Job Details

The University of Dayton (UD) seeks a strategic, collaborative, and creative leader to serve as the Vice President and Chief Information Officer (VPCIO). Reporting to the Executive Vice President for Business and Administrative Services and a member of the President's Cabinet, the VPCIO will be joining a dynamic and highly motivated leadership team. The VPCIO will support a well-positioned university into an exciting new era of prominence, building on its many strengths, which include its distinctive Catholic, Marianist tradition and charism, a genuinely caring community, mission-driven students, faculty and staff, and strong links with the city of Dayton and partnerships throughout the state of Ohio. Investments in technology solutions and services will increase to support the launch of a series of new University initiatives to help ensure every undergraduate student receives a holistic, relationship-rich education with intentional integration between their classroom and out-of-classroom educational experiences.

UD is recognized as a top ten Catholic institution of higher learning and a top tier Catholic research university. It is also one of the nation's largest Catholic universities and the largest private university in Ohio. The University comprises six academic units: the College of Arts and Sciences; the Schools of Business Administration, Education and Health Sciences, Engineering, and Law; and University Libraries. UD currently serves approximately 11,770 students, including more than 8,133 full-time undergraduates and 3,327 graduate and law students. Over 654 full-time faculty and 340 part-time faculty teach and engage in impactful research, scholarship, and creative works at the University. Approximately 2,800 full-time and 1,200 part-time staff support the administration and operations of the University. In FY 2022, UD attracted over $220 million in sponsored research and is classified as "R2: High research activity" by the Carnegie Classification. The University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI), an integrated, staff-driven research organization, has more than 785 staff members and accounts for 95% of this research. Embedded in the dynamic city of Dayton and grounded in its Catholic, Marianist tradition, UD instills a strong commitment to community within students and is dedicated to the common good.

The VPCIO will be joining a university that is committed to the common good and is deeply rooted in its mission and values. Under President Eric F. Spina's leadership, UD has experienced substantial growth in enrollment, research expenditures, and philanthropic support and strengthened its commitment to student access and success. In recent years, the University has seen increases in its percentages of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic populations as well as Pell-eligible students in its first-year entering classes. The six-year graduation rate for undergraduate students is 81 percent, and the retention rate for first to second-year students is 88 percent, which stay well above the national average and remain points of pride for the University. The strategic vision has also prompted four of the five strongest years of philanthropic support in the University's history, with a promising campaign poised to go public in Spring 2023.

The VPCIO Agenda

The VPCIO is the principal member of the University's executive leadership team responsible for devising the University's technology strategy in support of teaching, learning, research, and operations. In addition to being a member of the President's cabinet the VPCIO will also be a regular participant on the Board of Trustees Audit & Risk Committee and regularly report on risks and issues related to IT security, data governance, etc. Working in collaboration with faculty, key administrators, and IT staff in both central and distributed units, the VPCIO will build on past successes and articulate a vision and roadmap for technology and data that includes:

• Positioning the University to significantly improve the student experience by combining innovative models for advising and student support with integrated technology solutions and increasing organizational capabilities.


• Creating clear structure and processes that will enable shared decision-making with university business owners through transparent priority setting of technology initiatives in alignment with university strategy and resources.


• Facilitating a vision for tracking and enabling student, alumni and other constituent engagement and interactions and developing a long-term direction for rationalizing and integrating administrative systems including the identification of redundant systems across the university and a strategy to leverage information technology in the most efficient, cost-effective manner possible.


• Strengthening the structures, competencies, and processes within the UD IT organization (UDit) to enable it to partner with end users and business owners and provide excellent service and adapt to continued technology change.


• Developing comprehensive data analytics and reporting strategy including alignment of data governance, data architecture, and applications


• Overseeing a comprehensive, risk-based strategy to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of UD data and enable UDRI to maintain compliance with the additional security protections its research requires.


