Director of Research Technology Services

University of Connecticut; Storrs (CT); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition waivers for employee and/or 
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Health & retirement benefits

Job summary

The University of Connecticut seeks a Director to provide executive leadership for technology services supporting its research enterprise within ITS. The role drives solutions, policies, and services to advance the university’s research mission through effective technology and strong collaboration with OVPR, faculty, and centers.

Responsibilities include leading research computing, secure environments, data services, and cybersecurity initiatives, while coordinating with ITS teams and UConn

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field and senior IT leadership experience.
• Minimum of ten years in information technology and research computing leadership.
• Experience in higher education or comparable research environment.
• Proven ability to manage complex programs, budgets, and personnel.
• Experience with research compliance such as NIST 800-171, HIPAA, FERPA.

Responsibilities

• Lead research technology services, computing, and secure environments.
• Develop a long-term strategic vision and roadmaps with university leadership.
• Coordinate with OVPR, faculty researchers, and ITS to meet needs.
• Manage budgets, staffing, contracts, and vendor relationships.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic planning

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Project portfolio management

Budget management

Supervision

Research technology

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree (preferred)

Job description

Job Summary

Under the general direction of the Chief Information Officer, provides executive, technical, and operational leadership for technology services supporting the University’s research enterprise within Information Technology Services (ITS). The Director is responsible for developing and implementing solutions, policies, and services that advance the University’s research mission through effective use of technology. The Director serves as the primary liaison between ITS, the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR), faculty researchers, research centers, and other stakeholders to ensure that technology services effectively support current and emerging research needs and has a dotted line reporting relationship to the Vice President for Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Job Summary

Under the general direction of the Chief Information Officer, provides executive, technical, and operational leadership for technology services supporting the University’s research enterprise within Information Technology Services (ITS). The Director is responsible for developing and implementing solutions, policies, and services that advance the University’s research mission through effective use of technology. The Director serves as the primary liaison between ITS, the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR), faculty researchers, research centers, and other stakeholders to ensure that technology services effectively support current and emerging research needs and has a dotted line reporting relationship to the Vice President for Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

The Director provides leadership for research computing services, secure research environments, research data services, research cybersecurity initiatives, compliance-driven research technologies, artificial intelligence and emerging research technologies, and strategic research technology planning. The Director works collaboratively with all ITS teams to coordinate the delivery of research technology services across the University. The Director also works with peers at UConn Health to help meet the needs of researchers across UConn and UConn Health through a shared information technology resources model.

For activities related to these responsibilities, the Director interacts and coordinates with University administration, OVPR leadership, faculty researchers, campus and department technology leaders, research centers and institutes, technology advisory groups, external partners, and individual members of the University community across UConn and UConn Health. The Director serves as an advisor to the CIO and other University leaders on research technology, governance, and secure service delivery. The Director coordinates and participates in high-level technology assessments, program planning, and serves as a member of the ITS Leadership Team.

The Director maintains budgets and staffing levels appropriate to assigned responsibilities, oversees personnel planning, hiring, and assessment, attends conferences and professional development activities, and interacts with external peers to maintain knowledge of current issues, opportunities, and best practices in research technology services.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Provides leadership and direction to the University on research technology services, research computing, secure research environments, research data management, research cybersecurity, and emerging technologies supporting the University’s research mission and priorities


• Develops and maintains a long-term strategic vision and roadmap for research technology services in partnership with University leadership, OVPR, faculty researchers, and ITS leadership.


• Serves as the primary relationship manager between ITS and the research community, ensuring that researcher needs, priorities, and challenges are understood and addressed through effective technology solutions and services.


• Establishes and maintains strong partnerships with faculty, research centers, OVPR leadership, and external stakeholders to identify opportunities, improve service delivery, and advance research initiatives.


• Oversees the portfolio of research technology initiatives and projects, ensuring effective planning, communication, risk management, prioritization, resource coordination, and successful service delivery.


