Executive Director, Development, Systems, & Support

Company Description:

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), part of the State University of New York and an internationally renowned college of art, design, business and technology with a strong emphasis on liberal arts, invites nominations and applications for an Executive Director in Development, Systems, & Support.

Job Description:

This position is a key IT leadership position at the college and will set the strategic direction of multiple IT divisional units and be responsible for the budget and overall leadership, performance, quality and results delivered within them. It will manage system and web development, DBA, and support resources, and have hands-on technical, project leadership and problem resolution responsibilities. The position will be responsible for the staff, systems, environments, and vendor relationships within multiple Enterprise Applications Services [EAS] units and their suite of supported systems. It will maintain technical and procedural competence and documentation related to EAS's operations while working within a high-paced, collaborative environment that includes prompt response to emergency outage incidents. 

Work may be team/project work or independent, across multiple locations, and at times include irregular hours and/or on-call requirements.

Responsibilities & Essential Functions:

• Leadership/Management 
  • Define, establish and maintain strategic direction, roadmap and budget for multiple IT divisional units. Lead all aspects of units staff including direction, coaching, assignments, goals, performance, schedules and training. Responsible for hiring and performance management. Manage all unit aspects; applications, systems, vendors, projects, coding, change/patch management, issue/incident resolution, road mapping, and quality control.Develop deep business/functional understanding of supported systems/services. Perform as a team member and leader, delivering high quality results on time. Lead/present in meetings. Assign/prioritize unit work. Create on-going unit training programs. 
• Operations 
  • Monitor systems, resolve problems (hands-on if needed), oversee break-fix, track Tier 2/3 tickets to resolution, evaluate system performance/uptime, and assess the operational health of unit apps/systems/services. Oversee EAS systems/services as SME. Lead full SDLC (specs, prototypes, DB, ETL needs, launch). Ensure vendors/systems remain in compliance and up-to-date with patches, upgrades, standards and IT security compliance. Assign coverage roles and responsibilities for off-hour support of systems ensuring ongoing proper operation of apps/systems/services overseen within EAS. 
• System/Process Improvement
  • Manage/implement automation/improvement initiatives. Perform IT governance and establish operational plans. Ensure compliance to coding standards/guidelines. Present recommendations on industry trends/technologies/standards. Lead/maintain unit's technical/operational roadmap, review/recommend new versions/systems/modules/workflows. Set goals/priorities to deliver roadmap (internal/vendor). Track roadmap progress via analysis/prioritization. Oversee/write SOPs/best practices. Drive unit towards continuous improvement using ITIL or other similar methodology. 
• Environment/Maintenance 
  • Oversee/maintain EAS's existing environment w/multiple unit engineers & vendors. Develop/implement technology. Analyze/optimize EAS's systems' performance. Manage issues/risks. Investigate/fix issues. Oversee patches/migrations/upgrades. Maintain competence in multiple unit technologies. Identify and recommend environment needs or direction for the future. 
• Client Support 
  • Provide customer/technical service and project work per policies/standards/stakeholder coordination. Liaise between IT & departments/vendors/SUNY. Represent IT with leadership throughout the college providing a high level of support and service. 
• Information 
  • Provide reports/help desk docs. Oversee/publish guides/SDLC/code docs, etc. for existing/new EAS technologies/infrastructure. Produce strategy documents and presentations for the direction of the EAS units. 

The preceding description is not designed to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required of the position; other duties may be assigned consistent with the classification of the position. For detailed tasks and work instructions, click here.

Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or equivalent degree required.
• 5-10 years of appropriate business experience. 
• Minimum 10 years in application development, progressing to leadership roles with full life-cycle application development; experience using current technologies, web frameworks, and API libraries.
• Minimum 5 years in higher education.
• Significant knowledge/understanding of the management, operations, and development of large-scale ERP systems, preferably Ellucian Banner & Central Square's Finance Enterprise.
• Knowledge of operational/project management principles & best practices is expected.
• A job history in system & web development, preferably in PL/SQL, Java, & Groovy/Grails, will be key to success in leading the Enterprise Application Services Unit.
• Knowledge/understanding of database technologies, inc. Oracle and MS SQL Server are required.
• This is a hands-on engineering manager; expect to function as a systems engineer when required, either to assist/resolve technical issues for your technical team, or to help handle the workload to hit deadlines.

Knowledge:

• The position requires significant knowledge and understanding of the management, operations, and development of large-scale ERP systems, preferably Ellucian Banner and Central Square's Finance Enterprise.
• Knowledge of operational and project management principles and best practices is expected.
• A previous job history in system and web development, preferably in PL/SQL, Java, and Groovy/Grails, will be key to success in leading the EAS Unit.
• Knowledge and understanding of database technologies, including both Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server, is required as well.

