Associate Director, Research Services OR Director, Research Services

UIOWA•Iowa City, IA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

Information Technology Services (ITS) at the University of Iowa is seeking an Associate Director or Director of Research Services to help shape how technology supports research across the university. In this role, you’ll lead the team that connects Iowa’s research community with critical research computing services—including high-performance computing, research storage, Linux-based infrastructure, and other specialized platforms researchers rely on to advance their work. Your team will lead consultation, communication, training, engagement, and service management, helping researchers understand, access, and make the most of these resources. You’ll have the opportunity to build and strengthen how we engage with researchers, developing strategies, structures, and processes that make research computing services more responsive, accessible, and aligned with evolving research needs. Working closely with the technical teams responsible for Iowa’s research computing infrastructure, you’ll help translate researcher needs into strong, sustainable services that support the university’s research mission. Associate Director: The Associate Director will oversee a team that provides support, resources, and services essential to the research mission and daily operations of the University. Operating under the guidance of the Executive IT Director for OTLT, the Associate Director will lead and supervise the Research Services team, including setting priorities, clarifying responsibilities, coaching staff, evaluating performance, and supporting employee development. They will manage the day-to-day delivery of research computing and researcher support services, ensure responsive, high-quality customer service by establishing service expectations, monitoring performance, addressing escalated concerns, and improving communication with researchers. They will also plan and coordinate projects and service improvements, build and maintain collaborative relationships with researchers, academic departments, campus IT partners, research administration offices, compliance stakeholders, vendors, and service governance groups, and lead the HPC Policy and Investor Committee. They will collect and evaluate service metrics and customer feedback to assess effectiveness, identify gaps, establish priorities, and recommend improvements. Director: The Director will strategically lead a team of professionals providing support, resources, and services essential to the research mission and daily operations of the University. Operating with a high degree of independence, the director will provide strategic leadership for the university’s research computing and research technology services, establishing priorities and long-term direction in support of institutional research goals. They will lead the HPC Policy and Investor Committee, and lead and supervise the research services team, including setting priorities, clarifying responsibilities, coaching staff, evaluating performance, and supporting employee development. The Director will direct the development of service roadmaps, performance measures, financial plans, and resource strategies, ensuring that research computing and consultation services remain sustainable, responsive, and aligned with institutional priorities. They will anticipate emerging research technology needs and industry developments, evaluating their institutional implications and making appropriate recommendations for investments, partnerships, service changes, or new capabilities. They will lead and take charge of complex, institutionally significant initiatives involving multiple colleges, administrative units, technical teams, governance bodies, vendors, and/or external partners. They will represent the University’s research computing interests in senior leadership discussions, negotiations, external collaborations, professional communities, and institutional planning efforts. For Both Levels: There is an expectation that the individual in this position will maintain effective, civil, and respectful working relationships with the University of Iowa campus community and uphold the University’s commitment to creating a welcoming and respectful environment for all. This position is not eligible for University sponsorship for employment authorization. ITS values work life balance and strives to provide flexible work options where possible. This position is eligible for on-site or hybrid work arrangements within the state of Iowa, and will require a work arrangement form to be completed upon the start of employment. Per policy, work arrangements will be reviewed annually, and must comply with the remote work program and related policies and employee travel policy when working at a remote location.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a field relevant to the position, or an equivalent combination of education and additional related experience.
Experience (typically 5 years or more for Associate Director, 7 years or more for Director) with progressively responsible IT experience, preferably related to research computing.
Experience (at least 2 years for Associate Director, 4 years for Director) successfully leading a technical team or organization.
Familiarity with academic research and research computing environments, including HPC, research storage, and collaboration tools.
Strong customer service orientation.
Excellent people skills and ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with technical and non-technical staff from a variety of backgrounds.
Experience successfully managing complex projects and initiatives with cross-functional teams, with competing deadlines.
Ability to communicate with, establish, and build healthy working relationships and partnerships with colleagues, faculty, staff, students, vendors, the public, regulatory/governmental agencies, etc.
Demonstrated experience managing, developing, and retaining staff.
Demonstrated track record of being a positive change agent, including role modeling change readiness; addressing resistance; building resiliency and successfully guiding others through the structural, cultural, and process aspects of organizational change.
U.S.A. citizenship, permanent residency, or protected person status is required for International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) compliance.
Experience with enterprise-level IT service management concepts and/or frameworks (Director level).

Nice To Haves

Experience with budget management.
Experience implementing and managing high-complexity campus-scale IT projects and services.
Demonstrated dedication to delivering high-quality services.
Experience with one or more of the following: GPU computing, containerization, and cloud-HPC hybrid models.
Experience supporting grant-funded infrastructure programs.
Familiarity with grant submissions to academic research funding organizations such as NSF, NIH, NASA, DOE, MacArthur Foundation, Mellon Foundation.
Experience supporting technology in a higher education environment.

Responsibilities

Lead and supervise the Research Services team, including setting priorities, clarifying responsibilities, coaching staff, evaluating performance, and supporting employee development.
Manage the day-to-day delivery of research computing and researcher support services.
Ensure responsive, high-quality customer service by establishing service expectations, monitoring performance, addressing escalated concerns, and improving communication with researchers.
Plan and coordinate projects and service improvements.
Build and maintain collaborative relationships with researchers, academic departments, campus IT partners, research administration offices, compliance stakeholders, vendors, and service governance groups.
Lead the HPC Policy and Investor Committee.
Collect and evaluate service metrics and customer feedback to assess effectiveness, identify gaps, establish priorities, and recommend improvements.
Provide strategic leadership for the university’s research computing and research technology services, establishing priorities and long-term direction in support of institutional research goals.
Direct development of service roadmaps, performance measures, financial plans, and resource strategies, ensuring that research computing and consultation services remain sustainable, responsive, and aligned with institutional priorities.
Anticipate emerging research technology needs and industry developments, evaluating their institutional implications and making appropriate recommendations for investments, partnerships, service changes, or new capabilities.
Lead and take charge of complex, institutionally significant initiatives involving multiple colleges, administrative units, technical teams, governance bodies, vendors, and/or external partners.
Represent the University’s research computing interests in senior leadership discussions, negotiations, external collaborations, professional communities, and institutional planning efforts.