Director Student IT Services

University of Colorado • Denver, CO

1d • $172,000 - $177,000 • Remote

About The Position

University Information Services (UIS) provides enterprise technology services, applications, and platforms that support the University of Colorado campuses and System Administration. UIS partners with university leadership and business organizations to deliver secure, reliable, and innovative technology solutions that advance the university's mission. CU Student IT Services (CU-SIS) delivers and supports a portfolio of enterprise student technology products and services serving prospective students, current students, alumni, faculty, staff, and administrative offices across all four campuses and System Administration. The portfolio includes student information systems, enrollment and admissions technologies, financial aid systems, student financial services, degree planning and audit solutions, international student services systems, student communications platforms, reporting and analytics capabilities, and a growing ecosystem of integrated software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications. The Director of Student IT Services provides strategic leadership, operational oversight, portfolio stewardship, and organizational direction for CU-SIS. This position is responsible for aligning technology services and investments with university priorities, fostering strong relationships with campus and system stakeholders, ensuring reliable service delivery, and developing a high-performing team capable of supporting an increasingly interconnected student technology ecosystem. This position reports to the Assistant Vice President of IT Service Strategy and is exempt from the State of Colorado Classified Staff system.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education, or equivalent professional experience (professional experience may be substituted for the educational requirement on a year-for-year basis)
• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience supporting enterprise administrative systems, technology services, or business operations, including:
• Experience supporting student services, enrollment management, academic administration, or related higher education functions
• Experience leading operational support, service delivery, or technology organizations
• Experience managing complex portfolios, programs, projects, or services
• Experience facilitating organizational planning, prioritization, and stakeholder engagement
• Experience managing vendor relationships and technology investments
• Five (5) years of leadership experience including:
• Personnel supervision and performance management
• Budget, resources, or capacity planning
• Leading cross-functional teams and complex initiatives

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting enterprise student information systems and related student technologies
• Experience with higher education ERP systems, SaaS solutions, and integration ecosystems
• Experience with strategic planning, portfolio governance, demand management, and service management practices
• Experience leading technology-enabled organizational change initiatives
• Experience working in higher education, particularly within a multi-campus environment
• Familiarity with frameworks such as SFIA, ITIL, project management methodologies, and organizational capability maturity models
• Knowledge of enterprise applications, technology services, and software delivery practices
• Knowledge of information technology service management (ITSM) principles and best practices
• Knowledge of portfolio management, demand management, governance, and organizational change concepts
• Ability to develop strategy and translate long-term objectives into actionable plans
• Ability to build trusted partnerships with executive leadership, business stakeholders, vendors, and technical teams
• Ability to assess organizational needs, evaluate alternatives, and communicate recommendations effectively
• Ability to align competing priorities, balance organizational constraints, and facilitate decision making
• Strong leadership, coaching, and talent development capabilities
• Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship management skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to influence without direct authority within a matrixed organization
• Ability to lead organizational change and continuous improvement initiatives
• Knowledge of higher education business processes and administrative systems
• Understanding of enterprise SaaS platforms, integrations, data governance, accessibility, privacy, and information security considerations

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of strategy, roadmaps, and long-range plans for the university's enterprise student technology portfolio.
• Align technology investments, services, and priorities with institutional objectives, student success initiatives, enrollment goals, regulatory requirements, and operational needs.
• Guide evaluation and adoption of new technologies, vendor solutions, and service models.
• Develop and communicate portfolio priorities, opportunities, risks, dependencies, and resource needs.
• Participate in higher education communities, professional organizations, and peer networks to identify emerging trends, best practices, and opportunities for innovation.
• Serve as a strategic partner to student affairs, enrollment management, registrars, bursars, financial aid offices, advising organizations, institutional leadership, and campus IT leaders.
• Build trusted relationships across campuses and System Administration to understand current needs, future priorities, and emerging challenges.
• Facilitate discussions regarding business strategy, technology roadmaps, service improvements, governance, and investment decisions.
• Communicate business value, tradeoffs, risks, and opportunities associated with enterprise student technology investments.
• Represent campus and System Administration interests within UIS and advocate for UIS capabilities and service offerings across the university.
• Ensure reliable delivery, support, and continuous improvement of enterprise student technology services.
• Establish and maintain effective operational practices, service management processes, portfolio governance, demand management, and work intake procedures.
• Lead organizational improvement initiatives that enhance transparency, accountability, collaboration, and service effectiveness.
• Oversee planning and coordination for major upgrades, implementations, integrations, maintenance activities, and service transitions.
• Monitor service performance, operational metrics, customer feedback, and organizational outcomes to support informed decision making.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing team through recruitment, coaching, mentoring, performance management, and succession planning.
• Establish clear expectations and accountability while fostering an inclusive, collaborative, and customer-focused culture.
• Support employee growth through professional development, career planning, leadership opportunities, and knowledge sharing.
• Develop future leaders and strengthen organizational resilience through delegated leadership and capacity building.
• Foster an environment that supports employee engagement, well-being, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Lead resource planning, capacity management, budget development, staffing strategy, and vendor management activities.
• Evaluate current and future demand to ensure appropriate alignment between organizational capacity and customer needs.
• Support governance and technology acquisition processes by helping stakeholders assess business value, implementation impacts, operational support requirements, and long-term sustainability.
• Manage vendor relationships and technology investments to maximize value, reduce risk, and improve institutional outcomes.
• Provide leadership regarding capacity constraints, investment priorities, staffing needs, and portfolio tradeoffs.
• Provide oversight and stewardship for enterprise and enterprise-dependent student technology services, including but not limited to: PeopleSoft Campus Solutions, uAchieve Degree Audit and related tools, Nelnet, Sunapsis, NameCoach, Parchment, student CRM/admissions platforms, degree planning and advising solutions, scheduling and workflow platforms, reporting and analytics tools, integrations, and other student-facing or student-supporting systems used across CU campuses and System Administration.

Benefits

• No-cost or low-cost medical & dental plan options, some inclusive of IVF assistance.
• Disability, Life, Vision Insurance options.
• Multiple retirement planning options including a mandatory 401(a) plan where CU contributes 10%25 of your gross pay, a 401k or 403b plan and a 457 deferred compensation plan.
• Pre-tax savings plans, such as Health care and Dependent care flexible spending accounts.
• Ample sick and vacation leave, along with at least 12 paid holidays. This includes a dedicated week off for winter break.
• 6 weeks of parental leave to adjust to the joys of parenthood.
• A tuition benefit program for you and/or your dependents.
• Free RTD EcoPass and free onsite parking at our 1800 Grant Street Office.
• Many additional perks & programs with the CU Advantage.
• Additional taxable fringe benefits may be available.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director