Executive Director of Information Technology, Cockrell School of Engineering

The University of Texas at Austin•Austin, UT

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Executive Director of Information Technology directs the Cockrell School of Engineering (CSE) Information Technology Group (ITG), providing vision, structure, coordination, and alignment to meet IT needs across the School. The role serves as a liaison to campus, system, and industry partners to leverage their capabilities in support of the School’s research and teaching missions. The Executive Director develops the School’s IT strategy and multi-year roadmap, oversees IT operations and staff, manages budgets and vendors, and ensures infrastructure meets University security standards. The position advises the dean, represents CSE on University IT committees, establishes IT governance and project prioritization, and supports departments and research units with technology needs. The role also oversees audiovisual systems in CSE classrooms and centrally managed conference rooms, and coordinates IT services with departmental, research, and central administration partners. The position is based at UT Austin’s main campus in Austin, Texas. It is performed in a standard office environment, with occasional travel and possible evening or weekend work for system incidents, critical deadlines, or school and industry events. Standard hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with occasional work outside normal business hours during peak times. The position is expected to continue.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Engineering, or a related field; relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.
At least 10 years of progressive IT leadership experience, including significant responsibility for technology strategy, major technology initiatives, staff, budgeting, and vendor management.
Experience leading a broad technology organization or portfolio spanning areas such as application development, data and analytics, infrastructure, end-user services, cybersecurity, cloud services, or technology planning.
Experience developing and executing technology strategy, including leading significant modernization, digital transformation, systems implementation, or organizational change initiatives.
Experience managing technology professionals and leaders, including staff development, performance management, and organizational planning.
Knowledge of cybersecurity, technology risk management, business continuity, data management, and IT governance.
Ability to advise senior executives, communicate complex technology issues to nontechnical audiences, and lead through influence across varied stakeholders in a complex organization.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work for any employer in the United States; work visa sponsorship is not available.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Engineering, or a related field.
15 or more years of progressive IT leadership experience.
Experience as a CIO, CTO, senior technology executive, or in a comparable enterprise technology leadership role.
Experience leading technology in higher education, government, another public institution, or a similarly complex, mission-driven organization, particularly in Texas.
Experience working in a federated or decentralized technology environment.
Experience with enterprise architecture, system integration, and project portfolio management.
Demonstrated experience modernizing legacy applications, including retiring legacy systems or measurably reducing technical debt.
Experience establishing enterprise project prioritization and portfolio decision processes.
Experience developing organizational approaches to artificial intelligence or other emerging technologies.
Experience supporting technology requirements for academic instruction or research.
Experience with University of Texas policies, procedures, and administrative systems, or experience in higher education or an academic environment.
CISSP, CISM, CRISC, or CISA certification.

Responsibilities

Define the vision, goals, and multi-year IT roadmap in collaboration with CSE leadership, supporting research and teaching, technology modernization, digital transformation, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Develop a School-wide perspective on IT needs for hardware, software, and related services across engineering departments and research units.
Coordinate with managers of other IT units within CSE.
Oversee IT operations across the full range of services, from networking infrastructure and desktops to servers, directly or with distributed IT partners.
Coordinate IT personnel, monitor operations through observation, analysis, and reports, align work with priorities, recruit and develop staff, and conduct annual staff evaluations.
Manage the ITG budget and ensure budget compliance.
Oversee vendor management, contracting, and procurement of IT infrastructure for the Dean’s Office complex and CSE operations.
Ensure CSE IT infrastructure meets UT security standards, including cybersecurity risk management, business continuity, and data governance.
Advise the dean on IT matters and represent CSE on University IT committees and related organizations.
Meet periodically with heads of Dean’s Office complex units to identify IT needs, recommend solutions, and confirm progress.
Oversee audiovisual technology systems in CSE classrooms and centrally managed conference rooms.
Provide IT operational support to departments and organized research units, as requested, on a cost-recovery basis.
Work with departments, Organized Research Units, and central administration to ensure UT IT infrastructure meets current and anticipated CSE research needs.
Establish and lead IT governance and project prioritization processes across CSE.
Oversee annual IT inventory and compliance reporting.
Perform other relevant functions as assigned.

Benefits

Competitive health benefits, with employee premiums covered at 100% and family premiums at 50%.
Voluntary vision, dental, life, and disability insurance options.
Paid vacation, sick time, and holidays.
Teachers Retirement System of Texas defined-benefit retirement plan with 8.25% employer matching funds.
Additional voluntary retirement programs: Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and Deferred Compensation 457(b).
Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses.
Free training access through LinkedIn Learning and professional conference opportunities.
Tuition assistance.
Employee discount program, including athletic tickets.
Free access to UT Austin libraries and museums with staff ID.
Free rides on UT Shuttle and Austin CapMetro buses with staff ID.