Chief Information Officer

Louisiana State University and A&M College (LSU) invites applications for the position of Associate Vice President for Information Technology Services (ITS) and Chief Information Officer (CIO). The CIO will lead the university-wide strategic use of information technology to promote success in academics and research, provide excellent service and support to all constituents at LSU, and ensure effective and efficient administrative functions. The CIO will lead and manage the LSU Information Technology Services (ITS) portfolio, including: enterprise architecture, networking, telecommunications, security, server/system administration, classroom and lab technology, academic and administrative computing, business intelligence, governance, and ancillary support functions. The CIO reports directly to the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

About LSU

LSU serves Louisiana, the region, the nation, and the world through extensive, multipurpose programs encompassing instruction, research, and public service. The University brings in more than $150 million annually in research grants and contracts, a significant factor for the Louisiana economy. LSU represents the largest institution of higher education in the state of Louisiana and is the only public university in the state to be designated a Carnegie Research University with Very High Research Activity. Among a handful of distinguished universities to enjoy land, sea, and space grant status, LSU offers vital research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students as it transforms new technology and lends expertise to solving endemic problems. Among institutions of higher education, LSU is uniquely situated to provide a rich educational experience. The University boasts record-breaking numbers of high achieving freshman students from underrepresented minorities indicating our commitment to diversity. The University’s success as the Flagship campus has been attained not only by harnessing the intellectual capital of its faculty and students, but also by leveraging the geographic and cultural capital found only in Louisiana. The University is guided by LSU Strategic Plan 2025, which identifies the following strategic opportunities over the coming years:

• Transforming education;

• Developing leaders;

• Cultivating diversity and inclusion;

• Fostering research and catalyzing economic development;

• Bridging the coast, energy, and environment;

• Advancing arts and culture;

• Improving health and wellbeing;

• Encouraging career excellence and enrichment;

• Establishing a culture of service and operational excellence; and

• Supporting student success.

Some highlights from our outstanding programs include:

• The College of Science is the top producer of African American PhDs and women PhDs in chemistry in the U.S.

• LSU’s School of Veterinary Medicine is one of only 30 accredited colleges of veterinary medicine in the U.S.

• LSU’s master’s degree program in ceramics is ranked seventh overall and fifth among public universities in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2017 Best Graduate Schools rankings.

• LSU’s Flores MBA Program is No. 36 among public institutions and No. 69 overall in U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 edition of “America’s Best Graduate Schools-Business Schools.”

• The Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture's graduate program is ranked third in the nation by Designlntelligence magazine.

• LSU is a member of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) Scientific Collaboration, a dynamic group of scientists from around the globe collaborating to detect and study gravitational waves. LIGO’s Louisiana facility first detected gravitational waves in 2015, proving Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity in a groundbreaking discovery that contributed to the Nobel Prize in 2017.

• Through the College of Engineering, LSU is the only university in North America where future petroleum engineers can get hands-on training in oil well control at the Petroleum Engineering Research & Technology Transfer Laboratory.

The Community

Situated on the Mississippi River, Baton Rouge represents the best of Louisiana's vibrant culture. The state capital is a diverse and thriving city that is home to both LSU and Southern University and numerous businesses and industrial facilities. Known for its great people, its unique food, and its lively music, the “Red Stick” has something for everyone. The Baton Rouge area offers an excellent selection of both public schools, including five of the top ten public school districts in the state, and private schools, including several of the top ones in the country.  Choose Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce and Visit Baton Rouge, are fantastic resources for all things Baton Rouge.

The State of Louisiana has received numerous accolades in recent years, including:

• Ranking No. 2 in the nation for private sector job growth in the South based on data from the US Bureau of Labor in 2015;

• Ranking No.6 for low student loan debt following graduation in 2017 according to U.S. News;

• Being named No. 7 in the nation for best living environment in the 2014 ranking of Best & Worst States for Business by Chief Executive magazine;

• Ranking No. 1 nationwide in ACT score gains in 2015, according to Greater Baton Rouge Business Report; and

• Being named No. 13 in the nation for affordable living and good jobs for new college graduates in the 2017 ranking of 50 Best Cities for New College Grads by MONEY magazine

The Opportunity

The CIO position offers a remarkable opportunity for a senior information technology professional to provide leadership and vision in the changing landscape of higher education at a university that is strong and stable, focused on the future, and committed to building an information technology program that fully supports the breadth of the university, including academic, research, and administrative areas.  This individual will establish the strategic direction for information technology at LSU by providing vision, leadership, strategic planning, and oversight in alignment with the university’s mission and strategic priorities. The CIO will have superior technical skills and work collegially in the development of innovative technology solutions. This leader will have a clear vision of the comprehensive role of information technology in higher education, including enterprise solutions, administrative functions, academic support, security, governance, and analytics. This person will have the ability to create synergy and to increase effectiveness by merging the various technology efforts across campus into a highly functioning center of service. The CIO will provide a continuous commitment to improving customer service and support while ensuring LSU ITS is attuned to faculty, staff, and student technology needs.

This position provides overall information technology leadership for enterprise solutions and collaboration across the LSU System (8 campuses total). The CIO will lead and manage a campus team of about 200 staff with an annual operating budget of over $27 million. The CIO provides effective leadership for all aspects of the technological architecture, security, networking, telecommunications, enterprise solutions, academic and administrative technology support, and integration ensuring that technology investments support LSU's strategic priorities. In addition, the CIO provides leadership for the Louisiana Optical Network Infrastructure (LONI), which is an asset owned by the Louisiana Board of Regents.

