new services and enhancement of existing services.
• Supervise the acquisition and inventory of all computer hardware, software, and networking facilities; serve as the senior contact for vendors of computing hardware and software, participate in contract negotiations, and coordinate large technology purchases, site licenses and volume purchasing agreements.
• Participate in capital project planning and expansion to ensure the technology needs of the College community are anticipated and met.
• Drive collaboration across the organization, and promote cooperation, integrated planning, and professional relationships that strengthen opportunities to share solutions to meet common needs and leverage the collective investments across the organization.
• Actively monitor developments in technology to ensure that the College is aware of and implements innovative and value-driven solutions for its needs.
• Develop and implement policies and practices to safeguard the College’s technology infrastructure and data.
• Represent the College and participate in personal professional development that promotes strategic growth.
  
  

REQUIREMENTS:

• At least seven years’ experience leading an IT unit at an institution of higher education or organization of similar size and complexity.
• Proven record of successful information technology implementation and management experience in progressively more responsible positions within complex organizational environments.
• Comprehensive understanding of how colleges and universities work, with an in-depth knowledge of the technological demands of delivering first-class service to an academic community.
• Experience managing a complex infrastructure environment and delivering reliable services to diverse user populations (such as, students, faculty, administrators, and staff), each with high expectations.
• Experience managing compliance/cybersecurity/privacy/information security needs in complex organizations, with expertise in implementing scalable, proactive solutions that safeguard data and ensure resilience across the enterprise.
• In-depth knowledge of current and emerging technologies, including automation, machine learning, and AI, with demonstrable experience and evidence of successfully introducing emerging technologies within organizations.
• Demonstration of being a highly engaged leader with evidence of active participation with peers within previous organizational leadership teams, and demonstrated commitment to fostering and maintaining a service-oriented culture within IT.
• Demonstrated ability to manage large, complex budgets for personnel, capital, and operating expenses.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to interact effectively with constituents at all levels of the College.
• Master’s degree or equivalent education.
  
  

COMPENSATION:
Compensation will be commensurate with experience including a competitive base salary and competitive benefits package.

NOMINATIONS / APPLICATIONS:
Applications will be received and considered until the position is filled. Nominations should include the nominee’s full name, position, institution/organization, and email address. Applications should consist of the following documents, to be submitted electronically in .pdf format: 1) a detailed letter of interest; 2) a full resume/curriculum vitae with relevant administrative responsibilities and accomplishments; and 3) a list of five professional references, including names, phone numbers, and email addresses, noting the candidate’s relationship with each reference. References will not be contacted until later in the search process and only with the candidate’s permission.

To apply, make a nomination, provide a referral, or for additional information, please use the contact information below. To apply, submit the three application documents described above to:

Coleman Lew Canny Bowen
Chris Shade, Consultant
[email protected]
704.927.5310