Senior Director, Enterprise Application Infrastructure

Virginia Tech; Blacksburg (VA); Hybrid; USD 163,000 - 182,000; Full time

Job summary

Virginia Tech seeks a Senior Director of Application Infrastructure to lead the university's enterprise application infrastructure, including databases, integration services, and hosting platforms. The role reports to the AVP for ESET and guides managers to ensure health, security, and strategic evolution of delivery platforms.

The position balances vision with operational excellence, partnering with executive stakeholders, IT leaders, and vendors to keep platforms resilient, scalable, and

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business, or related field.
• Experience leading enterprise application and database administration in large organizations.
• Proven ability to lead managers and technical teams for operational outcomes and strategic initiatives.
• Experience with high availability, security, and regulatory compliance of mission-critical platforms.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for enterprise application infrastructure.
• Align priorities with governance, architecture, and operational execution.
• Partner with executive stakeholders and vendors to ensure resilience and scalability.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Vendor management

Strategic thinking

Communication

Change management

Stakeholder management

Enterprise applications knowledge

Education

Master's degree in Computer Science, IT, Business

Tools

API management

Middleware

Data integration

Cloud platforms

Job description

Job Description

The Senior Director of Application Infrastructure providesstrategic and operational leadership for the university'senterprise application infrastructure ecosystem, includingenterprise database and application administration, integrationservices, web hosting, disaster recovery testing, and supportingplatforms that enable mission-critical administrative, academic,research, and engagement functions.

Reporting to the AVP for Enterprise Solutions and EnablingTechnologies (ESET), the Senior Director serves as a member of theESET leadership team and is accountable for the long-term health,sustainability, security, performance, and strategic evolution ofenterprise application delivery platforms and the infrastructureservices that support them. The role provides direction to managersand technical teams while ensuring alignment between institutionalpriorities, enterprise architecture, governance frameworks, andoperational execution.

Success in this role requires balancing strategic vision withoperational excellence, fostering strong partnerships withexecutive stakeholders, distributed IT leaders, and vendors, whileensuring enterprise platforms remain resilient, scalable, secure,and adaptable to evolving university needs.

Work Location

This is a hybrid position. The successful candidate may work onsiteat the Blacksburg campus approximately 2–3 days per week. As asenior director-level role, regular onsite presence is essential tosupport team leadership, collaboration, planning, andrelationship‑building efforts.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology,Business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination ofeducation, training, and experience.
• Significant experience leading enterprise application, databaseadministration, application administration, or relatedinfrastructure services in large, complex organizations.
• Demonstrated success leading managers and technical teams withaccountability for operational outcomes and strategicinitiatives.
• Experience supporting mission-critical enterprise platformsrequiring high availability, reliability, security, and regulatorycompliance.
• Proven ability to lead enterprise-scale technology initiatives inhighly matrixed organizations.
• Experience partnering effectively with executive stakeholders andleading through influence.
• Experience managing budgets, vendors, and cross-functionalinitiatives.
• Strong understanding of enterprise applications, databases,integrations, service management, and operational excellencepractices.
• Exceptional strategic thinking, communication, organizationalleadership, and change management skills.
• Experience in higher education or another complex, highlyregulated institutional environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting ERP, CRM, student systems, researchadministration systems, or other enterprise administrativeplatforms.
• Experience with AI, cloud, hybrid cloud, and modern applicationplatform architectures.
• Experience operating within formal governance, cybersecurity,compliance, and audit frameworks.
• Demonstrated success leading digital transformation, applicationmodernization, or enterprise service evolution initiatives.
• Experience improving operational maturity through automation,service management practices, and platform standardization.
• Familiarity with enterprise integration platforms, APImanagement, middleware technologies, and data integrationarchitectures.

Overtime Status

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Regular

Salary Information

$162,500 - $182,450

Hours per week

40

Review Date

09/23/2026

Additional Information

Sponsorship is not available for this role.

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminalconviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking ahands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to beleaders and problem-solvers.

A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact IT Human Resources at [e-mail] during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.