Director, Enterprise Applications

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS•Washington, DC

3d•$125,000 - $140,000•Remote

About The Position

The Director of Enterprise Applications provides strategic leadership and oversight of NAIS’s enterprise application portfolio, ensuring systems are secure, reliable, and aligned with organizational priorities while supporting both staff and member-facing services. This role leads the strategy and delivery of internal and member-facing applications and key platforms— including SSO, Career Center, the website, event registration, Data Vista, LISCO, DASL, School Surveys, SaaS solutions, and future data environments — spanning enterprise platforms and rapid iteration initiatives. The Director drives alignment across application development, vendor partnerships, governance practices, and emerging technology integration, including the thoughtful application of AI-enabled capabilities. The Director works in partnership with the Vice President for Information Technology to engage NAIS staff in the selection and implementation of internal applications, including identifying requirements, evaluating solutions, and supporting organization-wide adoption and training for effective and coordinated use. The Director also serves as a key ambassador for NAIS’s member-facing platforms, engaging with school leaders and representing the organization’s technology offerings at NAIS events, as appropriate.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
7+ years in IT leadership, application management, or program management
2 + years of hands-on software development experience
2+ years of integrating generative and agentive ai systems into application development workflows and customer-facing products.
Experience managing enterprise applications in a vendor-driven environment
Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills
Knowledge of software development and project management processes. Agile methodology and continuous delivery experience
Knowledge of current application and ai development security frameworks
Experience managing both contracted and internal staff
Experience developing and maintaining multi-year operational budgets

Nice To Haves

Experience in nonprofit, education, or association environments
Familiarity with data platforms, web systems, and identity management (SSO)

Responsibilities

Oversee NAIS’s enterprise application portfolio, ensuring systems are stable, secure, scalable, and aligned with organizational priorities across the full development lifecycle.
Lead the continuous improvement of internal and member-facing applications, including SSO, Career Center, the website, event registration, and Data Vista as it integrates Market View, LISCO, DASL, School Surveys, and future data environments.
Guide system architecture and integrations (including SSO) to maintain a cohesive, reliable, and well-functioning technology ecosystem.
Champion the thoughtful integration of AI-enabled capabilities across NAIS applications to enhance organizational effectiveness and member value.
Evaluate trends and recommend a strategic approach of custom-built and third-party solutions to meet evolving organizational and member needs.
Establish and support governance frameworks for application intake, prioritization, and delivery to ensure transparency, efficiency, and alignment with organizational priorities.
Ensure applications are developed and maintained in accordance with industry standards for security, compliance, and performance.
Strengthen service management practices, including performance monitoring, issue resolution, and reporting, to support a high level of service delivery.
Partner with internal teams and leadership to define business needs, set priorities, and align application initiatives with strategic goals.
Serve as a key liaison between technical teams and non-technical stakeholders, ensuring clarity, communication, and shared understanding.
Serve as the primary point of contact for application vendors, overseeing contracts, service delivery, and performance.
Manage external partners and internal resources to ensure high-quality execution and alignment with organizational priorities.
Represent NAIS platforms externally as appropriate, including engagement with member schools and participation in NAIS events.
Other duties as assigned.