Interim Director of Research Computing

DPP•Columbia, SC

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

DPP is seeking an Interim Director of Research Computing for our client in Columbia, SC. This role involves stabilizing departmental operations, maintaining continuity of IT services, and enhancing customer engagement. The Director will conduct an inventory of current research technology infrastructure, services, operational procedures, projects, and budget needs. They will establish or align operational procedures with divisional standards, including leveraging the service desk ticketing system for managing support requests and communications. Key responsibilities include establishing governance, communication, and decision-making processes, documenting recommendations for the incoming permanent Director, and recruiting/mentoring team members. Success will be measured by improvements in organizational culture, employee accountability, operational performance, customer satisfaction, governance maturity, and departmental readiness.

Requirements

8+ years of experience leading organizational transformation, change management, and service delivery optimization.
8+ years of experience leading large, complex technology projects.
8+ years of experience with personnel management, coaching, and performance accountability.
A completed bachelor's degree.

Nice To Haves

Experience with research cyberinfrastructure, high-performance computing, high-speed storage and networking technologies.
Experience implementing governance and operational maturity frameworks.
Experience managing organizational changes in higher education.
Master’s degree in science, technology, or a related field.
ITIL experience.
Familiar with Cloud Infrastructure (AWS/Azure).
AI Infrastructure (AWS/Azure/Google) experience.
Background as a Carpentries Instructor.
Training in HPC Technologies (Slurm, Infiniband).

Responsibilities

Provide leadership for all departmental operations, research technology infrastructure, and related services.
Supervise managers, professionals, and student staff.
Establish performance expectations and monitor organizational outcomes.
Make timely operational and resource allocation decisions.
Lead organizational change initiatives and culture transformation efforts.
Evaluate organizational effectiveness and recommend structural improvements.
Develop and monitor departmental priorities and performance metrics in collaboration with executive leadership.
Coordinate departmental budgets and strategic resource allocation in collaboration with executive leadership.
Ensure compliance with university policies, security standards, audit requirements, and regulatory obligations.
Remove organizational obstacles that inhibit productivity, innovation, and collaboration.
Provide executive-level reports and recommendations to executive leadership.
Develop succession planning and transition documentation for permanent leadership.