Vice President and Chief Information Officer

We are excited that you are considering joining Nova Southeastern University!

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) was founded in 1964, and is a not-for-profit, independent university with a reputation for academic excellence and innovation. Nova Southeastern University offers competitive salaries, a comprehensive benefits package including tuition waiver, retirement plan, excellent medical and dental plans and much more. NSU cares about the health and welfare of its students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors and is a tobacco-free university.

We appreciate your support in making NSU the preeminent place to live, work, study and grow. Thank you for your interest in a career with Nova Southeastern University.

Primary Purpose:

Oversees the organization’s IT vision, strategy, and operations. Ensures the alignment of IT initiatives with business objectives, driving innovation, operational efficiency, and digital transformation across the institution. Leads enterprise-wide technology planning, cybersecurity, data governance, infrastructure management, and application development, while fostering a culture of agility and continuous improvement. Evaluates emerging technologies, manages large-scale IT budgets, and ensures compliance with regulatory standards, positioning the organization for long-term success in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Job Category: Exempt

Hiring Range:  Commensurate with experience

Pay Basis:  Annually

Subject to Grant Funding? No  

Essential Job Functions: 

1. Strategic IT Leadership

a. Develop and implement a forward-looking, institution-wide IT strategy that supports academic excellence, research innovation, and administrative efficiency.
b. Align technology initiatives with the university’s mission, vision, and strategic plan, ensuring long-term sustainability, adaptability, and operational excellence.

2. Enterprise IT Governance

a. Establish and lead system-wide governance structures that promote collaboration, transparency, and alignment across diverse academic and administrative units, and ensure accountability in IT decision-making.
b. Ensure consistent technology standards, policies, and practices across the institution.
c. Facilitate stakeholder engagement to ensure technology investments meet institutional priorities and deliver measurable value.
d. Facilitate cross-functional alignment to support enterprise-wide goals, reduce duplication, and enhance the consistency and quality of technology services delivered throughout the university.
e. Lead efforts to identify, consolidate, and eliminate redundant or underutilized applications and platforms, ensuring efficient use of resources and improved user experience across the institution.

3. Digital Transformation

a. Champion digital transformation initiatives that modernize legacy systems, streamline operations, and enhance the digital experience for students, faculty, and staff.
b. Evaluate and implement emerging technologies to improve learning environments, research capabilities, and administrative processes.
c. Lead the adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to automate processes, personalize digital experiences, and enhance decision-making across academic and administrative functions.

4. Infrastructure & Operations Management

a. Oversee the design, deployment, and maintenance of robust, secure, and scalable IT infrastructure, including networks, data centers, and cloud services.
b. Ensure high availability, performance, and reliability of enterprise systems and services across all campuses, departments, and collaboration platforms through robust redundancy strategies, including failover mechanisms, backup systems, and geographically distributed data centers.
c. Lead efforts to standardize infrastructure components and implement disaster recovery plans that support uninterrupted operations across the enterprise.

5. Cybersecurity & Risk Management

a. Lead the development and enforcement of comprehensive cybersecurity policies and protocols to safeguard institutional data and systems.
b. Lead risk management efforts including conducting regular risk assessments, incident response planning, and compliance audits to mitigate threats and ensure regulatory adherence.

6. Data Strategy & Analytics

a. Champion a system-wide data governance framework that enables integrated analytics, reporting, and evidence-based decision-making.
b. Lead the design and implementation of enterprise data warehouses and data lakes to consolidate institutional data from diverse sources, ensuring consistency, accessibility, and scalability.
c. Promote data interoperability and standardization across units to support strategic planning, institutional research, and operational efficiency.
d. Expand the use of predictive analytics, business intelligence platforms, and self-service reporting tools to provide broad, role-appropriate access to data and support informed decision-making across academic and administrative functions.
e. Leverage AI-driven analytics and intelligent automation to uncover complex patterns, forecast institutional trends, and optimize strategic initiatives such as enrollment management, student success, and resource allocation.
f. Evaluate and streamline reporting systems to eliminate redundant, outdated, or ineffective reports, ensuring that data outputs are actionable, timely, and aligned with institutional priorities.
g. Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of IT services, digital transformation initiatives, and institutional outcomes, enabling continuous improvement and strategic alignment.

