Associate Director, IT

NASBA•Nashville, TN

47d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director, IT is a key leadership role and an extension of the Chief Information Officer, helping translate NASBA's technology strategy into disciplined execution and measurable organizational value. The role provides leadership across enterprise data and analytics, responsible artificial intelligence, business process automation, information technology outsourcing (ITO) management, digital product delivery, and technology operations. Working across business units and with external service providers, this leader connects strategy, governance, delivery, vendor accountability, infrastructure and application services, and operational improvement to advance NASBA's priorities. The position combines strategic thinking with hands-on leadership and is expected to move initiatives from concept through implementation, adoption, and sustained results.

Requirements

Broad technology leadership capability with the judgment and versatility to operate as an extension of the CIO.
Strong knowledge of enterprise data management, analytics, data governance, architecture, and modern cloud data platforms.
Working knowledge of artificial intelligence, including generative AI, responsible AI governance, adoption, and value realization.
Experience identifying, redesigning, and automating business processes using workflow, low-code, robotic process automation, integration, or related technologies.
Demonstrated ability to govern outsourced IT services and vendors through clear accountability, performance measures, financial discipline, risk management, and constructive escalation.
Experience coordinating portfolios, projects, budgets, contracts, statements of work, service levels, risks, and executive reporting.
Strong business partnership, communication, facilitation, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.
Ability to simplify complex technology issues, frame decisions, and communicate recommendations to executive and non-technical audiences.
Strong execution, organizational discipline, sound judgment, and the ability to balance strategy with operational detail.
Commitment to measurable outcomes, continuous improvement, documentation, knowledge transfer, and sustainable operating practices.
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Business, Information Systems, or a related field required; advanced degree or relevant professional certifications preferred.
Seven or more years of progressive experience in information technology, data and analytics, AI, automation, outsourced IT services, technology strategy, or digital transformation, including leadership responsibility.
Demonstrated experience delivering cross-functional technology initiatives from planning through implementation, adoption, and operational support.
Experience managing external technology providers, complex vendor relationships, service delivery, contracts, financial performance, and executive stakeholders.
Experience working in a regulated, security-conscious, or governance-oriented environment preferred.

Nice To Haves

advanced degree or relevant professional certifications preferred

Responsibilities

Serve as a trusted advisor and operational extension of the Chief Information Officer, helping translate technology strategy and executive priorities into roadmaps, initiatives, governance, and measurable outcomes.
Lead and coordinate NASBA's enterprise data and analytics capabilities, including data strategy, governance, quality, architecture, platforms, trusted data products, reporting, and decision support.
Advance responsible AI adoption by identifying high-value use cases, guiding evaluation and prioritization, coordinating delivery, and supporting governance, privacy, cybersecurity, compliance, and organizational readiness.
Establish and mature an enterprise automation capability that identifies, prioritizes, designs, and scales workflow and process automation opportunities across NASBA.
Partner with business leaders to redesign processes before automating them, define success measures, manage change, and ensure solutions achieve adoption, efficiency, service, quality, or risk-reduction outcomes.
Provide day-to-day leadership for the ITO operating model, maintaining clear accountability between NASBA and its outsourced technology providers across services, projects, support, architecture, security, infrastructure, and applications.
Lead vendor ITO management, including service performance, service-level expectations, governance routines, issue escalation, risk management, financial stewardship, resource alignment, contract and statement-of-work support, and continuous improvement.
Hold vendors accountable for commitments, deliverables, quality, timelines, transparency, documentation, knowledge transfer, and measurable business value while building productive strategic partnerships.
Coordinate cross-functional technology initiatives and dependencies across internal teams, business stakeholders, contractors, consultants, and service providers to improve execution and reduce gaps in ownership.
Develop business cases, investment recommendations, roadmaps, budgets, forecasts, performance indicators, and executive updates for data, AI, automation, and ITO initiatives.
Establish practical governance, intake, prioritization, delivery, and value-realization processes that balance innovation, speed, risk, sustainability, and available capacity.
Promote reusable capabilities, standards, documentation, training, and knowledge sharing that strengthen NASBA's internal technology and business capabilities.
Monitor emerging technology and industry practices, recommending opportunities that align with NASBA's strategy, operating needs, risk posture, and capacity.
Represent Information Technology in enterprise planning, working sessions, governance forums, vendor meetings, and other cross-functional activities as assigned by the Chief Information Officer.
Perform other duties as assigned.