Deputy Vice Chancellor – Data & Information Technology

Sharjah Education Academy; Sharjah; On-site; AED 900,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

An educational institution in the UAE is seeking a Deputy Vice Chancellor – Data & Information Technology to lead the digital transformation and governance of technology. This role requires at least 15 years of IT leadership experience, with a focus on cybersecurity, cloud management, and data governance. A Master's degree is required, and a PhD is preferred. The ideal candidate will have strong leadership skills and be bilingual in English and Arabic.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in IT, Computer Science, Data Science, or Cybersecurity with a PhD strongly preferred.
• Professional certifications advantageous (e.g., CCISO, PMP, etc.).
• 15+ years of IT leadership experience; senior executive/CTO/CIO level preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead digital transformation strategy across the Academy.
• Ensure compliance with digital governance frameworks.
• Oversee cybersecurity programs and data management.
• Manage IT performance using metrics and KPIs.
• Oversee cybersecurity programs including Zero-Trust, SOC, threat prevention, and incident response.
• Direct hybrid cloud and on‑premise infrastructure design, resilience, and DR across campuses and nurseries.
• Drive IT service delivery with ITIL-aligned practices and strong user support.
• Advance educational technology, AI-enabled tools, and digital classrooms.
• Oversee technology operations across SEA sites with safeguarding and secure comms.
• Drive innovation, AI adoption, automation, and measurable value for SEA.
• Develop IT performance frameworks with KPIs, dashboards, and audits.
• Lead budgeting, procurement, and vendor partnerships; steward digital assets.
• Build a high‑performing IT leadership team and foster accountability.

Skills

Leadership

IT Governance

Digital Transformation

Cybersecurity

Cloud Computing

Data Governance

Project Management

Bilingual English/Arabic

Education

Master's in Information Technology or related field

PhD preferred

CCISO

PMP

Executive program in Digital Transformation / AI Leadership

Job description

Deputy Vice Chancellor – Data & Information Technology

Organization: Sharjah Education Academy (SEA)
Reports To: The Chancellor

Role Purpose

The Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC) – Data & Information Technology is responsible for defining, leading, and governing the full digital, data, technology, cybersecurity, and innovation landscape across Sharjah Education Academy (SEA). This executive role provides institution-wide leadership for digital transformation, data strategy, AI adoption, cloud and infrastructure, cybersecurity, IT governance, educational technology, higher & early education technology operations, and enterprise systems.

The DVC ensures that technology functions as a strategic enabler of academic excellence, childcare quality, institutional resilience, and operational efficiency. The role establishes and enforces governance frameworks, oversees secure and reliable digital infrastructure, ensures regulatory and data compliance, enables analytics-driven decision-making, and leads innovation initiatives aligned with global and UAE digital priorities. The position carries significant institutional scope, supporting all functions of the Academy including its expanding network of government nurseries and overseeing enterprise-wide data, cybersecurity, and digital service delivery across the entire organization.

The DVC provides visionary digital leadership, ensures executive alignment, drives adoption of emerging technologies, and cultivates a high-performance culture across all IT divisions.

Roles and Responsibilities include:

• Provide strategic leadership for the digital, data, cybersecurity, and technology landscape across Sharjah Education Academy (SEA), including its higher-education divisions and the Sharjah Government Nurseries network.
• Define, execute, and continuously refine a unified digital transformation strategy aligned with SEA’s institutional vision, UAE digital policy, accreditation requirements, and global technology standards.
• Establish and enforce robust digital governance frameworks (COBIT, ISO, NIST, GDPR) that ensure secure, compliant, and accountable technology operations across all of SEA.
• Lead enterprise data governance to ensure data integrity, accessibility, quality, and privacy across all SEA systems including ERP, SIS, LMS, HRMS, and childcare platforms.
• Oversee cybersecurity programs including Zero-Trust architecture, SOC operations, threat prevention, incident response, and cyber awareness to safeguard SEA’s academic and childcare environments.
• Direct the design, optimization, and resilience of hybrid cloud and on-premise infrastructure, ensuring stability, scalability, redundancy, and disaster recovery across SEA campuses and nursery sites.
• Ensure high-performance IT service delivery using ITIL-aligned practices, SLAs/OLAs, and user-centered support models that enhance operational excellence across SEA academic and nursery settings.
• Lead the advancement of educational technology, ensuring learning platforms, AI-enabled tools, and digital classroom environments support academic excellence and early childhood learning.
• Oversee technology operations for all SEA sites, ensuring safe, age-appropriate digital environments, secure communication systems, and compliant safeguarding technologies.
• Drive innovation, AI adoption, intelligent automation, and user-experience improvements to deliver measurable value and strengthen SEA’s digital capabilities.
• Develop and monitor IT performance frameworks using KPIs, dashboards, maturity assessments, and audits to drive operational excellence and informed decision-making.
• Lead technology budgeting, procurement, contract management, and vendor partnerships to ensure cost-effective investments and full lifecycle stewardship of SEA’s digital assets.
• Build and empower a high-performing IT leadership team, promoting capability development, upskilling, workforce planning, and a culture of accountability and innovation.
• Strengthen collaboration with academic leaders, nursery leadership teams, internal departments, regulators, and UAE digital entities to ensure alignment and digital readiness.
• Provide strategic recommendations and executive reporting to SEA’s leadership on digital performance, cybersecurity posture, innovation opportunities, risks, and technology priorities.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Engineering, or related field, with a PhD strongly preferred.
• Professional certifications are a significant advantage (e.g., Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO), PMP® – Project Management Professional, Executive Program in Digital Transformation / AI Leadership, Certificate in Leadership / Strategy).

Experience Requirements:

• Minimum 15+ years in IT leadership, digital transformation, or enterprise technology.
• At least 7–10 years in senior executive or CTO/CIO-level roles.
• Proven experience leading multi-entity, multi-site technology operations.
• Demonstrated success in cybersecurity, cloud transformation, data governance, EdTech, and IT service management.
• Experience working in higher education, government, childcare, or regulated sectors is an advantage.
• Strategic leadership and people management
• Enterprise technology governance
• Information technology frameworks and service delivery
• Cybersecurity and data protection
• AI, automation, and digital transformation
• Cloud and infrastructure management
• Executive communication and stakeholder influence
• Systems integration and architecture
• Project management
• High integrity, accountability, and confidentiality
• Bilingual proficiency in English and Arabic is mandatory

Sharjah Education Academy aims to spread a culture of continuous improvement in all educational institutions.