Executive Director, IT Strategy and Operations

University of Arizona

Tucson (AZ)

Hybrid

USD 150,000 - 190,000

Full time

4 days ago

Be an early applicant

A complete application in a minute

Tailored resume and cover letter, ready to send.

Get past ATS filters

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Life insurance and disability programs

Paid vacation, sick leave, and public/

Tuition reduction for employee and in‑

Retirement plans

Access to recreation and cultural活動

Job summary

University of Arizona’s University Information Technology Services (UITS) seeks an Executive Director of IT Strategy and Operations to lead the enterprise IT roadmap, portfolio management, and administrative operations. The role reports to the CIO and drives modernization, governance, and data-driven decision making across the technology organization.

The position emphasizes strategic leadership, complex program oversight, and collaboration with executive leadership to align technology

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience required.
Minimum of 11 years of related work experience, including 7 years of managerial experience, preferably in large complex institutions or organizations, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
Experience leading multiple teams, projects, programs, and/or functions.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain the enterprise IT strategic roadmap aligned with organizational strategic priorities.
Lead long-range planning for technology modernization, digital transformation, infrastructure lifecycle management, and operational scalability.
Advise executive leadership on emerging technologies, operational risks, and enterprise technology opportunities.
Conduct continuous IT service rationalization and make recommendations on operational improvements based on customer satisfaction, service effectiveness and financial impact.
Establish and maintain enterprise IT governance, standards, and reporting to enable effective decision-making, risk management, and accountability.

Skills

IT strategy

Portfolio management

Leadership

Analytics

Stakeholder management

Change management

IT governance

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

ITIL

Job description

Executive Director, IT Strategy and Operations

Position Highlights

University Information Technology Services (UITS) is the University of Arizona's central technology organization. UITS delivers enterprise and specialized technology services that support students, faculty, researchers, staff, and campus partners. Through innovation, strategic partnerships, and a commitment to accessibility and continuous improvement, UITS supports the evolving needs of a leading research university and the communities it serves.

Reporting directly to the CIO, the Executive Director, IT Strategy and Operations provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for enterprise technology planning, portfolio management, and administrative operations in support of organizational priorities. The position is responsible for developing and maintaining the enterprise IT strategic roadmap, leading long-range planning for IT modernization, and translating executive priorities into actionable initiatives and measurable outcomes.

The position oversees enterprise IT portfolio management, strategic program execution, operational metrics, and data-driven analysis to support informed decision-making, resource optimization, and continuous improvement across the technology organization. The role further oversees administrative and operational functions for the division, ensuring alignment of technology investments, operational efficiency, cost optimization, and accountability for enterprise technology assets and resources.

Candidates working anywhere in the U.S. may be considered for a remote assignment, with strong preference for candidates able to work in a hybrid capacity from the Tucson, Arizona campus.

This role may be based outside of Arizona; however, the incumbent must be available to work Arizona core business hours as necessary to meet business needs and travel to our onsite Arizona locations as needed. The frequency of onsite work will vary based on business needs.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Duties & Responsibilities

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

health, dental, and vision insurance plans
life insurance and disability programs
paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members
retirement plans
access to UA recreation and cultural activities
and more!

The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs. For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocations services, please click here.

IT Strategy

Develop and maintain the enterprise IT strategic roadmap aligned with organizational strategic priorities.
Lead long-range planning for technology modernization, digital transformation, infrastructure lifecycle management, and operational scalability.
Advise executive leadership on emerging technologies, operational risks, and enterprise technology opportunities.
Conduct continuous IT service rationalization and make recommendations on operational improvements based on customer satisfaction, service effectiveness and financial impact.
Establish and maintain enterprise IT governance, standards, and reporting to enable effective decision-making, risk management, and accountability.

Portfolio Management

Lead enterprise IT portfolio management across intake, prioritization, planning, execution, and delivery, including resource, capacity, risk, and dependency management, to ensure alignment with organizational priorities and delivery within scope, budget, and timeline.
Collaborate with service owners to define and track operational metrics, cost-efficiency benchmarks, and service outcomes.
Conduct ad-hoc analysis (financial, strategic, operational) and advise the CIO with concise, specific metrics and recommendations.
Identify opportunities to improve the use of resources and tools for managing projects and evaluating progress and outcomes.
Develop and lead the division-wide IT Project Management efforts to deliver on organizational priorities and technology strategy.
Partner with executive leadership, business units, and technology teams to direct strategic IT programs and technology investments, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and the successful delivery of business outcomes.

Software License Management

Develop and lead a university-wide centralization of software license management.
Collaborate with centralized procurement to consolidate purchasing, leveraging bulk academic discounts, and preventing departmental duplication of digital resources.
Establish processes for managing enterprise software contracts.
Collaborate with the Information Security Office and Procurement to achieve appropriate vendor compliance with university information resource security requirements.

Administrative Operations and Facilities

Oversee key functions such as vendor management, procurement, inventory control, administrative coordination, and financial operations (e.g., purchasing, PCard coordination) not covered by centralized shared services.
Manage IT building operations, space planning, and coordination of physical infrastructure for IT units, both within UITS-managed spaces as well as in collaboration with unit leadership when IT needs are best met via space allocation in other locations.
Monitor technology expenditures and identify opportunities for operational efficiencies and cost optimization.
Oversee vendor relationships, contract performance, procurement coordination, and licensing management, in partnership with Procurement Office.
Support enterprise technology investment planning and total cost of ownership analysis. Establish operational accountability for technology asset and resource utilization.

Team Leadership

Provide leadership, mentoring, and performance management for assigned managers, teams, and operational leaders.
Support workforce planning, succession planning, and organizational development initiatives.
Promote effective communication across technical and non-technical stakeholder groups.
Lead organizational change management efforts related to enterprise technology initiatives.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Strong knowledge of ITIL or equivalent service management frameworks.
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and manage complex operational environments.
Knowledge of facilities operations or space management within an IT or institutional setting.
Strong analytical skills and experience developing operational dashboards or service metrics.
Proven leadership in building collaborative, customer-focused teams.
Proven ability to assess organizational needs, manage competing priorities, resolve challenges, and adapt strategies to achieve desired outcomes.
Knowledgeable in organizational development, process improvement, and change management principles, with experience evaluating existing workflows and designing effective solutions for evolving business needs.
Skilled in leading teams through periods of transition by establishing clear expectations, fostering open communication, and building trust among stakeholders.

This job posting reflects the general nature and level of work expected of the selected candidate(s). It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The institution reserves the right to amend or update this description as organizational priorities and institutional needs evolve.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience required.
Minimum of 11 years of related work experience, including 7 years of managerial experience, preferably in large complex institutions or organizations, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
Experience leading multiple teams, projects, programs, and/or functions.

Preferred Qualifications