Chief Information Officer - Information Sciences Institute

The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is in the heart of downtown Los Angeles and is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. As an employee of USC, you will be a part of a world-class research university and a member of the “Trojan Family,” which is comprised of the faculty, students and staff that make the university what it is.

*This position is in Marina del Rey, CA*

Information Sciences Institute (ISI), part of the Viterbi School of Engineering at USC, seeks a Chief Information Officer. The CIO provides the vision and leadership in information technology necessary to advance the Institute’s research mission and direction.  Oversees the strategic planning processes, policy development and day-to-day operations. The ISI Computing Information Services Department operates as both partner and service provider to the Institute’s research, technical, and administrative staff.  The CIO will provide broad leadership to operate reliable, responsive, innovative, and secure IT services and capabilities for the ISI community, using best practices for managing and meeting user needs. Provides leadership regarding migration to next-generation services and support models, focusing on forward-looking innovation as a path to high-quality user services in support of ISI as an institution. Oversees and prioritizes key initiatives and manages IT group staff, including definition of responsibilities, measures, timelines, resources, and communications with stakeholders. Develops a strong internal staff culture of excellence through continuous training, high expectations, and effective organizational structures.  Develops and builds on strong ties to peers and colleagues in the ISI, Viterbi, and USC, and broader communities, as a vehicle to ensure best practices and recognize innovative IT and research opportunities for the Institute.  As needed, assists in day-to-day production issues, acting as an escalation point to resolve urgent and/or complex user issues, and manage user expectations.  Reports to the ISI Executive Director.

Accountabilities:

• Oversees strategic planning processes, budget, and policy development that enhances ISI's IT group as a partner and service provider to the Institute. Creates plans and develops processes to ensure appropriate monitoring and follow-up. Implements new plans, directions, and performance metrics. Manages IT group initiatives and projects to gain efficiencies, improve customer experience, and improve communication. Gathers multiple inputs and integrates diverse requirements and objectives of the larger ISI community. Sets goals, establishes priorities, allocates resources, develops concepts and approaches, reviews projects progress and results.

• Continuously evaluates IT group, organizational mission, approaches, and structures considering larger Institute objectives. Develops strategies and plans to position and maintain the group as a world-class research IT organization considering continuously changing needs and technology trends. Has a strong focus on continuous process improvement.

• Develops and maintains an in-deph knowledge of ISI's mission, research directions and research computing and cyber-infrastructure activities and requirements. Interacts with ISI research faculty and staff to develop joint research activities and facilitate forward-looking projects. Participates in, and as appropriate may lead, research proposals to external sponsors.

• Directly or indirectly manages all IT staff. Determines staffing needs based on goals and objectives of unit. Oversees staff hiring, education, training, supervision, and deployment to develop and maintain a quality organization of technically sophisticated and service-oriented staff. Determines and/or recommends group hiring and salary administration including raises, promotions, and reclassifications.

• Develops and builds on strong ties to peers and colleagues in the ISI, USC, and broader communities. Liaises with USC Information Technology Services (ITS) and other University elements to advance ISI and University objectives. Engages with IT, research, and research infrastructure communities at the national and international level, as a vehicle to represent the Institute in these communities and to identify innovative IT practices and research opportunities of value to ISI. As appropriate, attends and participates in leading regional and national conferences.

• Manages IT group budget, including capital and operating expenses. Develops capital spending plans. Balances near-term and long-term requirements, goals and objectives, to provide sustainable, continually updated and modernized services to the ISI community.

• Oversees and prioritizes key IT group initiatives, including concrete definition, staff responsibilities, progress measures, timelines, resource allocations, and communications with stakeholders.

• Establishes project management methods and policies to ensure adequate monitoring and completion of IT group projects on-schedule and within budget.

• Manages IT group vendor relationships and contract negotiations.

• Establishes operating and technology standards, development, and integration of new business services. As needed, assists in day-to-day production issues and acts as escalation point to resolve urgent and/or complex user issues.

• Develops, implements, and monitors processes and procedures for ensuring cybersecurity across the computing enterprise. Responds to cybersecurity incidents, with remediation, communication, and reporting.

• Maintains currency with, understands, and ensures compliance with applicable university policies and procedures, and with applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations.

• Represents ISI interests and participates in leadership with USC and national research security compliance. Must have knowledge of processing requirements for Controlled Unclassified Information, NIST800-171, Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), FCI and relevant DFARS research security requirements.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum Education:   Bachelor’s degree; Advanced degree preferred.

Minimum Experience:  6 years

Minimum field of expertise:

Strong policy and technical background, with understanding of current IT architectures and technology, including server virtualization, information security, cloud and hybrid infrastructure, disaster resistant infrastructure, mobile devices, high performance, and data intensive computer infrastructure.  Directly related management experience in a university environment.  Demonstrated leadership in planning and organizing. Thorough knowledge of management principles, technical and architectural directions, policy development, and outreach and partnership in a complex organization.  Exceptional interpersonal skills.  Outstanding oral and written communication skills. 

The selected applicant must obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance. Per U.S. government regulations, eligibility for this clearance requires U.S. citizenship.  Current TS clearance is a plus.       

Preferred Experience:

• Experience and familiarity with USC and/or a comparable academic institution.

• Strong technical knowledge in: colocation - power/cooling/vendor choices; server hosting; cross locations support; networking L1, 2, 3 at least; HPC; desktop/helpdesk; programming; automation; cloud; SaaS/Application/Collaborative tools; security, compliance and governess; technical project/program management.

• Proven ability to negotiate security practice, manage end user expectations, vendor management, licensing adjustments.

• Value Communication and Transparency.

• Proficient in accounting and managing expenses, budget.

• Proficient with data analysis.

• Proficient in clearing technical debt and managing system/device lifecycle process.

The annual base salary range for this position is $206,125 - $252,332. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

*The University of Southern California values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity in employment. *

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree Minimum Experience: 6 years Minimum field of expertise: Strong policy and technical background, with understanding of current IT architectures and technology, including server virtualization, information security, cloud and hybrid infrastructure, disaster resistant infrastructure, mobile devices, high performance, and data intensive computer infrastructure. Directly related management experience in a university environment. Demonstrated leadership in planning and organizing. Thorough knowledge of management principles, technical and architectural directions, policy development, and outreach and partnership in a complex organization. Exceptional interpersonal skills. Outstanding oral and written communication skills.