Colby College - Chief Information Officer
March 1, 2016
Founded
in 1813, Colby is one of the nation’s most selective institutions of higher
learning. It offers an academically rigorous undergraduate program rooted in
deep exploration of ideas, focused independent and collaborative research, and
close interaction with a world-class faculty.
Located in central Maine, the 714-acre Mayflower
Hill campus overlooks downtown Waterville and the Kennebec River Valley, a
region known for its lakes and its proximity to both Maine’s coast and
mountains. Outdoor activities, from Nordic skiing on campus to golfing at one
of the nearby destination courses, to swimming and boating in the beautiful
Belgrade Lakes, offer year-round recreation. Rich cultural opportunities
related to independent film, fine art, and music draw national attention and
visitors to Waterville.
At the core of the institution is Colby’s academic mission.
Students, numbering 1,850, choose among 56 major fields of study or develop
their own independent majors to pursue unique intellectual passions. Close
collaboration with accomplished scholars on the faculty has long been a
hallmark of the Colby experience, and extensive research and study abroad open
a world of new opportunities to students.
The College is a recognized leader in incorporating undergraduate research in the educational program, and student-faculty partnerships frequently result in coauthorships. Interdisciplinary centers and a preeminent museum of art further enhance the undergraduate curriculum and provide additional opportunities for research and community outreach. A rich history of support from Waterville’s residents has evolved into important civic engagement, arts, and economic partnerships that continue to thrive.
Under
the leadership of its new president, David A. Greene, Colby enters its third
century poised to build upon this strong foundation while remaining committed
to excellence, to supporting students and faculty at the highest levels, and to
the College’s deep liberal arts traditions. President
Greene is now positioning the institution to begin an exciting chapter with
plans that include innovative academic initiatives and partnerships,
strengthening the connections between the liberal arts and the professional
world, revitalizing downtown Waterville, and a number of significant renewal
projects for music, theater and dance, and athletics.
For more information about the College, please visit: www.colby.edu
THE POSITION
The Chief Information Officer (CIO) provides strategic leadership on all aspects of information technology planning, program, and policy, facilitates development and manages key projects, and coordinates the delivery of high value services to the community. Reporting to the Vice President for Administration, the CIO works closely with the Provost and other senior officers in setting a vision for information technology and guiding the strategic development of the use of technology in advancing the College’s academic mission and enriching its community.
The CIO collaborates with key leaders, faculty,
students, and staff to develop shared institutional priorities and ensures delivery
of current and future technology systems and services. The CIO will be a
solutions-oriented leader, seeking creative, innovative approaches to meeting
the needs of students, faculty, and staff to address teaching, learning,
research, and operational requirements.
The CIO provides leadership to the College in the areas of information systems, infrastructure and networks, technology support, and IT-related innovation; oversees a staff of approximately 35 full-time staff members in Information Technology Services (ITS); and manages an annual budget of approximately $6.3 million. ITS is currently organized into the following departments: Academic ITS, Administrative ITS, Media Resources, PC Support Services, Systems and Network Operations, and Information Security. Jenzabar Cx is the current enterprise resource system, augmented by Raiser’s Edge in advancement, Slate in admissions, and other specialized systems. A key priority for the CIO will be to lead a process to define institutional needs for a more robust information management, planning, analysis, and reporting environment and to implement strategies to serve the College in the future. For additional information about ITS, see http://www.colby.edu/its/.
Governance at Colby is evolving under President Greene and the new CIO will have an opportunity to shape institutional policy through the elected faculty Information Technology Committee and a newly-constituted administrative IT steering group. This new group, co-chaired by the Provost and Vice President for Administration, is charged with reviewing, prioritizing, and monitoring technology infrastructure, projects, and support across the institution. The work of the IT steering group will inform strategic planning and resource allocation efforts at the senior staff level.
The CIO will also
need to work closely with faculty to explore and implement new information
technology strategies to support teaching, research, and learning. The CIO will
collaborate broadly with the faculty, the Provost, the Director of the Center
for Teaching and Learning, and Academic ITS staff to ensure that ITS provides
the critical support needed for today’s academic program while also working
with faculty to evaluate and adopt emerging technologies appropriate for
Colby’s educational environment.
The CIO will assess and address a number of
important needs and opportunities identified in a leadership review conducted
in 2015 to support this search:
· Engage in institutional strategic planning processes, working with senior administrators to establish new mechanisms for ITS participation and support.
· Assess institutional needs and opportunities for an enterprise information system, working with key campus constituents.
· Assess and optimize the ITS organizational structure, provide leadership and support for project management, succession planning, and staff development.
