Manager, Digital Workplace and Academic Applications

Portland State University; Portland (OR); Remote; USD 112,000 - 126,000; Full time

Job summary

Portland State University is seeking a technically hands-on Digital Workplace and Academic Applications Manager to lead the DWAA team within PSU's OIT TIAS department. You will oversee a portfolio of campus-wide applications (Google Workspace, Canvas, Atlassian tools, telephony) and drive project delivery, accessibility, security, and continuous improvement.

You will supervise six IT professionals, partner with stakeholders, and shape long-term plans and roadmaps while ensuring reliable,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Four years of information technology experience.
• Experience with application/system administration.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage competing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for DWAA applications and services.
• Supervise and mentor the DWAA team of IT professionals.
• Lead projects and change management across campus stakeholders.
• Manage vendor relationships and contracts for DWAA applications.
• Develop roadmaps and documentation to improve service delivery.

Skills

Application administration

System administration

Project management

ITIL concepts

Cybersecurity best practices

Python

SQL

Git

Vendor management

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology or related field

Tools

Google Workspace

Google Gemini

Canvas

Jira Service Management

Confluence

Google Voice

Amazon Connect

AiM

Desigo

Kaltura Mediaspace

YuJa Panorama

Job description

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

Portland State University

Position Details

• Proposed Start Date: 12/16/2026
• Classification Title: Information Technology and Telecommunications
• Rank: N - No Rank
• Working Title: Manager, Digital Workplace and Academic Applications
• Department: 610130 - OIT Technology Infrastructure
• Position Number: D94100
• Representation: UU - Unclassified Unrepresented
• Renewable: Renewable
• Position FTE: 1.0
• Tenure Status: F - Fixed Term

Position Summary

The Digital Workplace & Academic Applications Manager leads the Digital Workplace & Academic Applications (DWAA) team within the Office of Information Technology (OIT) at Portland State University (PSU), and operates within the Technology Infrastructure & Academic Systems (TIAS) department of OIT.

The Digital Workplace & Academic Applications team is responsible for administering a wide range of applications used by faculty, staff, and students campus-wide, such as Google Workspace, Canvas, Atlassian applications, and telephony & communication applications.

In this role, you will lead the DWAA team as a hands-on technical manager, leading a team of six IT professionals, administering applications and services the team is responsible for, leading projects, collaborating with key stakeholders, and providing leadership and guidance to the team to ensure that services are delivering positive outcomes to campus while being operated in a stable and efficient manner. You will also work closely with your manager to develop long-range plans, application roadmaps, and to improve processes and service delivery.

An overview of the job duties for this position is as follows:

• Technical Leadership and Support for Digital Workplace & Academic Applications (30%)
• Supervisor and Mentor DWAA Team (25%)
• Project & Change Management (20%)
• Stakeholder & Vendor Management (15%)
• Other Duties as Assigned (10%)

Technical Leadership and Support for Digital Workplace & Academic Applications (30%)

• Act as the service offering manager for applications with the DWAA team’s service portfolio, ensuring that services meet campus needs and are delivered in a stable and efficient manner.
• Coordinates selection and/or recommendation of software, hardware, and support providers for campus digital workplace applications.
• Collaborate and coordinate with the Office of Academic Innovation to review and recommend academic applications and services.
• Investigate and develop technical and process solutions to complex technical challenges across the DWAA service portfolio, often in collaboration with team members. Present potential solutions and outcomes to stakeholders and colleagues when appropriate.
• Administer assigned systems and software applications
• Establish and recommend policies on system use and services.
• Identify and implement opportunities for process improvements and automations that improve the effectiveness and efficiency of DWAA applications and services.
• Develop service roadmaps and other long-term plans to ensure that digital workplace services meet evolving campus needs.
• Coordinate identification and resolution of problems.
• Create and maintain technical, process, and customer-facing documentation.
• Ensure that DWAA applications and documentation are accessible and compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA standards. Coordinate with vendors to remediate accessibility issues when necessary.
• Ensure minimal downtime.
• Foster a security conscious environment that improves the security posture of DWAA’s applications, processes, and team culture.
• Provides technical leadership and troubleshooting on complex projects.

