Manager of Information Technology

Princeton University•Princeton, NJ

7d•$115,000 - $125,000•Onsite

About The Position

University Services is comprised of eight units, and the University Services Information Technology (USIT) department provides embedded technology support for this division. USIT partners with the Office of Information Technology (OIT) to offer services including hardware and software support, departmental applications, custom web development, consulting, risk and information security, and data analytics. The Manager of Information Technology, reporting to the Senior Director of Information Technology for University Services, acts as a technical lead and partner for one or more University Services departments. This role aims to enhance service excellence and operational efficiency by assisting departments in effectively utilizing existing and new technologies, systems, and software. In line with a shared responsibility model, the Manager oversees technical administration, system health, integrations, technical escalations, and collaborates with USIT, OIT, vendors, and departmental Operations Leads. While Operations Leads retain ownership of business processes, daily system usage, training priorities, role assignments, and data quality, the Manager contributes to the overall technology and systems framework for their assigned departments. A key aspect of this role involves staying informed about technology trends relevant to higher education and industry, and presenting potential opportunities to University Services leadership. The Manager will also participate in major system implementation and replacement projects, assisting with planning, procurement, implementation, and enhancement as new technologies emerge. They may lead technology implementations from a technical standpoint, working with Operations Leads on business requirements and user acceptance, USIT leadership on project governance, and with OIT, Finance and Treasury, Procurement, and other campus partners on institutional processes like RFIs/RFPs, scopes of work, security reviews, and implementation coordination. The Manager will also serve as a technical point of contact for vendor relationships concerning assigned departmental systems, collaborating with the Senior Director of IT, Operations Leads, USIT, Procurement, and other campus partners on vendor management, contracts, and security compliance. This role supports departments in identifying operational data and systems needs to improve services, operations, and sustainability, and seeks opportunities to automate and streamline operations through technology, in partnership with Operations Leads who manage the underlying business processes. The Manager will partner with Operations Leads to support system training and technology outreach to departmental staff, providing technical guidance, documentation, and support for training delivery, while Operations Leads maintain primary responsibility for training content, process adoption, and first-line user support. Additionally, the Manager will act as a technical resource for data and reporting infrastructure, collaborating with USIT Data Management and Analytics to support reporting, dashboard, and integration strategies for efficient data retrieval and processing across various platforms. They will provide technical context for data sharing initiatives, integrations, and system-specific data structures, contributing to broader data analytics efforts while respecting departmental ownership of data quality and processes.

Requirements

8+ years of professional hands-on experience in information systems and IT operations, including project management, and systems implementation and data analytics.
Knowledge of IT security concepts and best practices.
Demonstrated excellence in planning and managing complex technology and systems implementation and integration projects.
Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to influence and motivate constituencies which could span multiple departments or organizations.
Demonstrated ability to work with a team to develop customer-friendly solutions and make sound business decisions using good business judgment and innovative and creative problem-solving.
Demonstrated analytical skills with the ability to collect, organize, analyze, and disseminate significant amounts of information with attention to detail and accuracy.
Demonstrated excellence in customer service.
Demonstrated work experience performing data analysis, requirements analysis, technical documentation, data maintenance and security, and system administration.
Demonstrated proficiency at planning and setting meaningful objectives to meet institutional goals.
Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills, as well as strong initiative and self-motivation and the ability to work both independently and manage teams within a customer-service oriented environment.
Demonstrated ability to work with complex confidential information and/or issues using discretion and judgement.
Demonstrated excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills in order to identify and articulate business challenges, project objectives, and analytical approach to non-technical audiences.
Demonstrated organizational skills to handle several projects simultaneously, accommodate shifting priorities, and meet deadlines.
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a diverse university environment.
Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience

Nice To Haves

Strong familiarity with one or more University Services departments industry technology (e.g. food service; print and mail operations; student/employee housing; transportation and parking; audio/visual services; identity and access cards; and conference and events).
Experience with hardware, software, mobile devices, and peripherals.
Knowledge in administering and securing heterogeneous end-user computing environments including personal computers and mobile devices.
Foundational knowledge of networks and related configurations (e.g., TCP/IP, firewalls, subnets, etc.).
Experience with creating reporting and dashboards with transactional, sustainability and/or financial metrics.
Experience developing process automation with simple forms and workflows using a low-code approach (e.g. Power Automate, Frevvo, etc.).
Knowledge of systems architecture, application development lifecycle, and data modeling.
Experience with reporting packages (e.g. Cognos, Tableau, PowerBI, etc.), and databases (SQL, etc.).