· Enhance advisory structure and feedback loop to increase input from faculty, students, and administrative users to increase and improve communication regarding current technology strategies, services, trends, and needs.
· Identify mid-range information technology priorities and support strategies.
·
Build an extensive network of relationships with
faculty, staff, and students.
Given the many needs and expectations that College stakeholders have identified for ITS, the CIO will provide a new kind of leadership, building on current strengths to improve the operational effectiveness and to develop a vision for ITS that will align its resources and priorities with the College’s current needs and emerging directions.
The CIO will lead, develop, and manage a talented and engaged professional team with a wide range of responsibilities, knowledge, and experience. The CIO will lead the ITS team in meeting the high expectations of the campus community by establishing clear priorities, communicating effectively, supporting their professional development, developing a solutions-oriented culture, and leading by example.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
· Develop and execute an IT strategy that advances Colby’s educational mission as it is pursued by faculty, staff, and students and experienced by other College constituencies including prospective students and their families, alumni, and the general public.
· Serve as a key resource to senior officers and lead in all matters of IT planning, implementation, and spending, balancing short- and long-term priorities and anticipating problems and identifying solutions.
· Lead, inspire, manage, and develop an ITS team that is responsive, service-oriented, innovative, collaborative, and efficient.
·
Recruit, train, motivate, and retain an excellent
staff, support their ongoing professional development, and sustain a collegial
and collaborative environment committed to excellence.
· Provide a broad array of technology infrastructure to support evolving academic and administrative functions, programs, and initiatives and provide support to ensure students, faculty, and staff have sufficient capacity to use technology resources effectively.
·
Oversee policies, practices, and systems to ensure
confidentiality of personal and organizational data, comply with federal and
state regulations and policies, and manage institutional liability.
· Monitor and communicate developments in technology trends, best practices in higher education, and the regulatory environment.
REQUIRED COMPETENCIES AND ABILITIES
The ideal candidate will be a proven, collaborative information technology leader, with outstanding communication skills. The CIO will have demonstrated effective use of staff-, project-, process-, and change-management skills. The ideal candidate will possess many of the following experiences and attributes:
· Senior-level leadership experience in information technology, encompassing strategic planning, staff development, project planning, budget management, contract negotiations and vendor relations, risk management, and process development and transformation.
· Proven experience as a skilled manager of teams and people, with demonstrated capacity to assess and develop the talents and expertise of staff; recruit and retain well-qualified, high-performing professionals; and build positive organizational culture.
· Strong presence and the ability to serve as an advisor to College leadership; ability to articulate and implement a vision for information technology that supports teaching, learning, and scholarship in a premier liberal-arts setting.
· Demonstrated commitment to collaboration; the ability to establish and maintain credibility and trust, listen, influence, and seek contributions and feedback from others.
· Deep knowledge and experience across broad range of information technology platforms and services.
· Demonstrated commitment to exemplary customer service.
· Passion for innovation; solutions-orientation; and appropriate sense of urgency.
· Deep understanding of and passion for the role of technology in teaching and learning, especially in a liberal arts environment.
· Knowledge of higher education generally, including an understanding of educational operations, learning technologies, and emerging trends in technologies that support an academic mission; an understanding of the spectrum of IT activities at a college, including infrastructure, administrative systems, and academic and research computing needs.
· Superior communication skills, both oral and written, and the ability to convey technically complex information and concepts in accessible terms to diverse audiences.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
· A minimum of 10 years in information technology, including significant experience in a leadership role.
·
Significant fiscal/budgetary responsibility.
· Significant experience developing technology- and data-related policy, ideally in a higher-education context or in another equally decentralized, complex environment.
· Bachelor's degree required, graduate degree or comparable experience preferred.
PHYSICAL EFFORT/ENVIRONMENT:
General open office and campus environment. Position involves sitting, although frequent movement is necessary. Walking, standing, bending, twisting, and occasional lifting are required. Computer usage involving repetitive hand/wrist motion is also necessary.
For more information or to apply, please contact:
Katie Dean, Principal, Opus Search Partners
215-790-1188 x227
Colby is a private, coeducational liberal arts college that admits students and makes employment decisions on the basis of the individual's qualifications to contribute to Colby's educational objectives and institutional needs. Colby College does not discriminate in its educational programs or employment on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, religion, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, or military or veteran’s status. Colby is an equal opportunity employer and operates in accordance with federal and state laws regarding non-discrimination. Colby complies with Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in an institution’s education programs and activities. Questions regarding Title IX may be referred to Colby’s Title IX coordinator or to the federal Office of Civil Rights. We encourage inquiries from candidates who will contribute to the cultural and ethnic diversity of our college.
