Director of Information Technology

Miss Porter’s School seeks a visionary, accomplished, creative and transformative IT leader to be the next Director of Information Technology. The Director will be responsible for providing leadership for the planning, development, integration and administration of all technology in the school. The Director will have excellent communication skills and the ability to support and collaborate with faculty, students and staff of varied technical skills. The Director is expected to be a working manager and in collaboration with the IT staff articulate and execute operational procedures to provide excellent technical support. The position reports to the Chief Financial and Operating Officer and works closely with the Head of School and other senior administrators to meet the school’s information technology needs in support of the overall mission of the school. In collaboration with other senior leaders, the Director also will assist in major emerging areas of concern such as data governance and data and network security.

Major Responsibilities:

• Work with all the school’s constituents to ensure technology is being used appropriately and efficiently within the academic community; serve as visible ambassador of the use of technology across all constituents; promotes a “client-centered” support atmosphere.
• Develop and execute a strategic plan for technology at the school, aligned with the school’s overall strategic directions. This plan should be forward thinking and provide clarity and direction for academic computing, administrative computing and infrastructure at the school.
• Define and communicate IT department plans, policies, and standards for the school for acquiring, implementing, and operating IT systems; establish IT department goals, objectives, and operating procedures in line with the strategic plan.
• Provide leadership to IT staff and develop collaborations with other faculty and staff in the various departments. Develop possibilities for such collaborations through networking events, presentations by technology leaders both from the school and from elsewhere as well as seek funding for leading edge experimentations in the use of technology in teaching and learning.
• Provide support for all software, hardware, network, telecommunication and copier/printers in the school with the IT staff and in coordination with external vendors.
• Manage technology budget(s) and be fiscally responsible; identify opportunities for the appropriate and cost-effective investment of financial resources in IT systems and resources, including staffing, sourcing, purchasing, and in-house development.
• Assess and communicate risks associated with IT investments; develop cost/benefit analyses for IT spending and capital initiatives.
• Participate in strategic and operational governance processes of the organization as member of the CFOO’s leadership team. Develop and maintain a strategic plan for both academic and administrative operations.
• Manage technology-related contracts and vendor relationships, ensuring continuous delivery of IT services through oversight of service level agreements.
• Serve as chair for the Technology Collaboration Committee.
• Oversee development of a training program to improve skill set of faculty and staff.

Requirements:

• A Bachelor’s degree in a field appropriate for this position or related degree is strongly preferred; or an equivalent combination of work experience and training.  A minimum of ten years relevant experience in a senior IT leadership and management role in a complex independent school or college/university is preferred.
• Current and in-depth knowledge of network architecture, telecommunication, systems, wireless, mobile and cloud technologies.
• Experience with Microsoft and Apple operating systems and devices, Enterasys infrastructure, VoIP, and BYOD; knowledge of administrative and academic database systems (e.g. BlackBaud, Magnus Health, etc.) would be a strong plus.

The successful candidate has a sense of humor, a proven ability to build relationships, and a strong desire to work in a demanding boarding school environment. Previous experience in staff supervision, project management, expanding and enhancing the use of technology to support the needs of a growing organization and prioritizing work projects are important. Strong leadership, interpersonal and customer service skills are necessary to work effectively with a variety of constituents, including students, faculty, staff and the Board of Trustees.

The ideal candidate can rapidly identify and address critical IT issues; react quickly and calmly in times of emergency, prepare and present effective written and oral reports; navigate a project from concept to completion on a timely basis, and ensure proper management and operation of the campus network and related infrastructure. Primary residence must be within 50 miles of campus; campus housing is not provided.

Essential Physical Requirements:

Interested candidates should send via electronic mail a cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to:
 

careers@missporters.org