Director of Technology

About The Hockaday School:

The Hockaday School is an independent, college preparatory day and boarding school for girls of strong potential and diverse backgrounds who may be expected to assume positions of responsibility and leadership in a rapidly changing world. With an enrollment over 1,100 students, The Hockaday School is the nation’s largest prekindergarten through grade 12 independent girls’ school. Ranked among the country’s finest college preparatory schools, it was founded over a century ago and continues today to build on its original Four Cornerstones: Character, Courtesy, Scholarship, and Athletics.

Hockaday’s faculty are recognized as experienced leaders in their field and students in every grade benefit from outstanding faculty and access to unmatched resources. Families who choose Hockaday care deeply about providing their daughters with a comprehensive and rigorous education, both inside and outside the classroom. Hockaday’s student body reflects the diversity that is deeply valued by the School. While most Hockaday families come from across the great Dallas-Fort Worth area, Hockaday students also come from across the United States and around the world.

The Hockaday School is an extraordinary place to work, with bright and engaged students and unparalleled professional development opportunities and support.

Position Description:

We seek a creative and experienced school leader who possesses excellent organizational, written, and verbal communication skills; the ability to supervise people and manage programs; and will be a catalyst within the community to create a dynamic and forward-thinking learning environment for the exponentially changing world our students are already experiencing. The Director will be responsible for the technology infrastructure of The Hockaday School and will ensure that the infrastructure and systems effectively support an innovative academic program and the School’s daily operations. This individual will be responsible for implementing technology solutions for a 21st century learning environment, including the increased use of cloud computing and mobile technologies. The Director must be able to forecast and manage several complex budgets. The ideal candidate should be approachable and embrace a collaborative work environment. An understanding of Windows, MacOS, Cisco Networking environments, current network/server technologies, data backup strategies, and security issues is extremely important. The Director will represent the School locally and nationally and cultivate relationships with other key institutions, including other independent schools, ISAS, NAIS, NCGS, and One Schoolhouse.

Essential Functions:

• Abide by Hockaday’s Code of Ethics and Conduct

• Commit to the ideals expressed in Hockaday’s Tenets of Staff Excellence

• Under the supervision of the Chief Operations Officer, oversee all operations of the technology department, including the hiring, supervision, evaluation, and growth of all technology staff.

• Assess the effectiveness of, and lead efforts to improve, the School’s implementation of technology tools for instructional and operational purposes

• In partnership with the Division Heads, oversee integration the integration of technology into the curriculum and assist in the development and implementation of classes and integrated units in areas of technology skills, applied technology, computer science, and related topics

• Manage the deployment of IT infrastructure, hardware, and systems

• Design, manage, and evaluate training and professional development opportunities for faculty and staff

• Establish and evaluate technology policies, procedures, and processes in areas such as: end-user support, data management, network access, and content filtering

• Ensure IT security, purchasing, risk management, disaster recovery and planning processes are in place and receive regular review for currency and adequacy

• Manage vendor relationships, negotiate contracts, third-party installation projects, and manage purchasing to equip the School’s programs

• Develop multi-year school technology plan and conduct periodic reviews

• Assume responsibility for budgetary oversight of all technology operations

• Represent Hockaday locally and nationally and speak at technology meetings and conferences

• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications/Experience:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is a minimum requirement, though a graduate degree in Computer Science is highly desirable

• A minimum of 5 years’ experience leading departments and supervising employees, preferably in an educational institution, and/or in a department of technology

• Experience with technology planning and management in one or more of the following areas: enterprise IT, network management, client services, data and systems management, and instructional technology and design

• Experience designing, implementing, and overseeing professional development

Physical Requirements and Work Environment:

• Occasional prolonged and irregular hours; frequent standing, stooping, bending, kneeling, pushing and pulling; occasional lifting up to 50 pounds; prolonged use of computer and repetitive hand motions; work on call and after hours.

• Occasionally/frequently required to move around the office; works at a desk for extended periods of time; occasionally/frequently moves around campus, ascends ladders, etc.

• Sometimes works in a stressful environment, effectively dealing with a wide variety of challenges, deadlines, and a varied and diverse array of contacts with stamina to maintain attention to detail despite interruptions