Associate Director, IT — Data, AI & Automation Leader

NASBA; Nashville (TN); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision

Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)

Life Insurance

Disability insurance

401(k) Plan NASBA contributes

Job summary

NASBA seeks an Associate Director, IT to lead data and analytics, AI, automation, and ITO services. You will collaborate with the CIO and business units to translate technology strategy into governance and measurable value.

The role provides leadership across enterprise data platforms, responsible AI, workflow automation, and technology operations. Hybrid work in Nashville with in-office requirement; strong vendor management and budgeting skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Business, Information Systems, or a related field required; advanced degree or relevant professional certifications preferred.
• Seven or more years of progressive experience in information technology, data and analytics, AI, automation, outsourced IT services, technology strategy, or digital transformation, including leadership.
• Experience delivering cross-functional technology initiatives from planning through implementation, adoption, and operational support.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted advisor and operational extension of the CIO to translate priorities into roadmaps, governance, and measurable outcomes.
• Lead enterprise data and analytics capabilities, including data strategy, governance, quality, architecture, platforms, and reporting.
• Advance responsible AI adoption with governance, privacy, cybersecurity, and organizational readiness.
• Establish and mature an enterprise automation capability across NASBA.
• Partner with leaders to redesign processes, define success measures, manage change, and ensure adoption and value.
• Provide day-to-day leadership for the ITO operating model and manage outsourced providers.
• Lead vendor ITO management, SLAs, governance, risk, and continuous improvement.
• Coordinate cross-functional initiatives across teams, contractors, and providers to improve execution.
• Develop business cases, roadmaps, budgets, forecasts, and executive updates for data, AI, automation, and ITO.
• Establish governance for intake, prioritization, delivery, and value realization.

Skills

Data governance

Enterprise analytics

AI governance

Automation

Vendor management

Executive communication

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/related field

Advanced degree or relevant certifications preferred

Job description

Description

Job Name: Associate Director, IT

Job Reports To: Chief Information Officer

Department: Information Technology

FLSA Status: Exempt

Schedule: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. / 37.5 hours weekly

Remote work flexibility: however, this is not a full-time remote position, and you must work in the Nashville office two days per week or as needed. Additionally must live in the Middle TN area and not out of state.

Job Summary

The Associate Director, IT is a key leadership role and an extension of the Chief Information Officer, helping translate NASBA's technology strategy into disciplined execution and measurable organizational value. The role provides leadership across enterprise data and analytics, responsible artificial intelligence, business process automation, information technology outsourcing (ITO) management, digital product delivery, and technology operations. Working across business units and with external service providers, this leader connects strategy, governance, delivery, vendor accountability, infrastructure and application services, and operational improvement to advance NASBA's priorities. The position combines strategic thinking with hands-on leadership and is expected to move initiatives from concept through implementation, adoption, and sustained results

Requirements

Primary Responsibilities and Activities

• Serve as a trusted advisor and operational extension of the Chief Information Officer, helping translate technology strategy and executive priorities into roadmaps, initiatives, governance, and measurable outcomes.
• Lead and coordinate NASBA's enterprise data and analytics capabilities, including data strategy, governance, quality, architecture, platforms, trusted data products, reporting, and decision support.
• Advance responsible AI adoption by identifying high-value use cases, guiding evaluation and prioritization, coordinating delivery, and supporting governance, privacy, cybersecurity, compliance, and organizational readiness.
• Establish and mature an enterprise automation capability that identifies, prioritizes, designs, and scales workflow and process automation opportunities across NASBA.
• Partner with business leaders to redesign processes before automating them, define success measures, manage change, and ensure solutions achieve adoption, efficiency, service, quality, or risk-reduction outcomes.
• Provide day-to-day leadership for the ITO operating model, maintaining clear accountability between NASBA and its outsourced technology providers across services, projects, support, architecture, security, infrastructure, and applications.
• Lead vendor ITO management, including service performance, service-level expectations, governance routines, issue escalation, risk management, financial stewardship, resource alignment, contract and statement-of-work support, and continuous improvement.
• Hold vendors accountable for commitments, deliverables, quality, timelines, transparency, documentation, knowledge transfer, and measurable business value while building productive strategic partnerships.
• Coordinate cross-functional technology initiatives and dependencies across internal teams, business stakeholders, contractors, consultants, and service providers to improve execution and reduce gaps in ownership.
• Develop business cases, investment recommendations, roadmaps, budgets, forecasts, performance indicators, and executive updates for data, AI, automation, and ITO initiatives.
• Establish practical governance, intake, prioritization, delivery, and value-realization processes that balance innovation, speed, risk, sustainability, and available capacity.
• Promote reusable capabilities, standards, documentation, training, and knowledge sharing that strengthen NASBA's internal technology and business capabilities.
• Monitor emerging technology and industry practices, recommending opportunities that align with NASBA's strategy, operating needs, risk posture, and capacity.
• Represent Information Technology in enterprise planning, working sessions, governance forums, vendor meetings, and other cross-functional activities as assigned by the Chief Information Officer.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Provides leadership and oversight for assigned employees, contractors, consultants, and external partners supporting data, AI, automation, and ITO services. Supervisory scope may evolve as NASBA's technology capabilities and operating model mature

