Director, Application Services

Ellucian; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Thrive Flex Lifestyle Account

401k with match

Wellness programs

Education Assistance Program

Job summary

Ellucian, in partnership with Aquinas College (Grand Rapids, MI), seeks a Director of Applications Services to lead the day-to-day support and ongoing evolution of the Colleague ERP and related systems. The role emphasizes staff leadership, project oversight, and delivering reliable enterprise services on a mixed onsite/remote model.

The successful candidate will guide change management, testing, documentation, and cross‑department collaboration to advance college operations while maintaining

Qualifications

• 3-5 years in a higher education environment.
• Detailed project management skills.
• Strong knowledge of Colleague or Banner.
• Higher education IT management experience.
• Experience leading onsite and remote IT personnel.
• Excellent verbal and written communication.
• Ability to coordinate with support groups and campus departments.
• Technical background in higher education or business systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead IT staff and review progress regularly.
• Manage onsite and remote delivery teams.
• Guide modernization efforts for Colleague and related systems.
• Consult with management on goals, funding, timelines, and staffing.
• Plan projects, provide updates against timelines.
• Develop change management, testing procedures, and documentation.
• Provide liaison and technical support for administrative applications.
• Support evaluation and maintenance of systems solutions.
• Provide systems analysis, problem solving, and ad hoc reporting.
• Implement QA methodologies for change and problem management.
• Evaluate third-party software/hardware for compatibility.
• Plan data storage and archival operations.

Skills

Project management

Staff management

Communication

Prioritization

Tools

Colleague

Banner

Job description

About Ellucian

Ellucian powers innovation for higher education, partnering with approximately 3,000 customers across 50 countries, serving more than 21 million students.

About the Opportunity

Ellucian is seeking to hire a Director of Applications Services to work onsite at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Aquinas College, an inclusive educational community rooted in the Catholic and Dominican tradition, provides a liberal arts education with a global perspective, and serves nearly 1,200 residential undergraduate students.

The Enterprise Applications Director's main objective is to drive college success through the daily support and ongoing evolution and optimization of the Ellucian Colleague ERP system and other enterprise application systems at the college. The ideal candidate must be able to manage staff effectively, meeting regularly to discuss progress, resolve problems, and ensure standards for quality and quantity of work are met. Services are delivered by a combination of onsite and remote staff in a matrixed reporting structure.

Where You Will Make an Impact

• Provide strong leadership and management of the information technology staff, reviewing progress and resolving problems regularly
• Manage services for both onsite and remote delivery teams
• Act as a strong leader, providing customer relationship skills in managing the client's ongoing modernization efforts
• Consult with management and review project proposals to determine goals, time frame, funding limitations, and staffing requirements
• Manage projects and resources using strong project management skills, providing frequent updates against established timelines
• Develop and optimize Colleague and associated administrative systems change management, communication planning, testing procedures, and documentation
• Provide client liaison and technical support for administrative applications, including configuration and usage guidance
• Support departmental staff and administration with identification, evaluation, selection, and maintenance of systems solutions
• Provide systems analysis, problem-solving support, and ad-hoc reporting support
• Implement quality assurance methodologies for change management and problem management
• Assist with evaluation of third-party software and hardware for compatibility with existing technology
• Plan and manage data storage and archival operations and solutions

What You Will Bring

• 3-5 years of experience in a higher education environment
• Detailed project management skills
• Solid functional and technical knowledge of Colleague or Banner
• Higher education experience in an IT management role
• Experience managing IT personnel both onsite and remote
• Capable of prioritizing and managing incoming project requests and break/fix ticketsExcellent verbal and written communication skills
• Experience working with support groups, various college departments, and committees
• Varied and strong technical background including implementation of higher education or business management systems

Benefits

• Comprehensive health coverage: medical, dental, and vision
• Flexible time off and a Thrive Flex Lifestyle Account
• 401k with match, parental leave, and charitable days
• Wellness programs including Headspace Care and Wellbeats
• Education Assistance Program, professional development, and LinkedIn Learning