Director of Technology
Overview:
Since 1889, Ridley College has been located on 96 acres of stunning parkland in St. Catharines, Ontario – in the heart of the Niagara Peninsula. The College is made up of century-old buildings that are shoulder to shoulder with modern architecture. Ridley College is committed to creating an inspiring and nourishing workplace that enables our employees to advance the College’s vision and mission. Currently the College employs approximately 150 permanent employees and 75 temporary, seasonal and contractual employees.
The Director of Technology will be the School’s lead in developing and implementing a strategic information technology plan that is integral to the service and delivery strategy of Ridley as a leading-edge institution. Working closely with school learning teams and business office teams, the Director of Technology is responsible for integrating information technology into teaching and learning in our dynamic 21st century learning environment and student and parent experience.
As a member of the Leadership Team at the school, the Director of Technology is responsible for setting strategic direction, managing an information technology team and identifying, policy development and implementation, selecting and implementing appropriate technology solutions to enhance teaching, learning and the student and parent experience.
Responsibilities:
Business and Strategy
Works closely with all members of the Ridley community to support the School’s strategic direction by providing vision and leadership to identify, select and implement technology solutions to meet the business and academic needs of the School.
Collaborate with faculty to identify, create and implement educational technology initiatives for the delivery of the school’s curriculum.
Ensure that enterprise, business and data architectures are aligned with the business strategy.
Establish criteria to prioritize IT needs within the allocated budget, and oversee the development of project plans to deliver on priorities.
Have overall responsibility for the Information Technology budget.
Architecture and Infrastructure Management
Manage current technology infrastructure to ensure service levels are met to support school and operational needs and that key strategies and processes are supported.
Working with the Information Systems Manager, monitor and maintain all servers, network/wireless infrastructures, firewall and security issues, student information systems, data backup systems as well as all computers and related peripherals.
Establish and measure IT performance relative to cost, value creation and customer satisfaction in the key areas of operating systems, network management and desktop support.
Protect the school and its operations against IT risks, including unauthorized access to information, data
integrity, loss of processing capability, and poor service levels.
Develop and maintain a multi-year technology plan that simplifies business processes, standardizes technology platforms and enables growth and flexibility.
Manage and negotiate with technology providers. Oversee the selection process of learning technologies, e.g. tablets, laptops, cameras and software. Maintain an understanding of emerging trends in the use of instructional and administrative technologies
People Management, Projects and Communications
Manage a small team of internal resources. Coordinate the activities and evaluate the job performance of each team member .
Ensure IT resources are organized and deployed effectively and efficiently to meet the school’s strategic objectives.
Assist with increasing teacher understanding by developing and delivering specialized and flexible professional development.
Establish relationships and collaborate with teachers, administrators, and staff to identify needs in their areas and help define and implement innovative solutions.
Identify and develop project plans and budgets. Ensure that new projects include change management and training required.
Identify training gaps and develop and deliver effective IT training programs geared to all levels of the organization.
Skills, Experience and Essential Traits:
A bachelor’s degree in an appropriate field is required including formal training in business management and project management; a master’s degree is preferred.
A minimum of 7 - 10 years of experience in technology with a focus on management, strategy, communications and HR skills. Proven ability to lead a collaborative, efficient, collegial work team. An understanding of the Academic setting would be an asset but is not mandatory
Professionalism, energy, passion and commitment necessary to achieve the responsibilities of this position.
Excellent interpersonal skills. Creative problem solving skills coupled with good judgment. The ability to communicate clearly in written and oral forms with a diversity of constituents.
The successful candidate will have a proven track record of effectively coaching and mentoring staff, and will be an exceptional communicator, with deep knowledge of the role that technology plays in enhancing outstanding teaching and transformational learning.
Excellent communication skills including presentation, business writing, and listening skills.
Able to set goals and manage multiple projects and initiatives.
Experience with current common office administrative applications and operating systems is desired. Strong knowledge of systems architecture and database standards would be preferred. Experience with applications specific to an academic institution would be useful but is not mandatory.
She/he will possess an in-depth knowledge of IT trends and innovations, including online instruction, web development, cloud computing, network security, outsourcing, and database management.
Deadline for applications is March 16, 2018.
Please Note: Ridley College is committed to providing accommodation for persons with disabilities. Please see the AODA section of our website at, www.ridleycollege.com for further details or contact our Human Resources department for any information in an alternate format.