Internal Relationships

Chief Information Officer, executive leadership, business unit leaders, product and process owners, Information Technology, cybersecurity, risk, compliance, finance, procurement, operations, and enterprise stakeholders.

External Relationships

ITO providers, technology vendors, consultants, contractors, strategic partners, auditors, industry organizations, and service providers.

Skills and Competencies

• Broad technology leadership capability with the judgment and versatility to operate as an extension of the CIO.
• Strong knowledge of enterprise data management, analytics, data governance, architecture, and modern cloud data platforms.
• Working knowledge of artificial intelligence, including generative AI, responsible AI governance, adoption, and value realization.
• Experience identifying, redesigning, and automating business processes using workflow, low-code, robotic process automation, integration, or related technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to govern outsourced IT services and vendors through clear accountability, performance measures, financial discipline, risk management, and constructive escalation.
• Experience coordinating portfolios, projects, budgets, contracts, statements of work, service levels, risks, and executive reporting.
• Strong business partnership, communication, facilitation, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to simplify complex technology issues, frame decisions, and communicate recommendations to executive and non-technical audiences.
• Strong execution, organizational discipline, sound judgment, and the ability to balance strategy with operational detail.
• Commitment to measurable outcomes, continuous improvement, documentation, knowledge transfer, and sustainable operating practices

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Business, Information Systems, or a related field required; advanced degree or relevant professional certifications preferred.
• Seven or more years of progressive experience in information technology, data and analytics, AI, automation, outsourced IT services, technology strategy, or digital transformation, including leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience delivering cross-functional technology initiatives from planning through implementation, adoption, and operational support.
• Experience managing external technology providers, complex vendor relationships, service delivery, contracts, financial performance, and executive stakeholders.
• Experience working in a regulated, security-conscious, or governance-oriented environment preferred.

Work Conditions

• There is some work from home flexibility to be determined by the manager; however, this is not a full-time remote position and requires working in the Nashville, TN office two days per week or as needed.
• Night and weekend hours may be required.
• Occasional travel may be required to support business, vendor, or organizational needs.

Below is an overview of some of the benefits we offer to full-time employees.

· Medical/Dental/Vision

· Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)

· Life Insurance

· Short-Term & Long-Term Disability

· Numerous Voluntary Policies

· Employee Assistance Program

· 401(k) Plan (NASBA contributes 5.7% of employee’s salary)

· Paid parking

· Holidays (13 days)

· Paid leave time - (prorated based on hire date and earned on an accrual basis)

· Vacation Leave (15 days annually)

· Sick Leave (12 days annually)

· Personal Days (3 days annually)

· Flex Spending Account (FSA)

· Dress for Your Day Casual Dress

· Some work from home is flexible; however, you must live in the Middle TN area and not out of state. This is not a full-time remote position, and you must work in the Nashville, TN office two days per week or as needed.

NASBA provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Final offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of national criminal background check, national sex offender registry search and, where applicable, an education credential check, credit check, Global Watchlist and/or Government Watchlist.

Due to overwhelming interest in our organization, we are unable to accept faxed resumes or incoming calls regarding open positions. Only those matching the above job description will be contacted.

Thank you for your interest in employment opportunities at NASBA.