Chief Information Officer at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania

Job Description:

Chief Information Officer March 25th 2022

Allegheny College, a small selective national liberal arts college, invites applications for the position of Chief Information Officer. The position is a full-time, exempt position reporting to the Chief of Staff in the Office of the President.

The new CIO will be joining Allegheny College at a time of enormous opportunity and potential impact, as the campus engages in a transformative and data-informed strategic effort to improve student graduation and retention, increased research productivity and enhanced relationships with the local community. The selected candidate will play a significant role in achieving the campus strategic goals, rethinking and transforming the way the institution conceives, interprets and communicates and delivers data and subsequent decisions.

Position Summary

The Chief Information Officer provides overall vision and leadership for the college's Information Services. The position is responsible for developing, communicating and managing a central strategic plan for computing and information technology consistent with the college's overall mission. The CIO demonstrates a commitment to innovation, diversity, development and coordination, specifically by identifying, exploring and executing school-wide initiatives and opportunities to improve institutional effectiveness, efficiency and quality of experience. The CIO will provide leadership and strategic direction in running information and technology services and physical and cloud-based infrastructures that are crucial to the institution's success and position as a top tier residential liberal arts college.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage all areas of information services, setting the vision, performance and quality expectations of the department.


• Motivate and develop a team of technology professionals.


• Manage the annual operating and capital budgets.


• Lead the development and implementation of the information technology goals.


• Evaluate the college's physical, virtual and cloud-based systems needs, and develop appropriate plans and budget proposals to meet those needs.


• Oversee the execution of high-impact, enterprise-wide strategic programs and initiatives.


• Research, recommend and implement emerging technologies, creating an environment fostering the innovative application of technology in all areas of the college.


• Ensure that enterprise applications and infrastructure are innovative and meet the needs of the institution for security, reliability, resilience, performance and cost-effectiveness.


• Develop and recommend information systems and academic computing policies, procedures and needs.


• Recommend institutional policies to improve the effectiveness of technology applications.


• Direct the preparation, review and consolidation of information services business plans, operating budget and forecasts.


• Negotiate contracts with vendors and authorize procurement.


• Manage vendor relationships.


• Ensure institutional regulatory compliance.


• Coordinate and communicate regularly and effectively with all areas of the college to share plans, progress, priorities and understand needs and address issues.


• Maintain knowledge of current technology trends and the use of technology in higher education. Serve as a resource for academic and administrative staff for technology planning.


• Directly and indirectly supervise all department staff. Supervisory responsibilities include: hiring, setting expectations, training and professional development, performance management and evaluations and more.


• Other duties relevant to this position as assigned.
  

Required Education

Master's Degree in management /or computer science or engineering /or equivalent professional experience.

Required Experience

A minimum of 10 years of progressively increasing management responsibility in a dynamic IT organization. Experience managing teams and projects within large, complex, service oriented organizations, as well as experience in strategic planning, scheduling, budget control and analysis. Capital budgeting and the construction of physical IT infrastructure are a plus. Project management certification or security certification is also a plus. Experience in higher education is preferred, but not required.

Required Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Excellent analytical, negotiation, problem solving and communication skills.


• Vision, strategic thinking, leadership and the ability to build consensus and develop solution-based results.


• Command of technology infrastructures, enterprise software systems, end user technologies, user support, and analytics.

As one of the nation's oldest liberal arts colleges, Allegheny College celebrated its bicentennial in 2015. A selective residential college in Meadville, Pennsylvania, north of Pittsburgh near Lake Erie, Allegheny is one of 40 colleges featured in Loren Pope's "Colleges That Change Lives." Allegheny also is one of the few colleges in the country that requires students to choose both a major and a minor, helping to cultivate intellectual growth and the creative, big-picture thinking desired by employers and graduate schools. In its 2020 rankings, U.S. News & World Report recognized Allegheny in the top 20 among all national liberal arts colleges for best undergraduate teaching.

The Chronicle of Higher Education ranks Allegheny as one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, specifically in the areas of compensation and benefits. Allegheny has a total undergraduate enrollment of approximately 1,800 with students from 47 states (plus AE, DC, PR, and VI) and 70 countries. The College's picturesque location is ideal for outdoor recreation, with eight freshwater lakes, ski areas and recreational opportunities all within easy reach.

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and provide contact information for three references to the Office of Human Resources, Allegheny College, 520 N. Main Street, Meadville, PA 16335 or by e-mail to
employment@allegheny.edu. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. An offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.

Allegheny College is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity. Women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and members of other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Allegheny does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, or national origin.

posted 12/20/2021

posted 03/25/2022