MCS Technology Director

Maryville City School District•Maryville, TN

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Leads all district technology operations, cybersecurity, and student data privacy. The Director sets the district's technology vision, manages the technology budget and E-Rate program, and leads the technology team. The Director also protects district systems and student data, and partners with instructional leaders so technology supports teaching and learning in every school.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in information technology, computer science, cybersecurity, or a related field
Five or more years of progressively responsible IT experience, including at least three years in a leadership or supervisory role
Experience managing budgets, vendor contracts, and enterprise networks and systems
Working knowledge of FERPA, COPPA, and CIPA
Citizenship, residency or work visa required
Explain technical and security topics clearly to non-technical audiences, including the school board and families
Lead and develop a team, and build collaborative relationships across schools and departments
Balance strategic planning with hands-on problem solving during outages and security incidents
Exercise sound judgment with confidential student and employee data
Criminal Justice Fingerprint/Background Clearance

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in information technology, cybersecurity, educational technology, or a related field
K-12 or public-sector technology leadership experience
E-Rate program experience
Security or technology leadership certification, such as CISSP, CISM, Security+, or CoSN CETL
Experience with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Canvas, student information systems, and mobile device management
Experience leading incident response and building security awareness programs

Responsibilities

Develop and lead the district's technology vision and strategic plan, aligned to educational goals
Partner with curriculum and instruction leaders on technology integration in classrooms and libraries
Monitor emerging technologies and assess their fit for district needs
Prepare and manage technology budgets, including general fund, grants, and E-Rate
Forecast short- and long-term technology expenditures
Negotiate and manage vendor contracts and service-level agreements; evaluate vendor performance
Supervise the technology department, including network administrator, systems administrator, and technicians
Develop staffing plans, professional development, and retention strategies for technology staff
Oversee networks, servers, and cloud environments, guiding cloud-first strategies where appropriate
Ensure system uptime, backups, and disaster recovery readiness
Lead planning and testing of disaster recovery and continuity plans, and report preparedness to leadership
Develop and maintain the district's cybersecurity strategy and an information security framework aligned with standards such as NIST
Conduct regular risk assessments and report security posture to senior leadership and the school board
Maintain and test the incident response plan; lead investigations and coordinate with legal, insurance, and communications during incidents
Work with technology staff on firewall, endpoint, and email security; review alerts from security tools
Ensure MFA and least-privilege access; audit user and privileged access
Oversee security awareness training and phishing simulations for staff and students
Ensure compliance with FERPA, COPPA, CIPA, accessibility standards, and Tennessee student privacy law
Review and approve vendor data privacy agreements (DPAs) and evaluate third-party application risk
Maintain an inventory of approved digital tools
Define data classification, retention, and secure disposal practices; guide data governance and analytics
Develop and enforce technology, security, and privacy policies, including responsible use and device management
Present updates to the leadership team and school board
Communicate technology initiatives to families, staff, and the community, and respond to public inquiries
Ensure equitable technology access for all students, including students with disabilities
Lead initiatives that close the digital divide, including device distribution, home internet access, and assistive technology
Other duties as assigned