Skills:

• The position requires excellent leadership skills. A history in system/web development & database oversight will earn you the teams respect (software engineers/database admins). Your leadership, road mapping, goal-setting and operational skill set will aid your management of application development & support activities, inc. emergency support & incident resolution.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, teamwork, collaboration, problem-solving, critical thinking, and troubleshooting skills are required as you lead the unit.
• Your work will be conducted under minimal direction, on multiple projects & under tight project deadlines.
• You will set & enforce standards & direction for multiple units & ensure the units deliver high quality output in a timeframe that meets customer & IT needs.
• The successful manager will excel at managing the day-to-day operations of the unit's engineers including assignment and prioritization of work related to the full technical skill set below:
  • Systems-Related
    • Demonstrated experience configuring & maintaining applications/services/systems in the following operating environments: UNIX/Linux (Red Hat) & Windows Server, using Tomcat, Active Directory & LDAP.
    • Proven experience delivering technical guidance & collaborating with business stakeholders throughout all phases of the SDLC.
    • Proficiency with one or more Enterprise Resource Planning [ERP] systems, preferably related to higher ed such as Experience Portal (Ellucian), Banner, PeopleSoft, Jenzabar, Colleague, PowerCampus, Central Square, or similar.
    • Desired experience with large scale databases (preferably Oracle & SQL Server) and with writing and supporting APIs, system interfaces, & ETLs.
  • Web Development-Related
    • Demonstrated development experience with the following or closely equivalent technologies: PL/SQL, Java, RESTful development, Git, Markdown, HTML5, CSS & JavaScript.
    • Development experience with Groovy/Grails & Web API development is highly desired.
    • Proven portal administration, configuration, and support, particularly using Internet Information Services [IIS], inc. single sign-on [SSO] & authentication administration (e.g. via WSO2, CAS, SAML, Shibboleth), as well as generation, installation, configuration, and updates of certificates

Abilities:

• Ability and proven experience to deliver technical guidance and collaborating with business stakeholders throughout all phases of the software development life cycle and through the process of incident identification, troubleshooting and resolution.
• Ability to think and plan strategically, both short-term and long-term, taking into account college and divisional needs and resource constraints.
• Ability to work hands-on (whenever necessary) developing, creating proof-of-concepts and troubleshooting applications in PL/SQL, Java and Web based technology in both UNIX/Linux and Windows environments.
• Ability to communicate and collaborate with staff inside the IT division as well as users and leadership throughout the college, representing IT in a positive light and striving for a high level of customer service and satisfaction. You would be an advocate for promoting IT goals and objectives throughout the college.
• Ability to assess situations and dive into the details, or soar into the strategic vision of road mapping and goal-setting.
• Excellent written and oral communication abilities are expected.
• Supervisory ability and experience is required.

Additional Information:

Please note all offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of the background check process.

Salary

Salary: $160,000 - $185,000 per year; commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Work Schedule

Days/Hours: M-F, 9am-5pm, in person; work schedule subject to change based on needs of the department.

Benefits

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) provides comprehensive employee benefit programs designed to help keep our faculty and staff and their families healthy, safe, happy, and productive. Our programs also include a variety of components to help our employees improve the quality and balance of their work and family lives, and to help them prepare for their futures.

• Retirement Plans
• Health Care Plan and Dental Plan
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Account
• Commuter Benefit Plan
• FIT Tuition Exemption Program
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Personal, Sick and Holidays) 
• 4-day Summer Workweek
• Qualifying Employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program

For a full list of FIT benefits, visit our benefits webpage.

Pay Equity by State Employers

Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor's Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov.

Visa Sponsorship 

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship by the Fashion Institute of Technology. 

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement

FIT is firmly committed to creating an environment that will attract and retain people of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. By providing a learning and working environment that encourages, utilizes, respects, and appreciates the full expression of every individual's ability, the FIT community fosters its mission and grows because of its rich, pluralistic experience. FIT is committed to prohibiting discrimination, whether based on race, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, religion, ethnic background, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military service status, genetic information, pregnancy, familial status, citizenship status (except as required to comply with law), or any other criterion prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local laws. FIT is committed to providing equal opportunity in employment, including the opportunity for upward mobility for all qualified individuals. Applications from minorities, women, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged. Inquiries regarding FIT's non-discrimination policies may be directed to the Affirmative Action Officer/Title IX Coordinator, 212 217.3360, titleix@fitnyc.edu.   

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Requirements

This position will be required to frequently read and comprehend, occasionally perform calculations, frequently verbally communicate, frequently analyze, and frequently write. The working conditions for this position will be on campus primarily in an office environment. The physical requirement for this position will require frequent sitting, occasional standing, occasional walking, and occasionally lifting 10 lbs. or less.

Application Instructions:

In order to considered for this position, please submit the following documents online:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Unofficial transcript 
• A list of three references with telephone numbers and email addresses

Returning Applicants - Login to your FITNYC Careers Account to check your submitted application materials.

Review of applications will begin immediately until the position is filled.

Please note that due to the volume of applications, we will not be able to contact each applicant individually.

Additional information about the Fashion Institute of Technology can be found at: http://www.fitnyc.edu.

Apply Online