• Collaborating with IT-centric partners in the Office of the Provost (Center for Online Learning, the Center for Cybersecurity and Data Intelligence, and Academic Technology and Curriculum Innovation) to provide the enhanced learning environments, academic software and support services required to enable teaching and learning.


• Collaborating with UDRI, the Libraries and all academic units to enhance the research computing capabilities available to faculty, in the cloud, and with partners including the Ohio Supercomputer Center.


• Championing diversity and inclusive excellence by creating technology services and processes that are inclusive, equitable, and accessible.


• Guiding efforts to recruit, develop, and retain talented colleagues from diverse identities, backgrounds, and lived experiences.

About UD IT

UDIT partners with the campus community to deliver technology systems and solutions in support of the University mission of teaching, learning, research, and community service. The VPCIO leads the University IT team responsible for enterprise systems, infrastructure, user support, security and project management. The VPCIO collaborates with and supports all University Divisions including the Office of the Provost which oversees several faculty-facing IT units, including the Center for Online Learning, the Center for Cybersecurity and Data Intelligence, and Academic Technology and Curriculum Innovation. The VPCIO will work in collaboration with these IT teams and the distributed IT units (e.g., Enrollment Services, UDRI, Advancement, etc.) to establish shared strategies and priorities. Leading a staff of more than 80 employees, the VPCIO oversees the development and execution of an annual operating budget of $22 million, including IT staff compensation and benefits, and the University's technology capital budget.

Professional Experiences and Personal Qualities

The successful candidate will be curious and approachable; have excellent leadership, management, collaboration, and communication skills; serve others with integrity and a welcoming spirit; and always operate with the common good in mind. Additional required skills and qualifications include:

• Bachelor's degree.


• Seven or more years of significant management experience in a comparably complex IT organization.


• Experience building and leading teams and developing staff.


• Excels at listening, communication, facilitation, and collaboration.


• Commitment to creating a culture welcoming of diversity and fostering equity and inclusion.


• Adept at balancing the needs of diverse constituents and collaborating with key stakeholders to establish and communicate clear priorities.


• An ability to build support for a major investment or decision within an organizational model of shared governance.


• Track record of successfully planning and successfully delivering complex IT services and projects.


• Awareness of key issues and trends in broad areas of technology including infrastructure, cloud services, data management, and digital engagement.


• Understanding of privacy and security compliance requirements and associated implementation frameworks.


• Financial acumen and experience developing and managing operating and capital budgets.


• Ability to be supportive of and develop an understanding of and commitment to the University's Marianist identity and principles.

The most competitive candidates will meet several of the following preferred qualifications and experiences:

• Development of an IT strategic plan in support of institutional mission and priorities.


• Partnership with business owners and a track record of shared decision-making that responds to needs, evaluates competing interests, and prioritizes investments.


• Significant contributions to organization's use of technologies to support teaching, research, and scholarship.


• Experience implementing technology and organizational change strategies to transform processes and improve the end-user experience.


• Experience implementing and maintaining data security and privacy strategies with sensitivity to the cybersecurity maturity model (CMMC) for organizations contracting with the Department of Defense.


• Experience navigating challenging labor markets to attract and retain a diverse, high performing team of IT professionals.


• Experience leading in a model of shared governance while fostering a culture of trusted partnership, service, and continuous improvement within an IT organization.

APPLICATIONS, INQUIRIES, AND NOMINATIONS

Review of candidates will begin immediately and continue until a successful candidate is identified. For fullest consideration, please submit materials by April 17, 2023. Confidential inquiries, nominations, and referrals should be directed to Mary Beth Baker, Managing Partner, Next Generation Leadership Partners at marybeth@nextgenpartnersllc.com. Cover letters and resumes should be sent to UDCIO@nextgenpartnersllc.com.

Informed by its Catholic and Marianist mission, the University is committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Informed by this commitment, we seek to increase diversity, achieve equitable outcomes, and model inclusion across our campus community. As an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer, we will not discriminate against minorities, women, protected veterans, individuals with disabilities, or on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity.