Senior Director, It Solutions

Job Type:

Employee

Job Family:

Application Development

Faculty/Service - Department:

Information Technology

Campus:

Tabaret Hall

Date Posted:

July 14, 2023

Closing Date:

July 25, 2023

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above

About Information Technology:

Information Technology is a dynamic and collaborative environment. We are focused on prioritizing and optimizing technological investments that facilitate the best student experience, as well as the activities of faculty, researchers and staff. Our greatest strength are the people working with us. People like you, professionals eager to flex their intellectual muscle and achieve new heights in their career. Working here gives you access to a great IT environment, rich with a diverse range of platforms, products, and services. This is a place where innovative ideas are welcome.

In a nutshell: working here is challenging and rewarding. It’ll bring out the best of you. We want people that have the drive to advance IT in higher education. We have the technologies to keep your inner fires burning, and benefits that can help you sustain a better lifestyle. And all this minutes away from gyms, the Byward Market, downtown, and the Rideau Canal at lunch time for runners and skaters.

Position Purpose

Reporting to the Chief Information Officer, the incumbent leads planning and management of University application portfolio and customer service. Ensures systems performance and service level requirements are met.

Analyzes and predicts trends and develops long-range plans to maintain cost effectiveness and competitiveness of the enterprise’s IT application portfolio. Researches and recommends courses of action to prevent problems and maintain high performance service levels for users.

Oversees the delivery of technology products and services to ensure business satisfaction, demonstrating a thorough understanding of complex institutional business processes. Acts as a valued and preferred IT service provider to all business partners. Focuses on strategic initiatives and plans, providing significant value to faculties and business units. Facilitates the planning and execution of business changes through technology, playing a lead role in enabling the business to achieve its objectives.

The Information Technology service operates 24/7 and makes a critical contribution to the student and institution-wide experience, along with the image of the University, by ensuring the ongoing operations of the campus’ information technology solutions and related applications.

In this role, your responsibilities will include:

• Delivers strategic and operational leadership for the Information Technology teams, including the preparation of an annual and a 5 year strategic plan, as well as operational planning.
• Manages an overall operational and capital budget of over $9M.
• Develops and communicates a compelling vision that provides a purpose and focuses for the team that broadly supports the overall mission for Information Technology; delivers comprehensive business continuity relationship management; responsible for analyzing, documenting, and integrating IT and business continuity plans, instructions, and recovery recipes.
• Develops and communicates business/technology alignment plans to staff, partners, customers, and stakeholders to ensure a clear vision of the service direction taken. Acts as the primary point of technical contact between the clients and IT. Represents business sectors, process owners, and the University’s interests with external providers, ensuring the University’s requirements are met during the purchase and introduction of new systems.
• Directs the analysis, development and implementation of a strategic plan for all activities related to the Application Portfolio. Leads and directs prioritization of high-level service requests to ensure effective and efficient support and maintenance for mission-critical application systems. Ensures the optimal utilization of resources in order to deliver the department’s program objectives within scope, schedule and budget.

What you will bring:

• Experience and knowledge of process re-engineering (preferably Lean Six Sigma methodology).
• Experience and in-depth knowledge of project management methodology and framework.
• Experience in negotiating and managing Service Level Agreements (SLA) and Operating Level Agreements (OLA) with external and internal service and solution providers.
• Experience in managing overarching operations and evolution of large, complex mission critical applications.
• Experience in managing hosted solutions.
• Fluent bilingualism, French / English – (spoken and written).
• Demonstrated ability to understand and resolve external and internal partner issues.
• Minimum of 15 years’ experience and in-depth knowledge in applications development, the application development lifecycle and information technology platforms, tools and languages.
• Strong communications and interpersonal skills with ability to interact positively with business and IT staff at all levels of the organization.
• Experience in the management of technology of large web-sites.
• University degree in computer science or business administration or equivalent experience.
• Proactive, anticipatory and driving nature.
• Experience and in-depth knowledge of the business processes in institutions of higher education is an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to work positively and productively with other teams and constituents by using influence and diplomacy.
• Minimum of 8 years of experience managing an IT team with experience managing and/or directing multiple applications services, including in the following areas: Planning and organizing work within multidisciplinary teams, Human resource management, including labour-management relations, collective agreements and negotiations, Schedule and budget management, Client relationship management involving multiple stakeholders, Staff performance evaluation, Operational and project performance evaluation.

The University of Ottawa is committed to ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion in the scholarly and leadership environments of our students, staff, and faculty. Accordingly, we strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples in Canada, visible minorities members (racialized persons), persons with disabilities, women, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with equitable, diverse, and inclusive communities. Candidates who wish to be considered as a member of one or more designated groups are asked to complete the confidential Self-Identification Questionnaire, to be completed at the time of application.

All qualified candidates are invited to apply; however, preference will be given to Canadians and permanent residents. When submitting your application, please indicate if you are legally entitled to work in Canada

The University of Ottawa provides accommodations for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you are invited to proceed in the selection process, please notify us of any accommodations that you require by contacting the Office of the Vice-Provost, Faculty Relations by email at [email protected]. Any information you send us will be handled respectfully and in complete confidence.

The University of Ottawa is proud of its 160-year tradition of bilingualism. Through its Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, the University provides training to staff members and to their spouses in their second official language.

Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including contractors) to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as defined in Policy 129 – Covid-19 Vaccination. This policy was suspended effective May 1, 2022 but may be reinstated at any point in the future depending on public health guidelines and the recommendations of experts.