Director of Information Technology (IT)

Hillel Day School of Metropolitan•Farmington Hills, MI

13d•$95,000•Onsite

About The Position

Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit is seeking a Director of Information Technology (IT) to serve as the strategic and operational leader for information technology. This role reports to the Chief Operating Officer and is responsible for ensuring the security, reliability, and effectiveness of Hillel's infrastructure, hardware, networks, systems, and cybersecurity. The Director will also develop a forward-looking vision for how technology, cybersecurity, and digital innovation can enhance teaching and learning, improve organizational effectiveness, and enrich the experience of students, faculty, staff, and families. The ideal candidate is a proactive technology leader capable of anticipating needs and translating technology trends into practical strategies for a school serving early childhood through 8th grade. This is a hands-on leadership position requiring both strategic planning and direct operational involvement.

Requirements

A bachelor's degree in information systems, Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Technology, or Educational Technology
Hands-on expertise with network security best practices, equipment tracking, Active Directory, Google Admin Console, database architecture, network protocols (LAN/WAN/VLAN), and emerging educational software.
Proven ability to diagnose network issues, mitigate cyber threats, maintain accurate equipment logs, prioritize urgent support needs, manage competing deadlines, and maintain detail-oriented accuracy.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills to interface effectively with leadership, faculty, students, and third-party security partners.
Ability to navigate tight spaces (e.g., under desks) and climb ladders to run cabling, install hardware, inventory equipment, and service physical security infrastructure.
Industry certifications (such as CompTIA Security+, Network+, CISSP, CEH, Microsoft Certified Administrator, or Google Certified Admin) are highly valued and demonstrate foundational technical and security expertise.
Minimum 7-10+ years of professional IT experience, including hands-on experience in network security, equipment inventory management, system administration, and infrastructure oversight—preferably in an academic setting.

Nice To Haves

Experience preferably in an academic setting.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead a multi-year technology strategy that aligns investments with Hillel's mission and strategic priorities.
Assess the current technology environment and recommend what to adopt, upgrade, consolidate, or discontinue in collaboration with the Educational Technology Coordinator.
Balance innovation, security, reliability, and cost when setting technology priorities.
Stay current on emerging technology trends and translate them into practical recommendations for Hillel in collaboration with the Educational Technology Coordinator.
Lead Hillel's cybersecurity and technology risk strategy, in partnership with school leadership and outside experts when necessary.
Assess emerging threats and vulnerabilities and recommend safeguards, policies, and practices, including a culture of security awareness through ongoing staff training.
Maintain and test disaster recovery and business continuity plans, and lead incident response when needed.
Protect student, family, employee, financial, enrollment, and advancement data, and vet the security and privacy implications of new platforms before adoption.
Oversee Hillel's technology ecosystem across academic, administrative, financial, enrollment, advancement, and security systems, ensuring they are secure, efficient, and well-integrated.
Work with department leaders to reduce duplication, streamline workflows, and improve the user experience.
Evaluate new platforms for scalability, security, cost, and long-term sustainability.
Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Head of School and Leadership Team on technology, cybersecurity, AI, and digital innovation in collaboration with the Educational Technology Coordinator.
Directly supervise internal IT personnel and manage relationships with outsourced technology service providers.
Translate technical issues and opportunities into clear recommendations for nontechnical leaders in collaboration with the Educational Technology Coordinator.
Build strong relationships across the school as an accessible, trusted resource for faculty and staff.
Lead major schoolwide technology initiatives from needs assessment through implementation and evaluation.
Develop project plans, timelines, budgets, and communication strategies, and coordinate vendors and consultants.
Lead change management for new systems, since successful adoption depends on people as much as technology.
Build a proactive, responsive, customer-centered technology culture for students, faculty, staff, and families.
Use support trends and user feedback to fix systemic issues, not just individual tickets.
Position the technology team as a strategic partner to the school, not just a troubleshooting resource.
Partner with the Head of School and Leadership Team to identify technology-related professional learning needs in collaboration with the Educational Technology Coordinator.
Develop and coordinate training that helps faculty and staff use technology effectively and confidently.
Stay current on educational technology best practices in collaboration with the Educational Technology Coordinator.
Oversee the uptime and maintenance of all hardware, servers, 1:1 student devices, backups, web/database platforms, and network operations.
Maintain equipment inventory and network security, including firewalls, content filtering, intrusion detection, access controls, and administrative platforms such as Blackbaud's Education Edge and Raiser's Edge.
Design long-term technology solutions, manage IT budgets, oversee external vendors and contractors, handle procurement, and coordinate system deployments.