Chief Information Officer

Harper College; Palatine (IL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Harper College is seeking a visionary technology leader to develop and execute the college's technology strategy and roadmap. You will advise executive leadership on opportunities, risks, and investments while guiding AI and emergent tech adoption to support student success and operational excellence.

The role requires extensive experience in enterprise IT, security, governance, and strategic planning, with a focus on collaboration, innovation, and service excellence across academic and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in IT/CS/MIS/Business or related field required or equivalent experience.
• Ten years of progressively responsible leadership experience in information technology.
• Experience directing enterprise technology operations, cybersecurity, strategic planning, and organizational change.
• Demonstrated success aligning technology investments with organizational priorities and measurable outcomes.
• Experience leading high-performing teams and vendor management.

Responsibilities

• Develops and leads the College's technology vision, strategy, and roadmap.
• Serves as strategic advisor to executive leadership on technology opportunities and risks.
• Partners with leaders to implement AI and emerging technologies to advance student success and operations.
• Leads technology governance processes and aligns initiatives with institutional priorities.
• Oversees security, reliability, privacy, regulatory compliance, and disaster recovery practices.
• Provides leadership for data governance, analytics, and digital transformation.
• Manages IT services, budgeting, vendor relations, and contracts.
• Represents the College in technology partnerships and professional collaborations.

Skills

Leadership experience

Technology governance

Cybersecurity

Strategic planning

Vendor management

Team development

Innovation culture

Budget oversight

Education

Bachelor’s degree in IT/CS/MIS/Business

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

• Develops and leads the College's technology vision, strategy, and roadmap in alignment with institutional goals and priorities.
• Serves as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on technology opportunities, risks, investments, and emerging trends.
• Partners with academic and administrative leaders to identify, evaluate, and responsibly implement artificial intelligence and emerging technologies that enhance student success, teaching and learning, employee effectiveness, and operational excellence.
• Promotes a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and service excellence throughout the College.

Overview

Characteristic Duties

Strategic Leadership and Innovation

• Develops and leads the College's technology vision, strategy, and roadmap in alignment with institutional goals and priorities.
• Serves as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on technology opportunities, risks, investments, and emerging trends.
• Partners with academic and administrative leaders to identify, evaluate, and responsibly implement artificial intelligence and emerging technologies that enhance student success, teaching and learning, employee effectiveness, and operational excellence.
• Promotes a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and service excellence throughout the College.

Technology Governance and Institutional Alignment

• Establishes and leads institution-wide technology governance processes that prioritize and optimize technology investments, initiatives, and resources based on institutional value, risk, organizational capacity, and strategic priorities.
• Ensures technology solutions are aligned with institutional objectives and support efficient, effective, and sustainable operations.
• Leads efforts to optimize the College's technology portfolio through system integration, process improvement, and effective utilization of existing technology investments.
• Partners with academic and administrative leaders to identify and address technology needs that support the College's mission and strategic goals.

Technology Operations, Security, and Risk Management

• Provides executive oversight for the security, reliability, resilience, and performance of the College's technology environment.
• Ensures effective cybersecurity, technology risk management, privacy, regulatory compliance, data protection, business continuity, and disaster recovery practices are established and maintained.
• Oversees the delivery of technology services and enterprise systems that support instructional, student, administrative, and business operations.
• Maintains appropriate awareness of technology trends, operational risks, and infrastructure needs to ensure long‑term sustainability and effectiveness.

Data, Analytics, and Digital Transformation

• Partners with institutional leaders to advance data governance, data quality, analytics, and the effective use of institutional information for decision‑making.
• Leads technology‑enabled transformation initiatives that improve institutional effectiveness and enhance the experience of students, faculty, and staff.
• Promotes the responsible and effective use of data, analytics, and artificial intelligence across the institution.
• Provides leadership and governance for the College's use of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, establishing frameworks, policies, standards, and decision‑making processes that promote responsible use, innovation, security, privacy, compliance, risk management, and alignment with institutional priorities.

Leadership, Financial Stewardship, and Partnerships

• Provides leadership and direction for Information Technology Services, including organizational development, workforce planning, succession planning, and talent development.
• Oversees technology‑related budgeting, resource allocation, vendor relationships, and contract administration.
• Ensures responsible stewardship of institutional technology resources and investments.
• Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with faculty, staff, students, community partners, and technology vendors.
• Represents the College in technology‑related partnerships, professional organizations, and external collaborations.

Performs Other Duties And Responsibilities As Assigned.

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements

Work is primarily indoor and sedentary in nature.

Equipment/Tools Used

Utilizes standard office equipment, including computers and related technology, to perform the duties of the position.

Supervision

Under the general supervision of the Executive Vice President, Finance and Administrative Services. Exercises administrative and supervisory responsibility for the Information Technology Services division.

Minimum Essential Requirements

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Cybersecurity, Business Administration, or a related field required. Master’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.

Experience: Ten (10) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in information technology, including experience directing enterprise technology operations, cybersecurity, strategic planning, and organizational change within a complex organization.

Demonstrated success leading technology organizations, managing significant operating and capital budgets, and delivering major technology initiatives.

Experience developing technology strategy, technology governance, and enterprise technology roadmaps.

Demonstrated ability to align technology investments with organizational priorities and measurable business outcomes.

Experience leading and developing high‑performing teams and fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and service excellence.

Strong experience managing vendor relationships, contract negotiations, and technology procurement.

Higher education experience, including support for academic technology, student technology services, and shared governance environments, is strongly preferred.