Senior Director Enterprise Infrastructure & Operations

The Senior Director Operations reports to the Assistant Vice President of IT Planning and is responsible for overall IT data center, network, cloud, data base administration, systems administration, and end user computing infrastructure.  Those responsibilities include facilities management, monitoring, governance and priority setting, planning, scheduling, providing leadership updates, coordination, management and continuous improvement of operational processes and resources. 

Directs the priorities and activities of multiple teams within operations responsible for the various functions.  The position also manages additional contract resources as necessary to supplement both operational and project roles.  The Sr. Director also provides oversight and direction to managed service partners in network, telecom, print/mail, and others as changes occur.  It is expected that this position regularly evaluates partner performance and addresses issues and opportunities.

 

In addition to the day-to-day operations, the Senior Director is also accountable for the development and of standards, methodologies, policies, and procedures in compliance with the overall IT service management framework.  

 

This role is also accountable for ensuring that planning and roadmaps are completed for all services and capabilities in the operational areas.  It is expected that this position will work across the organization to ensure that planning incorporates broad input and direction to meet University short- and long-term objectives.  Regular engagement with Stakeholders both inside and outside of IT will be essential for long-term success.

 

Responsibilities

Operational Management

• Proactively/actively serve as the face of IT Operations in engagement with campus partners on discussions around services, issues, changes, and updates.
• Direct day-to-day operations and management of data center resources both on and off premise to ensure high availability of compute and storage resources that support the University business (at all campuses) and mission areas.
• Direct day-to-day operations and management of the University’s network and telecommunication resources at all locations.  Oversee internal and partner resources to ensure high uptime and limited disruption.
• Direct day-to-day operations, integration, and management of end user computing functions such as lifecycle, procurement, desktop engineering, deployment, recovery, and disposition.
• Oversee the management of cloud infrastructure environments, day to day management, monitoring, costs, and implementation.

 

Organizational Development & Leadership

• Accountable for the management and direction for the data center, network, cloud, and end user computing infrastructure.
• Work across each area to develop common practices and development plans to ensure that resources are meeting organizational expectations.
• Responsible for hiring and evaluation of resources within the organization along with contracts where required to manage and drive operations and projects assigned to IT.
• Accountable for planning budget, professional development, and career progression organizational resources.
• Coordinate project deliverables with Project Managers, Analysts, Market Leads, Regional Directors, and support contractors in a direct and indirect reporting structure.
• Assign resources from the practices to projects or programs based on priority and need.
• Coach and mentor practitioners and share knowledge of best practices.  Identify internal and external opportunities for development and training.

 

Continuous Improvement

• Facilitate efforts with various stakeholder groups (internal & external to IT) to review projects, outcomes, and/or demand and identify opportunities to improve.
• Continuously evaluate practices for improvements, gaps and issues that need to be addressed.
• Accountable for working across the organization to implement, integrate, and manage capabilities that ensure that projects are successfully delivered and can be successfully sustained long term.
• Accountable for operations project health monitoring to ensure that risks and issues are identified, and appropriate mitigation plans exists where necessary.  Intervene in projects where escalations are occurring.
• Work with partners on assigned areas to develop adoption & utilization reporting for evaluating success and ongoing needs.
• Partner with the Service Desk to continuously evaluate issues and service requests to evaluation areas of improvement and opportunities to change.

 

Strategy & Planning

• Work with university executives, leaders, business partners and IT resources to incorporate business & technology roadmaps that outline products, solutions, and outcomes over a 3-year rotating period.
• Engage with IT and business units, where necessary, to understand their goals, needs, and demands that influence roadmaps and plans.
• Work across multiple organizations to align various initiatives, data needs, and outcomes in support the roadmaps and overall planning.
• Facilitate active prioritization of roadmap initiatives to ensure that the planning is adapted based on changes that are occurring in the business areas.
• Participate in project organization and scoping to ensure that releases/outcomes are defined and aligned to roadmaps and expectations.
• Work with IT leadership and executives to align roadmap and capital investment planning to ensure that outcomes can be met.
• Ensure that IT Operations projects from roadmaps are ready and staged for governance review and approval.  Recommendations around priority and outcomes are clear and concise to support and drive decisions.
• Provide executive leaders with the information needed to assess and decide which proposals have the highest potential value, impact, and strategic alignment.

 

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in a related area and/or equivalent experience, to include 5 years of applicable experience in
• leading/managing an IT or Enterprise focused. Experience in Operational and/or Infrastructure functions is preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive IT Leadership experience in a complex technology service organization. Must
• include experience leading/managing a majority of the following operational services: network, telecom, data center,
• server, storage, classrooms, desk side services, help desk, technology refresh, application availability, web sites, asset
• management, print operations, and request fulfillment.

 

Preferred Qualifications

• ITIL framework and IT product methodologies
• Prior experience in higher education environments a plus

 

AAP/EEO Statement:
Creighton University is committed to providing a safe and non-discriminatory educational and employment environment. The University admits qualified students, hires qualified employees and accepts patients for treatment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, marital status, national origin, age, disability, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or other status protected by law. Its education and employment policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other programs and activities, are administered without unlawful discrimination.
  
Disclosure Statement:
This description describes the general nature of work to be performed and does not include an exhaustive list of all duties, skills, or abilities required. Regular, reliable attendance is an essential function and all employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties as requested by their supervisor. Employees may also be required to work in excess of normal working hours as workloads and seasonal activities necessitate. A complete description is available in the Human Resource office located at 3006 Webster Street Omaha, NE. Creighton University reserves the right to modify duties, responsibilities and activities at any time with or without notice.