Director of Information Technology, PME

Department
 

PME Information Technology

About the Department
 

The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) was established in May 2019, having evolved from the Institute for Molecular Engineering, which was founded in 2011. The PME integrates science and engineering to address global challenges from the molecular level up. The PME's rigorous academic and research programs are made possible in part through the University of Chicago's unique partnership with Argonne National Laboratory, which constitutes an important aspect of PME's operations. The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering is the first new school at the University of Chicago in three decades and the first school in the nation dedicated to molecular engineering. In the next phase of growth as a School, the PME will continue to expand its team of world-class faculty researchers and empower students from diverse backgrounds to collaborate with faculty in cutting-edge facilities. The PME aims to bring solutions for urgent societal problems to the forefront while training the next generation of scientific leaders and entrepreneurs.

Job Summary
 

Reporting to the Senior Associate Dean of Administration and Operations, the Director of Information Technology manages multiple related teams of managers and/or professional staff responsible for designing, developing and implementing automated, scalable, and rapidly deployable solutions to infrastructure development and server configuration. The Director oversees the academic technology, installation, configuration, and maintenance of operating, monitoring, and alert systems, utility software, and firewalls. The scope of this role also includes staying abreast of current technologies and assessing, developing, and implementing progressive technology solutions for the administrative, operational, and academic areas of PME. This role is also responsible for facilitating professional development and advancement of the IT Services managers and staff. The ideal candidate has a vision for enhancing world-class research with world-class information technology solutions, drawing from deep knowledge of best practices within both industry and academia and the capacity to work closely and collaboratively with research faculty to develop bespoke solutions for cutting edge research needs.

Responsibilities

• Leads the managers responsible for architecture and administration of servers and related collaborative applications.
• Develops, plans and approves the implementation of best practices and information technology policies that maximizes efficiency and productivity.
• Creates PME IT departmental goals, sets overall strategy and works with managers who oversee, evaluate and implement all technology operations to ensure established goals and objectives are met.
• Develops and coordinates projects and initiatives, addressing issues and requests on behalf of the Sr. Associate Dean of Administration and Operations.
• Supervises all IT staff members to maintain top level support for more than 700 clients in PME.
• Improves existing technological infrastructure while working towards the expansion of computing operations as a whole.
• Develops, implements and supports customizable solutions for a broad spectrum of high-level strategic IT needs including, but not limited to, networking and firewalls, remote access, data integration and automation platforms, data transfer and file sharing, and backups.
• Ensures that the efforts of IT Field Support Services meet or exceed process, workflow, protocol, procedural, and standardization requirements of IT Services.
• In alignment with campus IT strategy, IT Services' initiatives, research and teaching activities and broader academic goals, fosters collaboration, builds relationships and maintains partnerships University and vendor partnerships.
• Maximizes up-time for all technological equipment to minimize disruptions and increase overall productivity.
• Oversees and coordinates all IT strategic initiatives and projects.
• Approves overall communication strategy and works with the IT managers to ensure communication tools are functional and creates secondary support systems in the event of equipment failure.
• On occasion, assists and responds to all queries, questions, concerns, and requests on behalf of the entire user-base, including emergency IT security situations, in a timely fashion as the full IT team is in development.
• Audits and analyzes computing systems, processes, and controls to ensure that all operations are efficient and functional as the senior IT authority at PME.
• Drives special projects including operational improvement initiatives.
• Establishes and manages existing vendor relationships.
• Maintains industry standards and stays abreast of new software, solutions, releases, and product enhancements.
• Develops and manages the IT operating budget, creates and maintains a staffing plan and professional development program, assesses staff performance, and monitors productivity to best utilize staff talent.
• Manages the creation of standards and procedures to maintain production servers that run the operating system. Manages the installation, configuration, and maintenance of operating systems and utility software.
• Provides leadership for the planning, design, implementation, budgeting, and management of information technology resources.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications
 

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

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Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree or advanced degree in computer engineering or related discipline.

Experience:

• Demonstrated experience in computer user and infrastructure support in resolving issues and providing a high level of service.
• Experience regarding data management and proper protocols/procedures.
• Experience in setup and maintenance of digital signage solutions.
• Create and maintain a searchable and accessible knowledge base.
• Knowledge pertaining to creating and maintaining local, as well as NAS servers.
• Experience and knowledge of audio/visual systems related to conferencing solutions.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Zoom, WebEx, BlueJeans, Microsoft Teams, and other video conferencing solutions
• O365 environment, creation of domain system, etc.
• Remote management toolsets.
• Demonstrated ability to design, configure, deploy, and maintain software and computer infrastructure.
• Demonstrated ability to design, configure, deploy, and maintain AV and computer infrastructure.
• Demonstrated ability to implement and utilize systems management tools for server farm monitoring, root-cause analysis, and remediation while instituting appropriate security strategies for safeguarding infrastructure resources.
• Professional IT practices with a concentration on data privacy and security.
• Working with and implementing ITIL processes and functional knowledge and implementation experience of ITSM frameworks.

Preferred Competencies

• Accomplish goals working through formal and informal channels.
• Work in diverse laboratory environments and adhere to strict protocols.
• Demonstrate creativity, problem-solving, critical analysis, initiative, judgment, and decision-making skills.
• Demonstrate solid planning and organizational skills with an emphasis on detail and thorough follow-up.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
• Strong relevant subject matter knowledge.
• Assess the IT needs on a proactive (vs. reactive) basis and provide recommendations for future technology for the University.
• Communicate technical information to a non-technical audience in a clear and coherent manner.
• Effectively manage projects in a cross-functional environment while adapting to rapidly changing technology and applying it to business needs and presenting tools and methods to improve workflow.

Working Conditions

• Office environment with a hybrid schedule.
• Occasional extended work hours and some weekend days.
• Lift up to 30 lbs.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST  be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family
 

Information Technology

Role Impact
 

People Manager

FLSA Status
 

Exempt

Pay Frequency
 

Monthly

Scheduled Weekly Hours
 

37.5

Benefits Eligible
 

Yes

Drug Test Required
 

No

Health Screen Required
 

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
 

No

Posting Statement
 

Employees must comply with the University’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements. More information about the requirements can be found on the University of Chicago Vaccination GoForward .
The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu . Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.