The CIO fosters a cohesive and collaborative high-performing diverse work environment that respects contributions of leadership, faculty, and staff across campus and the LSU System. Key to success in this role will be close collaboration with University leadership to establish value-added information technology services using innovative, cost-effective technologies to enhance the academic enterprise and to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness. Communications and providing consultative services to the leadership of LSU is an integral part of the CIO’s role.

The CIO will be forward-thinking and innovative in seeking appropriate solutions to meet campus and system expectations for the successful integration of modern information systems, including LSU’s ERP and legacy platforms. The CIO will provide leadership to develop an infrastructure that supports a strong data governance model to provide an environment that enhances data-informed decision-making, compliance reporting capabilities, and analytics capacity.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead the development of a strategic vision for information technology services and solutions in alignment with the university’s mission and strategic priorities.

• Develop and organize technology talent that is structured to meet the strategic vision while ensuring exceptional support and service.

• Budgetary planning and management for the LSU ITS operating and capital budgets through which judicious and demonstrably productive use of resources is essential.

• Develop a culture that anticipates how technology can support and be incorporated to meet the needs of present and future faculty, students, and staff. Provide forward-thinking leadership to modernize LSU’s information technology system.

• Ensure appropriate policies and procedures across all facets of information technology.  

• Develop an analytics environment to support data-informed decision-making and compliance reporting requirements.

• Prevent IT security threats by identifying key vulnerabilities, creating internal awareness programs, and maintaining ongoing communication with top-level management.  Ensure the security of information technology systems and adherence to applicable laws and regulations.

• Enhance the information technology governance structure to ensure efficient and effective processes to evaluate, prioritize, and manage projects in a coordinated, appropriately secured, and sufficiently supported manner. Develop a model to evaluate information technology performance.

• Strengthen collaboration across the LSU System to enhance communication and to facilitate opportunities for shared efficiencies.  Shared services, consortia, and outsourcing should all be continually explored.

• Identify, manage, and report information technology risks.

• Manage an applications portfolio providing a rich information-reporting environment. This position is responsible for the integration of academic and administrative systems.

• Balance the need for vision/planning with continual service/operations improvement and major transformation/innovation projects.

• Lead significant infrastructure transformation across the enterprise.

• Create capacity to implement a Comprehensive Learner Record; utilizing field-based standards.

• Support LSU Online technical requirements, including applicable systems line the LMS, video hosting, digital badges, ePortfolios, integrated eTutoring system, etc.

• Develop and implement an organizational model that delivers exceptional quality service and support for all campus and LSU system stakeholders in an efficient and effective manner.

• Develop communication plans and strategies to provide timely updates to university leadership and others regarding information technology initiatives.  

• Represent the university on city, region, state, national, and private industry committees and councils and work with internal and external constituents on all matters related to information technology.

Position Qualifications
LSU seeks a collaborative, visionary leader with a record of progressive responsibilities and significant senior level management experience in a complex information technology environment with an ability to align fiscal and human resources effectively to meet strategic priorities. The candidate shall demonstrate:

• a strong understanding of the business and technical aspects of information technology in an academic and research-intensive setting;

• evidence of collaborative efforts in supporting the organization to meet strategic goals;

• knowledge of emerging technologies, best practices, regulatory requirements, and change management strategies; 

• a commitment to establishing an analytics platform to support decision-making and reporting requirements across all facets of the institution and the LSU System;

• experience with executing large scale system and data environment transformation as well as migration between platforms;

• an ability to communicate effectively across differing audiences;

• a commitment to providing high-quality support across the organization and exceptional customer service;

• an ability to develop meaningful metrics to assess and report information technology performance; and

• a commitment to staff development and related strategies for success.

Minimum Qualifications: Master’s degree and significant IT leadership experience in managing cross-functional information technology teams in a higher education organization.

LSU Values Diversity
Diversity is fundamental to LSU’s mission, and the university is committed to creating and maintaining a living and learning environment that embraces individual difference. Cultural inclusion is of highest priority. LSU recognizes that achieving national prominence depends on the human spirit, participation, and dedicated work of the entire university community. The LSU Strategic Plan will be realized by bringing together diverse ideas, perspectives, skills, and talents of the nation’s pre-eminent scholars, brightest students, and leading higher education professionals. Through its Commitment to Community, LSU strives to create an inclusive, respectful, and intellectually challenging climate that embraces individual difference in race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, spirituality, socio-economic status, disability, family status, experiences, opinions, and ideas. LSU proactively cultivates and sustains a campus environment that values open dialogue, cooperation, shared responsibility, mutual respect, and cultural competence–the driving forces that enrich and enhance cutting-edge research, first-rate teaching, and engaging community outreach activities.

Nominations, Applications and Inquiries

The search committee will review applications the week of March 17, 2020. However, in order to assure the fullest consideration, candidates are encouraged to have complete applications submitted by March 13, 2020, through the link on the LSU Careers website or scroll through the list of open positions until you get to Chief Information Officer, or type the position title into the search field.

Requested application materials include a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and the names, telephone numbers, and email addresses of at least five professional references. All applications, nominations, and inquiries will remain confidential to the extent allowed under Louisiana law. References will not be contacted until after the first screening of applications and then only after the applicant has given explicit permission. All application materials must be submitted electronically in Microsoft Word or PDF format. Salary will be competitive and commensurate with qualifications.  An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check.

Please direct all applications, nominations, and inquiries for the position to Lauren Foster, executive recruiter, LSU Office of Human Resource Management, at lfoster1@lsu.edu or Abby Simpson, talent acquisition partner, LSU Office of Human Resource Management, at asimpson1@lsu.edu

LSU IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/EQUAL ACCESS EMPLOYER