Executive Director, Telecommunications & Network Services

Art Institute of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 160,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The Art Institute of Chicago is seeking a Director of Telecommunications and Network Services to lead planning, development, and management of campus networks, telecom, and data center infrastructure. You will report to the VP of Information Services and supervise the network services team, ensuring secure and scalable connectivity for both museum and school.

Ideal candidate has a track record in higher education or nonprofit settings, strong leadership, budgeting skills, and experience with

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, CS, IS or related field required.
• 7+ years in IT infrastructure, telecom, or network services, preferably in education or nonprofit.
• Experience with structured cabling design and standards required.
• Experience with network routing, switching and wireless technologies preferred.
• Experience with server hardware and Linux OS preferred.
• Experience with cybersecurity systems, monitoring, and incident response preferred.
• Experience with project management and communicating technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders required.
• Knowledge of network, telecom, and infrastructure technologies and best practices.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic and operational oversight of campus network, telecom, wireless, Internet, VPN, firewall, data center and related services.
• Oversees Google Workspace environment and core network services including DNS, DHCP, LDAP, SSO, and SSL certificate management.
• Partners with Information Security to ensure secure, reliable and resilient infrastructure.
• Oversees campus data centers, equipment rooms and related electrical/mechanical infrastructure.
• Manages vendor relationships and contracts including SLAs, licensing and emergency comms.
• Develops strategic plans for telecom and network services with budgets and timelines.
• Provides oversight of low-voltage cabling infrastructure and establishes standards.
• Oversees cabling projects: specifications, bids, vendor selection and contract Admin.
• Oversees outdoor wireless, people-counting systems and specialized network infra.
• Develops operating and capital budgets for telecom and network services and expansion.
• Evaluates emerging technologies and makes recommendations aligned with priorities.
• Leads Telecommunications and Network Services teams and communicates status to stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Project management

Customer service

Problem solving

Organizational skills

Network technologies

Cybersecurity

Linux systems

Server hardware

Structured cabling

Phone system admin

Tech communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related technical field

Tools

Google Workspace

Job description

The Art Institute of Chicago is seeking a Director of Telecommunications and Network Services to lead planning, development, and management of campus networks, telecom, and data center infrastructure. You will report to the VP of Information Services and supervise the network services team, ensuring secure and scalable connectivity for both museum and school.

Ideal candidate has a track record in higher education or nonprofit settings, strong leadership, budgeting skills, and experience with