Executive Director - IT Service Delivery and Academic Technology

City Colleges of Chicago’s vision is to be recognized as the city’s most accessible higher education engine of socioeconomic mobility and racial equity – empowering all Chicagoans to take part in building a stronger and more just city. The community college system’s more than 3,500 faculty and staff serve more than 60,000 students annually at seven colleges and five satellite sites.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE

Reporting to the Chief Information Officer (CIO), the Executive Director - IT Service Delivery and Academic Technology provides leadership and direction to the district -wide delivery of IT services and academic technology support, accountable for standardizing campus level IT departments, supporting academic technology processes, and aligning services with the strategic goals of the district’s colleges.

The Executive Director- IT Service Delivery and Academic Technology provides management oversight to district and college level managers in the optimization of IT operations, ensuring the effective integration of academic technology at the campuses, enhancements to user experiences, and the efficient delivery of reliable IT services across the district. Performs related duties as required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Core Duties

· Develops, directs, and oversees the delivery of consistent and reliable IT services district wide, ensuring that the needs of faculty, staff, and students are effectively met.

· Leads the development and implementation of IT service management (ITSM) frameworks, such as IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), to standardize processes and enhance service delivery.

· Establishes and maintains service level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure and improve IT services.

· Develops and implements standardized IT and academic technology processes across all colleges, leading initiatives for improvement while ensuring consistency, efficiency, and compliance with policies, regulations, and infrastructure and security standards.

· Communicates with College Presidents and administrative departments to assess and understand their technology needs, ensure services align with the colleges’ objectives, and identify and mitigate risks related to technology.

· Collaborates with academic leadership on the strategic planning and implementation of academic technology initiatives, ensuring alignment with the colleges’ educational goals. Supports learning management systems (LMS), classroom technology, and other instructional tools.

· Develops and executes strategic plans for implementing new technologies and systems that support the college's educational and administrative functions, in collaboration with the CIO and other IT Executive Directors.

· Provides leadership and direction to college-level IT Directors, ensuring alignment with IT service and academic technology strategy; sharing and implementing best practices; coordinating initiatives; and supporting staff professional development.

· Develops and implements web services and custom applications that integrate CCC’s core systems with public-facing websites, advancing strategic priorities. Oversees performance, ADA compliance, security, and user satisfaction, and establishes KPIs and measurement strategies.

· Oversees the budget and procurement of IT and academic technology services, hardware, and software, ensuring cost-effectiveness and standardization. Optimizes resources across campuses to meet varying IT and academic technology demands.

IT Portfolio Status Updates

· Provides monthly reports on the IT portfolio, highlighting project progress, risks, and key performance indicators.

· Maintains communications to ensure clear visibility into ongoing initiatives and resource allocation.

· Reviews and updates key project updates and financials on a monthly basis.

Budget and Financial Oversight

· Monitors the fiscal year budget, ensuring alignment with projected and actual expenditures.

· Tracks monthly payments and financial trends to maintain transparency and accountability in OIT spending.

· Proactively addresses any discrepancies or overruns and escalates unresolved issues promptly.

Board Report Management

· Prepares comprehensive reports for the Board, ensuring all data is thoroughly reviewed and validated.

· Compiles and provides data to the CIO or designee prior to the Chancellor's Preview meetings.

· Reviews procurement contracts and related documents and provides revisions in a timely fashion to Procurement Department and the Board Office prior to official Board meetings.

· Ensures all board materials are accurate, concise, and aligned with institutional priorities.

· Collaborates with cross-functional teams to gather necessary information and insights.

· Maintains a high standard of accuracy and clarity in all documentation.

· Adheres to CCC customer service excellence standards.

· Performs other related duties as assigned.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

Reports To Chief Information Officer (CIO)

Direct Supervision Director-Technology Customer Service and Support; Manager-Instructional Technology (Distance Learning); Manger-Online Academic Technology; Microsoft 365 Solution Architect; SharePoint Administrator

Indirect Supervision Director-Information Technology (College); Director-Information and Simulation Technology (MXC)

QUALIFICATIONS

· Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, preferably in Information Technology (IT) or related field

· Seven years of work experience in relevant areas of Information Systems and Technology

· An equivalent combination of education and experience may be taken into consideration

· Experience working in an IT Department within an institution of higher education strongly preferred

· Project management experience with proven project management skills

· Knowledge of academic technology tools and systems as they apply to instructional needs

· Knowledge of SharePoint administration

· Knowledge of help desk functions and service delivery

· Strong leadership, organization, and team management skills

· Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

· Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills

· Ability to work effectively with employees at all levels of the organization

· Ability to handle all situations with tact, persuasiveness, and diplomacy

· Ability to work within a culturally diverse environment

· Must be self-directed and innovative, with the ability to meet deadlines and manage time effectively

· Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams)