Job Description
To serve as one of three Directors of Information Technology who provides District-wide leadership, vision, direction and support in a specialized area of information technology to further the goals of the District; as director in the area of Administrative Systems, conceptualize, plan, develop, staff, implement, support, modify, enhance and improve a wide range of District-wide systems and applications software that cross functional boundaries and provide stability, reliability and continuity of District-wide services; provide direction and coordination for special projects and associated vendor partnerships; provide focus and attention in the innovative use of technologies, which enhance the service orientation and competitive position of the District.
To foster a culture of collaboration, mutual respect, innovation, and continuous improvement throughout the District; lead by example; actively participate in and support District-wide participatory governance components and activities and other collaborative processes; encourage professional excellence among the staff and promote an organizational culture of customer service, innovation, and quality services.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED:
Receive general direction from the Vice Chancellor of Technology & Learning Services or Chancellor’s designee.
Exercise functional and technical supervision over internal and contracted staff as assigned.
Provides training and technical work direction to members of special project committees as required.
Knowledge of:
- Budget preparation and control.
- Community college mission and functions.
- Cost/benefit analysis techniques.
- Current concepts, principles, practices and procedures of design, advanced systems analysis, application programming and data administration.
- Current concepts, principles, practices and procedures of project management, software engineering, computer-assisted software engineering (CASE) tools and information management.
- Current information technology capabilities, characteristics, systems, and practices.
- Documentation standards and procedures.
- Interpersonal skills including tact, patience and diplomacy.
- Latest trends, including multimedia design and development techniques.
- Mission, functions, operations, administrative programs, activities and services of a community college district, including human resources, budget and accounting, purchasing, payroll, staffing, admissions, registration, student records, matriculation, and financial aid.
- Modern information technology capabilities, trends, characteristics, systems, hardware and software.
- Oral and written communication skills, including public speaking and presentation.
- Principles of administration, supervision and training.
- Project management theory and practice.
- State and federal laws and District policies affecting information technology.
- State and federal reporting requirements.
- Systems analysis, design and programming.
Ability to:
- Analyze complex situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action.
- Assure compliance with State and federal laws and District policies.
- Communicate clearly, concisely and effectively, both orally and in writing, with diverse constituencies within and outside of the District.
- Demonstrate competent use of computers, including project management, personal productivity and basic office software.
- Effectively plan, develop, implement and evaluate programs, services and activities for area of assignment.
- Encourage professional excellence among the staff and promote an organizational culture of customer service, innovation, and quality services.
- Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
- Evaluate emerging technologies and make recommendations relating to their use within the District.
- Identify, evaluate and resolve complex system problems.
- Interface with user groups to determine and develop computer solutions to administrative issues and information needs.
- Interpret, apply and explain District policies and legal regulations and requirements.
- Lead and facilitate group meetings effectively.
- Lead design teams related to developing new or improved administrative IT systems and software.
- Lead special projects related to developing new or improved information technology systems.
- Maintain current knowledge of technological advances in the field.
- Monitor the work of external contractors and assure conformance to contract requirements.
- Organize, coordinate and manage complex projects.
- Prepare and present complex ideas and processes both orally and in written form.
- Prepare and present reports and recommendations.
- Provide information and direction to others with varying levels of information technology knowledge.
- Provide leadership in envisioning, conceptualizing, planning and developing new or improved IT systems and software for District and colleges.
- Sort through technical issues and develop cost-effective, effective and reliable solutions.
- Train, supervise and evaluate the performance of assigned personnel.
- Understand and effectively and collaboratively work in a complicated multi-college environment, as well as within a system of community college districts.
- Use independent judgment to plan and accomplish goals.
Education and Experience Guidelines:
- Any combination of education and experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying.
Experience:
More than five years of increasingly responsible management experience directly-related to systems analysis, design, development, programming, software engineering, data administration and information management which demonstrates an ability to manage complex technical projects and assigned staff in a large organization, including or supplemented by at least two years of experience with higher education information systems. Teaching experience in higher education is also desirable.
Job Requirements
- Duties and Responsibilities
- Provide leadership in assigned area of technology; develop goals, objectives, priorities, policies and procedures for all areas of assignment; initiate and oversee the development and/or implementation of innovative online systems throughout their lifecycle, from strategic definition to end-of-life planning.
- Establish and maintain the creative vision and direction for IT online services, products and programs related to the administrative infrastructure; select the appropriate combination of development tools and computing platforms to meet requirements of tactical and strategic plans.
- Evaluate emerging technologies, make strategic decisions and provide the District with short- and long-range tactical and strategic technology plans related to administrative information systems and services.
- Work with District administrators to finance and plan major projects to meet user needs and requirements; independently determine major project requirements, such as type of technology to use, system features, deployment dates, and availability of online services; develop product strategies for online services; translate administrative needs into new or revised features and services; promote new systems and services to the user community.
- Provide leadership to special project committees related to identifying technology needs; interface with user groups to determine and develop solutions to administrative issues and information needs; act as a user advocate; propose and promote new projects to meet identified needs.
- Conceptualize new or improved administrative information systems and software after observing a pattern of problems or requests through a review of feedback about implemented systems from internal users, such as administrators, managers, and classified staff.
- Select design team participants, considering employees from affected departments and levels of the District from data entry clerks to administrators; lead the work of the design team; coordinate team assignments, activities and timelines and manage the involvement and efforts of team members.
- Design, develop, produce, implement and evaluate systems and software that implement the policies of the District and colleges; analyze system capabilities and recommend or assist in developing new policies that take advantage of the latest technology and systems.
- Supervise and review the work of professional and technical staff assigned to assist in developing or modifying administrative IT systems, including system analysis, design, programming, testing, installation and maintenance of special application software projects; ensure that staff has the proper skills, training, tools, and work environment to complete the assigned tasks; schedule and review activities to ensure that work is completed in a timely and appropriate manner.
- Provide senior administrators and other District personnel with regular updates on projects and activities; interact directly with policy-level administrators to request policy interpretation or to request new or revised policies; communicate directly with appropriate administrator or designee to resolve situations unique to administrative systems.
- Manage projects, ensuring successful delivery according to approved specifications, timelines and budgets; when service interruptions must occur to implement new features and patches, determine severity of the interruption, decide on the implementation process and communicate it to all affected parties.
- Maintain and modify existing systems to improve and update them; coordinate production jobs with appropriate staff to ensure that production jobs are executing correctly; review performance of systems servers and work with department staff to make modifications as necessary to ensure reliable systems with maximum uptime.
- Demonstrate prototypes of new, revised or updated systems to groups of affected parties to receive input and to encourage use of system; perform regular workshops and in-services for District staff.
- Represent and promote the District at local, State and national educational and technology conferences; develop and present workshops at local, regional, State and national conferences as requested.
- Develop partnerships with vendors and other colleges and universities to help further the goals of the district.
- Propose, negotiate, implement and maintain contracted agreements; coordinate, monitor and evaluate the work of external contractors, ensuring the timely completion of contracted work as required.
- Develop and administer assigned budgets; forecast annual budget requirements for administrative IT infrastructure, including systems, software development and staffing; develop and implement co-funding processes; approve, monitor and control expenditures of funds for assigned budget(s).
- Perform related duties as assigned.