Executive Director, Digital Innovation and Technology Optimization

Barnard College•New York City, NY

About The Position

The Executive Director, Digital Innovation and Technology Optimization serves as the operational leader for Barnard’s digital innovation, enterprise platform strategy, and institutional technology optimization efforts. Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Technological Innovation and Chief Information Officer, this role is responsible for advancing how the College uses enterprise platforms, digital tools, and emerging technologies to improve institutional effectiveness and strengthen the experience of students, faculty, and staff. Barnard is embarking on a two-year implementation of Workday Student as part of the College’s broader digital optimization strategy. The Executive Director will work closely with teams already leading this effort and will guide the long-term integration, optimization, and sustainability of the platform across the institution. A central focus of this role is ensuring that technology is in service to the Barnard community by simplifying processes, improving service delivery, and reducing administrative burden. The ideal candidate is a collaborative and solutions-oriented leader who is comfortable operating in a fast-paced, complex environment, able to connect ideas across functions, and skilled at working with multiple stakeholders to implement practical, technology-enabled solutions.

Requirements

Strong understanding of enterprise platforms and technology optimization.
Demonstrated ability to lead complex initiatives in fast-paced environments with multiple stakeholders.
Ability to identify opportunities where technology can simplify work and improve institutional services.
Strong collaboration and relationship-building skills across diverse stakeholder groups.
Ability to translate strategic priorities into operational execution.
Curiosity and openness to exploring emerging technologies and new approaches.
Strong communication and organizational leadership skills.
Bachelor’s degree.
Significant experience leading enterprise technology initiatives, digital innovation programs, or institutional optimization efforts.
Demonstrated experience managing complex, cross-functional technology projects.
Experience working with enterprise platforms such as ERP systems.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred.
Experience with Workday or similar enterprise platforms.
Experience in higher education or similarly complex organizations.
Experience leading digital transformation or institutional optimization initiatives.

Responsibilities

Lead initiatives that improve institutional effectiveness through the thoughtful use of technology, automation, and improved digital workflows.
Identify opportunities to simplify processes, streamline administrative work, and improve service delivery across the College.
Collaborate with academic and administrative leaders to ensure digital tools support teaching, learning, and institutional operations.
Promote a service-oriented approach to digital innovation that prioritizes usability, accessibility, and the needs of the Barnard community.
Oversee the College’s Workday platform teams supporting Human Capital Management, Finance, and Workday Student.
Guide the ongoing optimization of enterprise systems to improve workflows, reporting, and data access across the institution.
Lead Barnard’s two-year Workday Student implementation and help ensure long-term sustainability and integration of the platform.
Partner with institutional leaders to ensure enterprise systems support evolving operational and strategic needs.
Oversee the College’s project management teams, following consistent project governance and project management practices.
Ensure technology and digital initiatives are delivered effectively and aligned with institutional priorities.
Support cross-departmental collaboration for complex technology initiatives.
Assist in prioritization of efforts that align with the College’s priorities.
Encourage thoughtful exploration and practical experimentation with emerging technologies through pilot initiatives and collaborative efforts.
Identify opportunities where emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, can improve operations and campus services.
Support responsible adoption of new technologies in alignment with institutional priorities, governance, and data privacy considerations.
Serve as a connector across the College, bringing together academic, administrative, and technical stakeholders to shape technology-enabled solutions.
Translate institutional needs into practical, implementable digital solutions.
Support change management and adoption of new systems, tools, and workflows.
Other Duties As Assigned