Associate CIO / Executive Director of IT Services

The Associate CIO provides onsite leadership and oversight at a single higher education client campus within a Managed Services delivery model.  Working directly with our client’s Chief Information Officer (CIO), this role serves as the client's Executive Director of Enterprise Applications providing hands-on operational leadership, coordination, and operational oversight of enterprise applications and infrastructure services, with a particular emphasis on Enterprise Applications and Ellucian Colleague™ ERP environments.  

This position functions as both a strategic partner and an active, day-to-day operational leader, serving as the primary Managed Services leader on campus. The Associate CIO ensures technology services are aligned with institutional priorities, while also providing direct leadership, direction, and escalation support to enterprise applications teams, particularly those supporting Colleague, and actively interfacing with the CampusWorks Centers of Excellence and Client Success teams and broader campus community.   

The ideal candidate is a collaborative and service-oriented IT leader with strong Enterprise Applications leadership experience, deep knowledge of Ellucian Colleague™ ERP, and the ability to lead by doing in a complex higher education technology and managed services provider environments.  

Responsibilities:

Client Relationship & Operational Leadership 

• Serve as the primary Managed Services leader embedded on campus, operating as a visible, trusted, and engaged technology partner. This is a hands-on Executive Director role, combining executive presence, operational ownership, and direct involvement in day-to-day technology leadership. Operate as the primary on-site leader and escalation point for Managed Services, balancing strategic oversight with active operational participation. 

• Build and maintain strong relationships with campus leadership, departmental stakeholders, faculty, and staff. 

• Partner closely with the client CIO to support institutional priorities and operational technology planning. 

• Translate institutional objectives into actionable operational technology initiatives and support plans. 

• Participate in institutional governance, operational planning, and leadership meetings as appropriate. 

• Communicate operational risks, service impacts, project updates, and technology recommendations effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. 

• Ensure alignment between Managed Services delivery standards and client expectations. 

• Promote a culture of accountability, responsiveness, collaboration, and customer service excellence. 

Enterprise Applications Leadership 

• Provide primary operational and functional for enterprise applications and institutional systems.

• Coordinate support activities related to: 

• ERP/SIS platforms 

• Enterprise integrations and middleware 

• SaaS platforms 

• Database environments 

• Reporting and analytics platforms 

• Application lifecycle and release management 

• Partner with institutional stakeholders to prioritize operational support needs, enhancements, and system improvements. 

• Coordinate vendor relationships and support escalations related to enterprise applications. 

• Support enterprise system modernization and optimization initiatives. 

• Serve as the on-site Executive sponsor and day-to-day leader for the Colleague ERP environment.  

• Provide hands-on leadership and strategic direction to Enterprise Applications teams supporting Colleague and related systems.  

• Act as the primary bridge between functional campus stakeholders and enterprise application technical teams, ensuring solutions align with institutional needs.  

• Guide enterprise application roadmap discussions in partnership with campus leadership and Managed Services Centers of Excellence.  

• Support application team growth, maturity, and operational excellence, balancing oversight with direct engagement. 

Infrastructure Services Leadership 

• Provide leadership and operational oversight for institutional infrastructure services and technology operations.   

• Ensure availability, performance, reliability, and operational stability of core technology systems and services. 

• Coordinate operational support and planning for: 

• Network infrastructure 

• Server and storage environments 

• Cloud infrastructure and hosted services 

• Microsoft 365 and collaboration platforms 

• Identity and access management 

• Endpoint management solutions 

• Backup and disaster recovery systems 

• Telecommunications and unified communications platforms 

• Virtualization and infrastructure platforms 

• Lead infrastructure lifecycle planning, operational maintenance activities, and modernization initiatives. 

• Coordinate operational escalation and incident management activities. 

• Ensure operational documentation, standards, and procedures are maintained and updated. 

Managed Services Coordination & Service Delivery 

• Coordinate with centralized Centers of Excellence (CoEs) to ensure effective service delivery and operational support. 

• Collaborate across infrastructure, applications, security, help desk, and project management teams to support institutional technology needs. 

• Monitor operational performance, service quality, and adherence to contractual obligations and service expectations. 

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on operational maturity, efficiency, and customer experience. 

• Assist with implementation and adoption of standardized operational processes, procedures, and tooling. 

• Support operational reporting, service reviews, and KPI tracking activities. 

Cybersecurity & Compliance 

• Partner with institutional and Managed Services security leadership to support cybersecurity initiatives and operational security practices. 

• Assist with vulnerability remediation, patch management coordination, and operational security planning. 

• Support compliance efforts related to: 

• FERPA 

• GLBA 

• PCI-DSS 

• Cybersecurity insurance and audit requirements 

• Participate in incident response coordination and operational recovery efforts. 

• Promote security awareness and operational best practices across technology services. 

Leadership & Staff Development 

• Provide director leadership and mentoring to on-site teams and service delivery resources. 

• Build and mature a high-performing team where growth and transformation are required. 

• Foster a collaborative and customer-focused team environment. 

• Support staffing coordination, resource planning, and workload prioritization activities. 

• Assist with employee performance management, coaching, and professional development efforts. 

• Encourage continuous improvement, operational accountability, and knowledge sharing. 

Financial & Vendor Management 

• Assist with operational budget planning and technology forecasting activities. 

• Support technology procurement, vendor management, and contract coordination activities. 

• Participate in lifecycle planning and operational cost management efforts. 

• Coordinate vendor relationships, support escalations, and service reviews. 

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business, or a related field required. 

• Minimum of 7 years of progressive IT leadership experience. 

• Significant experience leading or supporting Ellucian Colleague ERP environments in a higher education setting. 

• Demonstrated ability to operate as a working executive leader, balancing strategic leadership hands-on operational responsibility 

• Experience leading enterprise infrastructure and enterprise application operations. 

• Experience working within complex operational technology environments. 

• Experience supporting executive-level stakeholders and organizational leadership. 

• Strong understanding of higher education technology operations and service delivery models. 

Preferred:

• Master’s degree preferred. 

• Experience as a Director of Enterprise Applications or similar role, ready to step into broader executive leadership responsibility. 

• Alternatively, experience as a CIO or senior IT leader with deep Colleague expertise seeking an on-site, operationally focused leadership role later in career. 

• Experience working in a Managed Services experience environment. 

• Experience working within matrixed operational organizations. 

• Experience supporting enterprise modernization and cloud transformation initiatives.