Executive Director, Enterprise Application Services

About UsAre you ready to transform lives through academic excellence, innovative research, strong community partnerships and economic opportunity? Kennesaw State University is one of the 50 largest public institutions in the country. With growing enrollment and global reach, we continue to expand our institutional influence and prominence beyond the state of Georgia. We offer more than 190 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to empower our 47,000 students to become thought leaders, lifelong learners, and informed global citizens. Our entrepreneurial spirit, high-impact research, and Division I athletics draw students from throughout the region and from more than 100 countries across the globe. Our university's vibrant culture, career opportunities, rich benefits, and values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity, and accountability make us an employer of choice. We are part of the University System of Georgia. We are searching for talented people to join Kennesaw State University in our vision. Come Take Flight at KSU!LocationOur Kennesaw campus is located at 1000 Chastain Road NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144. Our Marietta campus is located at 1100 South Marietta Parkway, Marietta, GA 30060.Job SummaryProvides strategic leadership, operational oversight, and sets the technological vision for both home grown and off-the-shelf enterprise software solutions that support the academic and business functions of the institution. Collaborates closely with senior leadership, academic units, and administrative departments to understand technology needs and deliver scalable, reliable, recoverable, compliant, and secure solutions that align with institutional priorities.ResponsibilitiesKEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Sets the strategic vision and direction for units delivering enterprise applications in alignment with institutional priorities and IT strategy Partners with university leaders to understand academic and business needs and translate them into actionable technical strategies Responsible for the full lifecycle of off-the-shelf and home-grown applications and related technologies, ensuring that academic and administrative units have scalable, reliable, recoverable, compliant, and secure solutions that align with institutional priorities Identifies opportunities for innovation and process improvement using software and related technologies Manages vendor relationships and contract negotiations to ensure alignment with institutional priorities, cost-effectiveness, service quality, compliance, and long-term value Responsible for developing multi-year budgetary plans and strategies to ensure appropriate technological investments, prioritization, and resource allocation Develops, tracks, and analyzes key performance metrics to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of services provided Ensures that appropriate and effective governance frameworks, policies, procedures, and accountability are in place to ensure the most effective and efficient delivery of services Ensures compliance with applicable laws, policy, and governance Works in partnership with infrastructure and cybersecurity leadership to develop strategies for ensuring the quality and security of the data and services provided Promotes a culture of transparency, collaboration, customer service, continuous improvement, and professional growthRequired QualificationsEducational RequirementsBachelor's degree in a technology or business field of study from an accredited institution of higher education.Other Required QualificationsCurrent, valid, and unrestricted driver's licenseRequired ExperienceTen (10) years of related IT experience demonstrating a progression of increasing responsibility including at least five (5) years of related management and/or supervisory skills.Preferred QualificationsPreferred Educational QualificationsAn advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in technology or business or related fieldPreferred ExperiencePrevious experience in a higher education settingAbilitiesKnowledge, Skills, & AbilitiesAble to build relationships, elicit and understand customer needs, analyze, understand, and document business processesAble to translate between technical and functional teamsAble to function with autonomy, making sound and timely decisions as appropriate, and using good judgement to determine which decisions should be escalatedAble to anticipate problems and proactively develop appropriate solutionsAble to appropriately assess and communicate risks, benefits, and alternativesAble to work well within a team environmentAble to prioritize, attention to detail, time management, and organizational skillsAble to handle multiple tasks or projects at one time meeting assigned deadlinesKNOWLEDGEExtensive knowledge of IT applications, planning, operations, and lifecycle managementMust be well versed in current and emerging technologies, technological trends, and industry best practices for their areas of responsibility, including but not limited to ITIL, Agile, software engineering, low-code/no-code platforms, cloud platforms, software-as-a-service (SaaS), platform-as-a-service (PaaS), integration tools, and enterprise data platformsExperience overseeing large-scale and complex software implementation projects, such as ERP systems and CRM platformsExperience with governance and portfolio management practices in ITMust be capable of leveraging enterprise data to inform strategic decisions, optimize application strategy, and build persuasive narratives that influence executive stakeholders and align technology initiatives with business goalsKnowledgeable of relevant compliance obligations (e.g., FERPA, GDPR) and cybersecurity best practices for their areas of responsibilityExperience analyzing business processes and supporting implementations from a technical perspective based on the business requirementsSkillsStrong leadership and technical background, with extensive experience executing IT strategy, and coordinating and providing support for large-scale, distributed enterprise technologies, solutions, and servicesStrong communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills with a focus on customer service and the ability to communicate technical concepts to non-technology staffExcellent initiative, teamwork, problem solving, independent judgment, organization, project management, and presentation skillsProficient with computer applications and programs associated with the position (i.e., Microsoft Office suite)Strong phone and e-mail etiquetteUSG Core ValuesThe University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.Equal Employment OpportunityKennesaw State University is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for living, work and study. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and University policy, the University prohibits harassment of or discrimination against any person because of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment, pregnancy, and medical conditions related to pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity or national origin, religion, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran or military status by any member of the KSU Community on campus, in connection with a University program or activity, or in a manner that creates a hostile environment for members of the KSU community.For additional information or to file a complaint under the provisions of this policy, students, employees, applicants for employment or admission or other third parties should contact the Office of Institutional Equity at English Building, Suite 225, eeo@kennesaw.edu.Other InformationThis is a supervisory position.This position does not have any financial responsibilities.This position will not be required to drive.This role is considered a position of trust.This position does not require a purchasing card (P-Card).This position may travel 1% - 24% of the time.Background CheckStandard Enhanced + Education & DMVPer the University System of Georgia background check policy, all final candidates will be required to consent to a criminal background investigation. Final candidates may be asked to disclose criminal record history during the initial screening process and prior to a conditional offer of employment. Applicants for positions of trust with screening results which confirm a disqualifying criminal history will be immediately disqualified from employment eligibility.All applicants are required to include professional references as part of their application process. Some positions may require additional job-based screenings such as motor vehicle report, credit check, pre-employment drug screening and/or verification of academic credentials.https://www.usg.edu/hr/assets/hr/hrap_manual/HRAP_Background_Investigation_Employment.pdf