7. Academic & Administrative Collaboration

a. Partner with academic leaders to support technology-enhanced teaching, learning, and research initiatives.
b. Collaborate with administrative units to optimize business processes, improve service delivery, and enhance operational efficiency through technology.
c. Support the ethical and innovative use of AI in academic and research contexts, including infrastructure for high-performance computing and data science.

8. Budget & Resource Management

a. Develop and manage multi-million-dollar IT budgets, ensuring strategic allocation of resources and cost-effective technology investments.
b. Negotiate and manage vendor contracts, licensing agreements, and service-level expectations to maximize value and performance.

9. Compliance & Accreditation Support

a. Ensure IT systems and practices comply with federal, state, and institutional regulations, including FERPA, HIPAA, and accreditation requirements.
b. Provide technology support and documentation for accreditation reviews, audits, and institutional reporting.

10. Talent Development & Team Leadership

a. Cultivate and lead a high-performing IT organization that reflects the institution’s values and commitment to excellence.
b. Foster a culture of innovation, professional development, and continuous improvement through mentorship, training, and performance management.

11. Artificial Intelligence Strategy & Innovation

a. Develop and lead an enterprise-wide strategy for the adoption and governance of AI technologies, ensuring alignment with institutional values, academic integrity, and ethical standards.
b. Evaluate and implement AI solutions that enhance institutional capabilities in areas such as student advising, administrative automation, cybersecurity, and research computing.
c. Promote responsible AI practices, including transparency, bias mitigation, and compliance with emerging regulations and standards.

12. Performs other duties as assigned or required.

Job Requirements: 

Required Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

Knowledge

1. Deep understanding of enterprise IT strategy, governance, and operations in a multi-campus or system-wide higher education environment.
2. Expertise in digital transformation, cloud computing, modern data center architecture, and hybrid infrastructure models.
3. Strong knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks, risk management practices, and regulatory compliance (e.g., FERPA, HIPAA, GDPR).
4. Advanced understanding of data governance, data warehousing, analytics platforms, and AI-driven decision support systems.
5. Familiarity with academic technologies, research computing, and administrative systems (e.g., ERP, LMS, CRM).
6. Awareness of ethical considerations and emerging regulations related to artificial intelligence and data privacy.

Skills

7. Strategic planning and execution across complex, decentralized organizations.
8. Leadership and team-building skills to cultivate high-performing, inclusive, and innovative IT teams.
9. Budgeting and financial management, including multi-million-dollar IT portfolios and vendor negotiations.
10. Change management and stakeholder engagement across diverse academic and administrative constituencies.
11. Analytical and problem-solving skills to evaluate emerging technologies and align them with institutional goals.
12. Communication and interpersonal skills to effectively collaborate with executive leadership, faculty, staff, and external partners.

Abilities

13. Ability to lead enterprise-wide initiatives that integrate technology across campuses and departments.
14. Ability to translate institutional strategy into actionable IT plans and measurable outcomes.
15. Ability to foster a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and digital equity.
16. Ability to manage complex projects, prioritize competing demands, and deliver results in dynamic environments.
17. Ability to promote responsible AI adoption and guide its integration into academic, research, and administrative domains.
18. Ability to ensure operational resilience through redundancy, disaster recovery, and business continuity planning.
 

Required Education: Master's Degree

Major: Information Technology or Systems, Computer Science, Business Administration, or closely related field.

Required Experience:

1. Minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experience in information technology leadership, including at least 5 years in a senior or executive IT role within a large, complex organization—preferably in higher education environment.
2. Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-wide IT strategy, digital transformation, and governance frameworks across multiple organizational units or locations.
3. Proven track record in managing large-scale infrastructure, cloud and hybrid environments, data centers, and cybersecurity programs.
4. Experience overseeing data governance, analytics platforms, and AI-driven initiatives to support institutional planning and decision-making.
5. Strong background in budget management, vendor negotiations, and contract oversight for multi-million-dollar IT portfolios.

Preferred Qualifications: 

1. Doctoral degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, Higher Education Administration, or a related discipline.
2. Executive-level experience in a large and complex university system.
3. Industry-relevant professional certification(s).

Is this a safety sensitive position? No  

Background Screening Required?  Yes  

Pre-Employment Conditions: 

Sensitivity Disclaimer: Nova Southeastern University is in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and does not discriminate with regard to applicants or employees with disabilities and will make reasonable accommodation when necessary.

NSU considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status or any other legally protected status.