Responsibilities

Serves as technical administration and second-tier support for assigned departmental IT systems, software, and applications.
Primary technical system administrator of applications and systems for assigned departments.
Provides technical troubleshooting and escalation support with vendors, USIT partners, and OIT hardware support for software, hardware, mobile applications, or other technology, including, but not limited to, computers, mobile devices, networking, and printers.
Maintains and supports the configuration of on-premises and hosted IT services that support departmental operations.
Ensures redundancy in support of critical systems and technology by training department staff, USIT and/or OIT partners as appropriate to assist with troubleshooting or whenever back-up is required.
Serves as in-house expert of departmental system and related applications, their interfaces, and database structures, and ensures the complete documentation of the systems architecture, data, and integrations.
Supports USIT, Operations Leads, and OIT partners in preparing, implementing, and testing business continuity and disaster recovery plans for assigned departmental systems.
Supports compliance with data integrity and security standards by providing technical guidance, documentation, and system-specific support in partnership with USIT and Operations Leads.
Serves as a technical point of contact with technology vendors to resolve system issues, implement new features, and test functionality against well-defined test plans developed in partnership with Operations Leads.
Develop process automation with simple forms and workflows using a low-code approach.
Supports systems availability through proactive monitoring, alerts, and incident response in partnership with OIT monitoring services, USIT leadership, vendors, and departmental Operations Leads as appropriate.
Supports and, as assigned, serves as technical lead for information technology and system projects from RFI/RFP, security review, and procurement through implementation.
Supports development, management, and communication of technology implementation schedules, test plans, issues, and documentation in partnership with Operations Leads, USIT leadership, OIT, and vendors.
Documents technical requirements and supports Operations Leads in documenting business and process requirements.
Works with USIT leadership, Operations Leads, OIT, Procurement, and other campus partners to move implementation and development projects through appropriate processes including RFI/RFP, SOW, ASR, and SAGIT.
Participates in business process analysis with departmental staff and Operations Leads to identify functional requirements and develop technical requirement proposals for use with vendor procurement processes.
Works collaboratively with a multitude of operational and technical partners, scheduling stakeholder meetings, seeking input on projects and technology, with clear and consistent communication on project status and action steps and impacts for stakeholders.
Uses project management principles and best practices to plan for and manage system upgrades and integrations with clear and regular communication to impacted stakeholders.
Using benchmarking with peer institutions and industry research, investigates and recommends innovating technology (hardware and software), vendor services, application integration, customer process improvement opportunities, and solutions that will support the ongoing goals of their assigned departments.
Serves as a technical resource for data, reporting, integrations, and university data stewardship practices.
Coordinates with USIT Data Analytics & Integration to ensure effective and reliable integrations between various technology platforms, including domain-specific applications, back office, financial, labor scheduling, and mobile applications.
Works collaboratively with departmental colleagues and Operations Leads to understand and document data needs with a focus on customer experience and operational decision making.
Develops and maintains proficiency in advanced analytic and database tools, internet-based resources and in-house data sources.
In partnership with USIT Data Management, supports development and interpretation of self-service data sources, operational reports, and interactive dashboards that facilitate intuitive end user reporting and analysis.
Supports USIT Data Management and Operations Leads with data initiatives such as data cleansing, accuracy, integrity, data dictionary, data inventory, data classification, and data retention.
Supports information security policies, practices, and reviews in partnership with USIT Risk and Information Security.
Supports USIT, OIT/ISO, and Operations Leads in helping ensure that departmental systems and data are secure.
Participates in Continuity of Operations and Disaster Recovery planning and testing.
Participates in Architecture and Security Reviews for departmental systems, with USIT and the Senior Director retaining responsibility for security review leadership and escalation.
Provides insights into IT strategies and technologies that enhance delivery of services and operational efficiencies for their assigned departments.
Works on special projects as assigned to support departmental and broader University Services and University activities.