Director of Technology
The Swain School, a Preschool through grade 8 independent school located in the Lehigh Valley area of southeastern Pennsylvania, seeks a dynamic, collaborative, flexible, and goal-oriented Director of Technology to lead and oversee all technology-related components of the school. The ideal candidate for this position must have equal parts strategic capacity and operational acumen and should be effective at collaborating and executing with teams throughout the organization.
The Director of Technology position provides core leadership in leveraging technology as a tool to enhance the education of students. The Director of Technology is responsible for the overall development, implementation, operation, monitoring, and evaluation of The Swain School’s technology infrastructure and resources. This includes directing all technology functions, as well as the support and maintenance of existing applications, hardware, and the development of new technical solutions. This individual works closely with students, faculty and staff to ensure the best, most effective use of technology.
The Director of Technology must enjoy an entrepreneurial environment in which they are part leader and part learner. Most important, this position requires an educator who will change and evolve to meet the needs of students and constantly be striving to evolve their practice and embrace the spirit of being a self-motivated learner.
Responsibilities
- Supervise the Database Manager, Technology Integration Specialist, and Tech Support Staff who manage:
- technology support system, provide daily services and support for hardware
- security controls, including firewall, filtering
- network performance, detection, and intrusion
- phone and security systems installation, configuration, and maintenance
- user accounts (G+Suite Admin, Active Directory)
- networked printers, copiers, and scanners
- lab environments and mobile workstations
- Understand best practices and policies to ensure the most effective use of school technology resources (copyright, privacy, digital citizenship, other national standards)
- Explore educational technology-related trends and plans for future directions
- Manage budget including purchasing, inventory, contracts, and vendor relationships
- Participate in relevant committees or task forces
- Foster relationships with other schools (distance learning, resource sharing)
- Maintain open and timely communications with supervisor, administrative team, faculty, and staff
- Communicate with students, parents, and larger community about technology initiatives
- Provide effective training and support to a diverse community of faculty, staff, and students
- Teach digital citizenship, coding, and possibly other content areas, as needed
Qualifications
- Experience in K-12 education, with specific focus on working with students, faculty, staff and parents
- Knowledge of the basics of network and systems security
- Strong communications skills, written and verbal
- Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects at once
- Strong technical and analytical skills
- Strong project management and organizational skills
- Growth mindset – has a strong PLC network, is curious and driven to learn
- Bachelor’s degree in IS/IT/CS/MIS/ or education
- Additional education and industry certifications encouraged