Supervisor and Mentor DWAA Team (25%)

• Supervise Digital Workplace & Academic Applications team members.
• Complete annual performance appraisals of team members.
• Hold regular team meetings and 1:1 check-ins.
• Assign operational and project work appropriate to each staff member’s expertise and skill level.
• Set priorities and schedules for campus critical projects and deliver regular updates to the Director of Technology Infrastructure & Academic Systems.
• Manage training and professional development opportunities for the DWAA team and help enable professional growth for staff.
• Build a productive, collaborative, and engaging team culture that aligns with OIT’s values and attributes for success.

Project & Change Management (20%)

• Lead complex projects involving DWAA services and cross-campus stakeholders.
• Monitor and track project progress and regularly update the OIT project portfolio, the Director of Technology Infrastructure & Academic Systems, and other key stakeholders.
• Provide effective change management and communication to projects and other service changes to ensure that stakeholders are aware of and suitably prepared for changes that impact them. Collect and incorporate feedback as appropriate.

Stakeholder & Vendor Management (15%)

• Collaborate closely with key PSU stakeholders that own or share responsibility for some of DWAA’s service portfolio, such as (but not limited to) the Office of Academic Innovation and Facilities & Property Management.
• Collaborate with other OIT teams to ensure effective service delivery and support. Actively work to improve communication and coordination between teams to reduce information silos and facilitate effective change management.
• Participate on the TIAS Leadership team and OIT Managers group to collaborate across teams and accomplish shared goals.
• Manage vendor relationships and contract negotiations and renewals for DWAA-administered applications.
• Communicate and coordinate with campus technology administrators (TAGs) and technology coordinators (TCs) to collect and implement feedback and effectively communicate changes that impact campus.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and four years of experience in the Information Technology field, or a combination of comparable work experience, training, and education.
• Experience with application/system administration.
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively with others to identify areas for improvement and successfully guiding solutions to completion.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated experience communicating effectively with technical and non-technical staff.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Experience working on group projects and/or change initiatives.
• Ability to produce accurate, reliable work within deadlines and to balance competing priorities.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, production environment and to provide occasional evening and weekend support.
• Ability to work with sensitive/confidential information and to handle such information as required by Federal and State regulations, and Portland State University and the Office of Information Technology policies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading a group of technical staff and cultivating a collaborative, effective, and engaging team environment.
• Experience administering applications such as (or similar to):
  • Google Workspace
  • Google Gemini
  • Canvas
  • Jira Service Management
  • Confluence
  • Google Voice
  • Amazon Connect
  • AiM
  • Desigo
  • Kaltura Mediaspace
  • YuJa Panorama
• Experience with project management and service management tools, such as Jira Software and Jira Service Management.Experience and familiarity with ITSM and ITIL concepts.Experience working with vendors to manage contracts, submit feature requests and bug reports, and track and communicate new features and functionality.Experience creating accessible (WCAG 2.1 AA compliant) and effective documentation for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.A strong understanding of cybersecurity best practices and how to effectively implement them.Deep understanding of modern SaaS and cloud-based applications and trends in the following areas:
  • Digital workplace
  • Academic technology
  • Generative AI
• Experience working in a higher education environment.
• Experience with Python, SQL, and/or Git.

Key Cultural Competencies

• Create an environment that acknowledges, encourages, and celebrates differences.
• Function and communicate effectively and respectfully within the context of varying beliefs, behaviors, orientations, identities, and cultural backgrounds.
• Seek opportunities to gain experience working and collaborating in diverse, multicultural, and inclusive settings with a willingness to change for continual improvement.
• Adhere to all of PSU’s policies including the policies on Prohibited Discrimination & Harassment and the Professional Standards of Conduct.

Environmental Stewardship

Contributes to a culture of environmental stewardship, practices resource conservation, and actively works toward achieving long-term sustainability goals.

Work Days/Hours

Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm. Up to one day remote, with the approval of the supervisor.

Total Compensation Range & Benefits Statement

The starting salary rate for this position is between $112,146 and $126,000 per year.

The starting salary may be negotiable above this range; however, it is dependent upon the knowledge, experience, skills, and abilities of the