• Provides technical leadership and coordination for secure research computing initiatives supporting regulated research activities, including environments requiring compliance with NIST 800-171, CMMC, HIPAA, and other applicable regulatory frameworks.


• Works collaboratively with ITS infrastructure, security, networking, enterprise systems, cloud services, and application teams to ensure research technology services are aligned with University standards, policies, and strategic objectives.


• Provides technical leadership and coordination for research computing resources, cloud-based research environments, research data services, and advanced computing capabilities.


• Identifies opportunities to leverage emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, cloud computing, and research data platforms, to support the University's research enterprise.


• Oversees staffing, hiring, training, mentoring, performance evaluation, and discipline for assigned employees and serves as the departmental representative for all union-related issues.


• Develops and maintains budgets associated with research technology services and provides guidance regarding technology investments, contracts, software licensing, cloud services, and vendor relationships.


• Establishes service metrics and performance measures to evaluate effectiveness, improve service quality, and ensure alignment with institutional goals and researcher needs.


• Prepares periodic reports regarding strategic initiatives, project portfolios, operational activities, budgets, service performance, and emerging opportunities.


• Interacts with ITS senior leadership, University governance groups, technology planning committees, and IT leaders across the UConn and UConn Health campuses to ensure coordination and alignment of research technology initiatives.


• Performs related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.


• Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in information technology, research computing, research technology services, or a related field.


• Minimum of five (5) years of higher education experience in a research-intensive university or comparable research environment.


• Experience supporting technology services for faculty researchers and research programs.


• Experience with research computing, secure research environments, research data services, cloud technologies, or related research technology disciplines.


• Experience working with compliance requirements related to research, including NIST 800-171, CMMC, HIPAA, FERPA, or other applicable frameworks.


• Demonstrated project and portfolio management skills, including strategic planning, prioritization, resource coordination, budget management, and successful delivery of complex initiatives.


• Demonstrated personnel supervision skills, including employee performance management, mentoring, communication, team development, and organizational leadership.


• Demonstrated ability to build partnerships and maintain productive relationships with faculty, researchers, administrators, and technology professionals.


• Demonstrated ability to act decisively and solve problems through creative, collaborative, and strategic thinking.


• Demonstrated ability to identify key issues in complex situations, evaluate alternatives, and develop effective strategies for resolution.


• Demonstrated ability to translate strategic objectives into operational plans and align resources with institutional priorities.


• Proven leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills with diverse university constituencies.


• Demonstrated ability to build effective teams that emphasize service, partnership, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree from an accredited institution.


• Experience in a leadership role supporting research technology services within a major research university.


• Experience collaborating with offices supporting research administration, compliance, sponsored programs, or research security.


• Relevant certifications related to project management, information security, cloud technologies, research administration, or technology leadership.


• Experience developing technology governance structures and stakeholder engagement programs.

APPOINTMENT TERMS

This is a full-time, 12-month position with a full range of health and retirement benefits. Salary will be commensurate with experience. The University offers a competitive salary, and outstanding benefits, including employee and dependent tuition waivers at UConn, and a highly desirable work environment.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Employment of the successful candidate is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check.

All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics.

All members of the University of Connecticut are expected to exhibit appreciation of, and contribute to, an inclusive, respectful, and diverse environment for the University community.

The University of Connecticut aspires to create a community built on collaboration and belonging and has actively sought to create an inclusive culture within the workforce. The success of the University is dependent on the willingness of our diverse employee and student populations to share their rich perspectives and backgrounds in a respectful manner. This makes it essential for each member of our community to feel secure and welcomed and to thoroughly understand and believe that their ideas are respected by all. We strongly respect each individual employee’s unique experiences and perspectives and encourage all members of the community to do the same. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, age, sex, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetic information, physical or mental disabilities, veteran’s status, status as a victim of domestic violence and/or sexual assault and/or trafficking in persons as defined by Connecticut law, prior conviction of a crime, workplace hazards to the reproductive systems, or gender identity or expression

The University of Connecticut is an AA/EEO employer including for Disability and Veteran status.