Senior Director of IT Operations & Campus Com

Palo Alto University; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Palo Alto University is seeking a Senior Director of IT Operations & Campus Compliance. This strategic leader will oversee IT reliability, security, and compliance, ensuring technology services align with the university's goals. The position requires significant IT leadership experience and a strong background in governance and compliance, making it ideal for professionals looking to advance in higher education technology management.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressively responsible IT experience.
• 8-10 years of IT leadership experience.
• Proven experience with IT operations and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Oversee IT infrastructure, ensuring systems reliability and compliance.
• Manage vendor relationships and IT contracts.
• Lead strategic planning for IT operations aligned with university goals.

Skills

Leadership

IT Governance

Compliance

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or Business Administration

Job description

Senior Director of IT Operations & Campus Com

Senior Director of IT Operations & Campus Com

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This range is provided by Palo Alto University. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$210,000.00/yr - $210,000.00/yr

Palo Alto University (PAU), a private, non-profit university, founded in 1975 and located in the heart of Northern California’s Silicon Valley, is a community grounded in values of social justice, dedicated to addressing pressing and emerging issues in the fields of psychology and counseling that meet the needs of today’s diverse society. The students at PAU reflect the diversity of the region, are engaged in their education, and committed to improving the lives of others. The University sees diversity in its staff and faculty as very important to serving its diverse student body (or synonymous with inclusive excellence). PAU offers undergraduate and graduate programs with online, hybrid and residential options. PAU has an engaged faculty who make significant contributions to their fields and prepare future leaders who make a difference in the lives of individuals and communities. When you put all of this together, PAU creates a legacy of confident, competent, and compassionate professionals who are at the forefront of psychology and counseling and who move ahead in life by moving lives ahead.

Position Description

Job Title: Senior Director of IT Operations & Campus Compliance

Department: Information Technology

Reports To: Chief Financial Officer

Modality: Residential

Employment Status: Full Time

Summary

The Senior Director of IT Operations & Campus Compliance is a strategic, senior-level leader responsible for overseeing the reliability, security, and compliance of the university’s technology environment. This role has broad responsibility across IT infrastructure, enterprise applications, vendor and contract oversight, and regulatory/audit compliance. As a member of the university’s senior leadership team, this role aligns IT operations with institutional goals and ensures that technology services are delivered effectively and securely.

Specific Duties And Responsibilities

IT Operations Leadership

• Lead and direct the day-to-day operations of IT infrastructure, networking, endpoint management, and helpdesk support.
• Drive adoption of ITIL-based service management practices, including incident, change, and asset management.
• Oversee systems monitoring, availability, patch management, backups, and disaster recovery preparedness.
• Define and report on operational KPIs and drive service improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with senior managers across campus to set and maintain technology priorities aligned with institutional needs.
• Work with Finance to develop and maintain technology budgets that address future demands.
  
  

Enterprise Application Support

• Provide strategic oversight for core systems, including the Student Information System (SIS), Learning Management System (LMS), CRM, and related integrations.
• Collaborate with academic and administrative departments to ensure consistent and reliable application performance.
• Ensure application roadmaps support institutional priorities, with robust access controls and data governance.
• Partner with the University Librarian and Director of Academic Technology to support digital teaching and learning initiatives, focusing on effective student and faculty engagement.
  
  

Vendor and Contract Management

• Manage vendor relationships and lead contract negotiations, renewals, and compliance reviews.
• Ensure IT service providers meet performance expectations and contract terms.
• Partner with Finance and Legal to optimize licensing, terms, and total cost of ownership.
  
  

Audit and Regulatory Compliance

• Maintain policies and documentation to support compliance with FERPA, GLBA, HIPAA, and other applicable standards.
• Lead IT audit preparations and responses in partnership with vCISO, including coordination with internal/external auditors and remediation efforts.
• Champion a culture of compliance and data protection across IT and the broader campus community.
  
  

Strategic Planning and Leadership

• Develop and execute the IT operational strategy in support of the university’s mission and strategic goals.
• Serve as a key advisor to senior leadership on technology risk, investment, and resource allocation.
• Mentor and lead IT staff, providing direction, performance management, and professional development.
• Engage with external partners, peer institutions, and regulatory bodies as a representative of the institution’s IT function.
• Maintain and update the university’s IT strategic plan to ensure alignment between operational and project goals and the broader mission of the university.
• Monitor trends and emerging technologies to identify opportunities for innovation that support university operations and digital transformation.
• Make recommendations for the development, application, and maintenance of information technology resources across the campus.
  
  

Skills & Abilities

• Bachelor’s degreein Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field
• An equivalent combination of education, training, and progressively responsible work experience (typically 10+ years) may be substituted for the degree requirement.
• Minimum of 8–10 years of progressive IT leadership experience, including at least 5 years in a senior or director-level role
• Proven experience managing IT operations, enterprise systems, vendor contracts, and compliance with regulatory standards
• Strong knowledge of IT governance, security frameworks, and compliance standards (e.g., ITIL, NIST, GLBA, HIPAA, FERPA)
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive strategic change in resource-constrained environments
• Excellent communication, organizational, and leadership skills
  
  

No Discrimination: The University is an equal opportunity employer and is firmly committed to non-discrimination in its hiring and other employment practices and in the application of its personnel policies. In compliance with all applicable federal and state laws, except where a bona fide occupational qualification exists, employment decisions will be made irrespective of the staff member's backgrounds of race, color, religion, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, age (except for minors), sex, marital status, citizenship status, military service status, sexual orientation, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic condition), disability and/or any another status protected by law.

As provided by law, and when it is requested to do so, the University will offer reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities, if the individual is otherwise qualified to safely and to the University standards of quality of work, perform all essential functions of the position and if it will be done without undue hardship to the University.

PAU has a high-quality work environment that attracts and welcomes a diversity of backgrounds of its employees . In your application or in a cover letter, please include information on how your background and experience has prepared you to work at a high level of quality of work with co-workers from a variety of different backgrounds .

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Information Technology

• Industries

  Higher Education

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