Chief Information Officer

This newly created position was developed to align information technology and library services in support of the mission and strategic initiatives of the college. The Chief Information Officer will lead 22 full-time faculty and staff, including librarians, information technology specialists, and supporting staff, and manage an operating budget of 4 million dollars. The successful candidate will oversee library and technology services supporting all academic and administrative functions, including educational technology, networks, telecommunications, and individual and unit-level administrative resources. The Chief Information Officer will work within a dual reporting system to both the Chief Operating Officer and the Provost, and serve on the President’s Cabinet.

Key priorities of the position:
• Establish a bold strategic direction for library and information technology services, identifying and deploying the infrastructure, products and services necessary to answer the college’s learning, teaching, research, and administrative needs. This vision should incorporate emerging technology trends and support planning to anticipate potential problems and identify solutions.
• Assure that the library and information technology staff work together seamlessly to maximize the quality and efficiency of their service. Foster a culture of collaboration and shared goals with campus partners in the delivery of innovative, client-focused, and financially sustainable information technology solutions.
• Advance the essential role of library and information technology services by providing leadership, planning, and overall management of human, financial, scholarly and infrastructure resources. Assess and develop the skills, abilities and expertise of librarians and staff to build a positive service-oriented culture with excellent outcomes.
• Develop and monitor the library’s budget to ensure appropriate expenditure of funds to maintain a collection that supports the curriculum and provides for the technology required to facilitate access to information resources.
• Provide an environment that encourages staff in continuous improvement, learning and development of new skills to serve the college’s educational mission.
• Establish an integrated digital footprint with a robust and secure infrastructure that enables research and learning regardless of the constituents’ location. The infrastructure must support interactive design, the development of new web and mobile applications and build upon new initiatives in data analytics and collaborative learning environments.
• Ensure that Alma’s information systems integrate securely and efficiently with external partners.
• Participate actively and collaboratively on the President’s Cabinet, providing strategic and operational guidance on the planning, program, and resources necessary to address the college’s information technology and library needs.

Qualifications:
The successful candidate must be an action-oriented manager with a proven track record of successful organizational and technical leadership within information technology. The college expects the Chief Information Officer to be an inspirational and innovative leader, an exceptional verbal and written communicator, a strategic decision-maker and budget manager, a trustworthy and ethical collaborator, a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, and an active and engaged member of the community.
Minimum requirements include:
• Ten years of professional leadership experience in information technology and/or library services management, with at least three years in a senior management role.
• A master’s degree in a relevant field from an accredited institution with evidence of continued scholarship and/or professional accomplishment in library services, computer science, information science, data analytics or a related field.
• Significant fiscal experience.
• Broad knowledge of current computing and communications technology, including digital networks, multi-media applications, distributed computing, integrated library systems, hardware and software infrastructure and cloud-based services.
• Knowledge of legal issues and risks related to cyber security, privacy, intellectual property and copyrights.
• Commitment to the liberal arts with an understanding of the role of library services and academic technology in the teaching and learning environment.

Application Procedures
For full consideration, submissions should include:
• Letter of interest that responds to the leadership opportunities outlined in this document
• Resume
• Names, email addresses and phone numbers of four professional references. References will not be contacted without permission of the candidate.

Please submit application materials in PDF format to CIOsearch@alma.edu. Review of applications will begin June 1, 2018 and continue until the position is filled.

About Alma College:
Alma College is a private, independent four-year liberal arts college located in the city of Alma in the geographic center of Michigan. The mission of Alma College is to prepare graduates who will think critically, serve generously, lead purposefully and live responsibly as stewards of the world they bequeath to others. A Phi Beta Kappa institution, the college enrolls approximately 1400 undergraduate students from 30 states and eight foreign countries. Nearly all of Alma’s undergraduates are traditional college age and live on campus; they thrive on challenging academic programs in a supportive, small-college environment emphasizing active, collaborative learning and close student-faculty interaction. Programs at Alma College are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Alma College is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty, staff and student body.