Director - Information Systems

Salk Institute Office of Technology Development•San Diego, CA

8h•$160,000 - $190,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Salk Institute seeks a Director of Information Systems to oversee the enterprise systems landscape that supports administrative and research operations. This role emphasizes the adoption of modern, commercial off-the-shelf solutions for business operations while recognizing that there will be need to develop both custom integrations and limited home-grown software solutions if commercial alternatives do not exist. The Director is responsible for ensuring systems are integrated, reliable, and aligned with mission-critical needs. Reporting to the Executive Director of IT and managing 8 direct reports, the Director provides leadership in applying technology - including artificial intelligence and automation—to streamline processes and improve decision-making. The position offers a unique opportunity to shape Salk’s digital landscape, supporting world-class science and institutional growth.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree (BA) in computer science, information science, business or related field from a four-year college or university.
Ten years of progressively responsible experience in information technology, with at least 8 years in leadership roles overseeing data integration architectures, ERP system integration, and reporting platforms for operational data.
Five to ten years of software development oversight.
Proven leadership skills in building and directing high-performing teams.
Ability to mentor staff and foster a positive, inclusive team culture dedicated to excellence and innovation.
Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, including the capacity to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders (from scientists to finance staff) and to convey technical concepts in approachable terms.
Demonstrated experience managing Financial Information Systems, including financial operations, reporting, integrations, data integrity, and internal controls, in close partnership with Finance stakeholders.
Proven experience leading prior ERP implementations through the full lifecycle, including requirements gathering, solution selection, configuration, data migration, integration, testing, organizational change management, deployment, and stabilization.
Strong ServiceNow expertise, including platform capabilities, IT service management, workflow design and automation, integrations, governance, and continuous improvement.
Demonstrated experience leading business process reengineering across enterprise functions, translating business needs into redesigned workflows and measurable operational improvements.
Deep understanding of enterprise software architectures and integration techniques.
Familiarity with COTS solutions for common business needs (Finance, HR, grants management, etc.) and with tools for data integration (such as ETL pipelines or API management).
In-depth knowledge and demonstrated practical skills in AI, including machine learning, generative AI, large language models, and agentic AI.
Experience designing, evaluating, integrating, and governing AI-enabled enterprise solutions and agent workflows, including tool use, orchestration, retrieval-augmented generation, human oversight, and evaluation of reliability and business value.
Experience directing and monitoring enterprise AI strategies, establishing performance and risk metrics, and adapting implementation priorities based on results.
Demonstrated AI safety and security experience, including threat assessment, secure deployment, data privacy, prompt injection defenses, agent permissions, output validation, and ongoing monitoring.
Extensive experience with project management, specifically as a project leader on enterprise-level initiatives.
Experience with data warehouse concepts and electronic data interchange systems.
Application development technologies and programming languages such as PHP, Java, and Python; tools such as version control systems and processes
Cloud ecosystems (Amazon AWS, Google cloud), PaaS solutions (e.g., Salesforce), and cloud application solutions (e.g., Box, Asana, Zoom)
Services oriented architecture (SOA), web services design, XML, REST technologies
Database technologies including Oracle and MySQL

Nice To Haves

Experience in a research, academic, or nonprofit environment supporting scientific data systems is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Manage, mentor, and inspire a team of 8 direct reports responsible for integration, reporting, software development and technical support for core business systems including Banner.
Provide clear direction and set priorities for the team, balancing ongoing operational support with strategic project initiatives.
Foster a collaborative and high-performance culture, encouraging professional growth through training and mentorship.
Conduct regular performance evaluations, recognize achievements, and guide the team in adopting best practices in agile project management, DevOps, and customer service.
Ensure the team works closely with other IT units (infrastructure, support, etc.) and with end-user departments to deliver excellent service and technical solutions.
Serve as a primary liaison between the Information Systems team and administrative and research stakeholders.
Proactively engage with administrators, faculty, and core facility users to understand their technology needs and pain points.
Translate business and research requirements into effective IT solutions, ensuring that IT initiatives remain closely aligned with the Institute’s strategic plan.
Ensure seamless integration of enterprise applications and databases across the Institute, so that data flows efficiently between systems (e.g. linking research data systems with financial, HR, grant development, and facilities systems).
Oversee development of robust interfaces and use of integration platforms/API strategies to connect disparate systems into a cohesive digital ecosystem.
Develop and maintain interactive digital reports and dashboards that deliver clear, timely, and actionable insights to Institute leadership.
Ensure that financial, HR, grants, and facilities data are presented in intuitive formats that support data-informed decision-making.
Champion the use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software and cloud-based solutions to meet these needs, minimizing custom development by selecting, implementing, and configuring proven vendor systems.
Oversee Financial Information Systems supporting accounting, budgeting, procurement, and financial reporting, in partnership with Finance.
Lead ERP implementations and modernization efforts, including requirements definition, vendor selection, data migration, integration, testing, change management, go-live, and post-implementation stabilization.
Direct the use of ServiceNow for service management, workflow automation, and integration with enterprise systems.
Lead cross-functional business process reengineering with Finance, HR, Operations, and research stakeholders.
Assess current-state workflows, redesign end-to-end processes and controls, and establish measurable improvements in efficiency, accuracy, and service delivery.
Apply ServiceNow workflows, robotic process automation (RPA), and AI, including agentic AI, where appropriate; guide organizational change and measure adoption and business outcomes.
Oversee software development efforts that prioritize data integration across core business platforms, leveraging commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions whenever possible.
Work closely with the Executive Director of IT and Information Security teams to ensure all information systems follow best-in-class security practices and compliance standards.
Implement appropriate access controls, data privacy safeguards, and cybersecurity measures across applications, particularly where research data or personal information is involved.
Establish AI safety and security practices with Information Security, including model and vendor risk assessments, protection of sensitive data, access controls for AI agents and tools, human oversight and approval boundaries, testing for prompt injection and unsafe outputs, audit logging, continuous monitoring, and incident response.
Oversee a portfolio of IT projects – from major system implementations to iterative enhancements – ensuring they are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget.
Utilize formal project management methodologies to plan, track, and report on project progress.
Develop and implement a forward-looking enterprise information systems strategy that aligns with the Institute’s scientific mission and operational goals.
Identify opportunities where technology can advance research objectives and improve administrative efficiency, keeping Salk at the cutting edge of IT in the not-for-profit research sector.
In partnership with the Executive Director of IT, direct and monitor the enterprise AI strategy, roadmap, and investment priorities.
Evaluate and implement AI and agentic AI use cases aligned with institutional needs; establish governance, success measures, and ongoing monitoring of performance, cost, adoption, and risk.
Manages third-party vendor relationships to ensure needs and contractual obligations are met; partners with Procurement, especially during contract reviews, to ensure business needs are identified and addressed.
Performs other related duties as assigned by the Executive Director of IT.