Director Of Information Technology

U.S. Space & Rocket Center•Huntsville, AL

15h•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Information Technology at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) owns the delivery and day-to-day operational performance of the Center's information technology environment. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Director translates enterprise technology strategy into executable operational plans and is accountable for the availability, integrity, and security of the networks, servers, business systems, and end-user services that support museum operations, Space Camp and educational programming, ticketing, retail and food service, and administrative functions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Information Systems, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a closely related field.
An additional four years of directly relevant progressive IT experience may be substituted for the degree requirement at the discretion of the Chief Financial Officer and Human Resources.
Eight or more years of progressively responsible experience in information technology or information systems operations, including at least four years at the supervisory or management level.
Demonstrated experience managing enterprise network and server infrastructure, including LAN and WAN, server operating systems, virtualization, and backup and recovery.
Demonstrated experience administering Microsoft Windows Server and client operating systems, Active Directory, and Microsoft 365 or equivalent enterprise productivity platforms.
Experience supporting business-critical applications, including Point of Sale and financial or accounting systems.
Working knowledge of information security principles and practical experience implementing security controls, access management, and patch and vulnerability management.
Experience preparing and managing departmental budgets and managing vendor relationships and service contracts.
Demonstrated project management capability on infrastructure or application projects.
SQL Server administration and query development.
Ability to instruct and train staff and end users in the operation of hardware, systems, and applications.
Must be authorized to work in the United States.
Employment is contingent on successful completion of E-Verify confirmation.
Employment is contingent on successful completion of a background check appropriate to a position with privileged access to Center systems, financial systems, and records relating to minors participating in Center programs.
Valid driver's license.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in information technology, Information Systems, Computer Science, or a related field.
Relevant professional certification, such as CISSP, CISM, PMP, ITIL, Microsoft, or Cisco credentials.
Experience in a public sector, state agency, nonprofit, museum, attraction, or hospitality environment with seasonal staffing fluctuations and public-facing revenue operations.
Experience maintaining PCI DSS compliance in a merchant environment.
Experience with networked AV, show control, or exhibit media systems.
Experience with physical security technology, including IP camera and access control systems.

Responsibilities

Own the operational performance of all USSRC information systems, including service availability, incident response, problem management, and change control.
Establish, publish, and report against service levels for system availability and end-user support; maintain a functioning service desk intake, triage, and escalation process.
Direct the resolution of hardware, software, network, and application faults, ensuring minimal disruption to guest-facing operations, camp programming, and revenue systems.
Maintain accurate configuration, asset, and licensing inventories for all IT hardware, software, and subscriptions.
Develop, document, and enforce IT operating procedures, standards, and departmental policies consistent with enterprise policy approved by the Chief Financial Officer.
Manage the design, capacity, performance, and lifecycle of server, storage, virtualization, and backup infrastructure, whether on premises or cloud hosted.
Manage LAN, WAN, wireless, and external connectivity across the campus, including guest and trainee network segments, and maintain segmentation appropriate to each network's risk profile.
Oversee data center and server room environments, including power, cooling, physical access, and cable plant standards and documentation.
Manage the Center's telephone and unified communications systems, coordinating with the audiovisual and communications technology function on enterprise telecommunications planning.
Maintain current network diagrams, system documentation, and runbooks sufficient for another qualified technician to operate critical systems in the Director's absence.
Ensure the integrity, availability, and supportability of core business applications, including Point of Sale, ticketing and admissions, camp registration, accounting, and payroll and human resources systems.
Serve as IT owner for system integrations and data flows between business applications, working with functional owners in Finance, Education, Retail, and Human Resources.
Perform and oversee SQL Server administration and develop queries and reports to satisfy operational and financial data requests.
Manage application upgrade, patch, and testing cycles, scheduling work to avoid disruption to peak operating periods and camp sessions.
Implement and operate the technical controls that give effect to the Center's security program, working in close coordination with the Cyber Security Officer.
Administer identity and access management, including provisioning, role-based access, privileged account control, and prompt deprovisioning at separation.
Maintain operational compliance with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) requirements applicable to the Center's cardholder data environment and support annual assessment and attestation activity.
Support safeguarding of personally identifiable information, including records relating to minors participating in Center programs, and assist with privacy reviews and audits.
Maintain vulnerability management, patching, endpoint protection, and logging and monitoring practices; escalate identified risks with recommended remediation and cost.
Support security awareness training, delivery, and departmental compliance tracking.
Maintain, test, and document backup, restoration, and disaster recovery capabilities for all critical systems, including defined recovery time and recovery point objectives.
Conduct scheduled restoration tests and tabletop exercises and report results to the Chief Financial Officer.
Serve in the Center's incident response and emergency operations structure for technology-related events, including after-hours activation.
Plan and deliver IT projects, system upgrades, and technology implementations on schedule and within approved budget, using consistent project management practices.
Prepare requirements, scopes of work, and technical evaluation criteria for technology procurements.
Evaluate emerging technologies, including automation and artificial intelligence capabilities, and recommend adoption where a defensible operational or financial case exists.
Prepare and administer the annual IT operating and capital budget in coordination with the Chief Financial Officer and the Finance department; monitor expenditures and explain variances.
Manage IT vendors and service providers against contract terms, service levels, and renewal calendars, escalating contract negotiation and execution to the Chief Financial Officer consistent with Commission purchasing authority.
Ensure procurement activity complies with applicable State of Alabama purchasing and bid requirements and with Commission policy.
Identify cost efficiencies and consolidation opportunities and recommend reinvestment of savings into modernization priorities.
Supervise the staff and assign information systems staff, including network administrators, systems administrators, and service desk technicians.
Manage hiring, onboarding, scheduling, performance appraisal, coaching, and corrective action in coordination with Human Resources.
Ensure staff receive relevant technical and compliance training and maintain required certifications.
Maintain adequate coverage for 24x7 operations, including on-call rotation, holiday and weekend coverage, and cross-training sufficient to avoid single points of failure in staff knowledge.
Foster clear and regular communication within the department so that staff are informed of operational priorities and organizational information.
Support electronic discovery and litigation hold requirements, preserving and producing records for legal review as directed.
Support public records and open records requests involving electronic records, in coordination with Center leadership and counsel.
Maintain retention and disposition practices for electronic records consistent with applicable State of Alabama records retention requirements.
Partner with Education, Operations, Retail, Food Service, Marketing, Development, and Finance to understand operational needs and deliver technology that supports them.
Support integrated guest and trainee experience initiatives spanning online, on-site, and hybrid channels, including ticketing, registration, and loyalty systems.
Coordinate with the AV Manager on systems that span IT and AV domains, including exhibit media, digital signage, theater and simulator systems, and networked show control.
Coordinate with the Property and Insurance Security team on networked physical security systems, including security camera infrastructure and access control, and with Operations on mobile radio and emergency notification technology.
Communicate clearly and professionally, in writing and verbally, with executive leadership, staff at all technical levels, vendors, contractors, and external partners.
Translate technical risk and cost into terms that support executive decision-making.
Provide timely, accurate status reporting during outages and security incidents.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Chief Financial Officer, including participation in operational analyses, audits, and process improvement initiatives such as retail inventory and accountability audits and point-of-sale efficiency reviews.