DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND CLOUD SERVI

At McMaster University, our people are our most valuable asset. We strive to attract, develop, and retain talented faculty and staff, and to foster inclusive excellence which values the strengths, perspectives, and contributions of each individual. McMaster’s profile and stature has evolved to one of the Top 70 Universities in the World and we are recognized as Canada’s Most Research Intensive University. McMaster is also recognized as one of the top employers in the Hamilton/Niagara region and has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top Diversity employers for the past 6 years.  

Our University Technology Services team mission is to provide exceptional customer service and a high level of support to the McMaster community. Critical to the success of this role we stand by and value integrity, mutual respect, collaboration and cooperation in support of the University’s IT Strategic Vision of a connected One IT community.    

Background

Join us in crafting a transformative digital strategy and roadmap that modernizes technology to enhance the experiences of our McMaster University community. As we navigate increasing demands for agile, cloud-based infrastructure and modern technology capabilities to support our academic, administrative and research priorities, McMaster University seeks a Director and IT leader who can drive innovation in line with a fast-evolving technology landscape. This position will support a future-ready institution by cultivating a strong cross campus IT culture of collaboration and adaptability, leaning into our One McMaster approach, enhancing our processes and policies to meet the changing needs of our community.
 

The Associate Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (AVP & CTO) is seeking a Director of Digital Infrastructure and Cloud Services to lead this critical portfolio, with a focus on accelerating the modernization of our campus infrastructure and expanding our cloud services opportunities, ensuring we deliver maximum value to the institution. As our research, teaching, and learning environments evolve, the need for innovative application architectures and resilient infrastructure solutions will grow. By focusing on strategic priorities, optimizing efforts, and enhancing efficiency, McMaster University will continue to create value and capacity for strategic IT investments.
 

About the Position

The Director of Digital Infrastructure and Cloud Services is a key leadership role in our digital transformation efforts. Reporting to the AVP & CTO and working collaboratively with the senior CTO executive team and other senior IT positions within University Technology Services and across the institution, you will set the strategic direction for Digital Infrastructure and Cloud Services, overseeing the modernization and deployment of cloud technology, network and cloud administration, data centers, and core infrastructure. Leading a dedicated team of technical leaders and staff, this position will focus on designing resilient, secure and sustainable cloud solutions to meet the long-term needs of our students, faculty, and staff while ensuring our on-premises infrastructure is future ready, secure and appropriately maintained and optimized for the varying needs of our campus environment.
 

You will lead the development of cross campus infrastructure roadmaps, manage the lifecycle of digital transformation projects, and ensure we have the robust capacity needed for a sustainable, scalable technology environment. You will contribute to the strategic and operational leadership of University Technology Services, including the key infrastructure portfolios, encompassing service planning and delivery, organizational culture, and financial and capacity planning. Additionally, you will encourage collaboration across all campus IT personnel to build standards and an adaptable infrastructure that supports emerging and transformative technologies to meet the varying needs of a complex, multi-faceted administrative, academic and research environment.

Are you the right candidate?

As the ideal candidate, you are an experienced technology leader with a proven track record in long-term infrastructure planning, particularly transitioning a complex organization through an accelerated adoption of cloud-based services. You have built actionable roadmaps that set an organization on a course for future readiness, sustainability and resilience, and will have experience leading complex, multi-year projects. You possess a comprehensive understanding of the value of technology in large, multi-faceted environments and are adept at navigating these complex landscapes to ensure effective change management and collaboration. You embrace innovation while adhering to leading industry best practices and standards. With a supportive and authentic leadership approach, you mentor, manage and coach teams to utilize their strengths, enhancing skills and fostering professional growth as the IT landscape evolves and changes.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership in Institutional IT Strategy and Campus Culture

• As a Director in the AVP and CTO office, will lead and contribute to the development of IT strategy, initiatives and roadmaps that align with McMaster’s Strategic Plan, and represent the Strategic IT goals of the campus
• Fostering a forward-looking IT culture, leads with credibility, demonstrating integrity and responsiveness to internal and external priorities while fostering a forward-looking IT culture.
• Inspiring the IT community with excellence leadership skills in personnel management, coaching and mentorship as well as technology competencies

Administrative Leadership in the Office of the AVP and CTO

• Collaborate with CTO Executive and UTS Leadership to ensure stewardship, budget planning and management of digital infrastructure and cloud service resources. Collaborate with UTS Directors to provide guidance across IT functions, overseeing managers responsible for IT services delivery and best practices.
• Advise the AVP and CTO and the CTO Executive team on strategic planning, IT security, and operational best practices, supporting a cohesive approach to IT management.
• Demonstrate strong financial and budget management, strategic prioritization of resources and ability for negotiating contracts and vendor relationships.

Campus Digital Infrastructure and Cloud Services

• Working with UTS and across the campus, ensuring the stability, security, and compliance of all on premises, network and cloud platforms, including integrations and architectural coordination, aligning them with the institution's mission.
• Provide strategic direction for campus-wide cloud infrastructure, data centers, backup systems, and managed servers in a coordinated decentralized and multi-campus environment.

Professional Development

• Maintain expertise in current and emerging IT trends, especially within Higher Education IT, to inform and guide strategic decisions.
• Proactively evaluate new products, services, and innovations, sharing insights with management and staff.
• Support and develop professional development opportunities for staff and cross campus personnel to encourage growth, innovation and succession planning

Essential Functions

• Identify and implement service frameworks, enhancing continuous improvements, ensuring alignment with institutional goals.
• Lead high-priority projects by setting objectives and fostering collaboration with stakeholders, delivering optimal service solutions.
• Personnel and team leadership across direct portfolio and across the department and institution
• Build relationships, collaborations and partnerships across the campus to achieve shared goals.
   

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, with a preference for a Master’s degree in a relevant field.
• Certification or experience in change management, with a strong ability to design and implement strategies for technology adoption.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or demonstrated success in managing large-scale, complex projects.
• Higher Education IT professional development achievements, including the CUCCIO Leadership Development Program, EDUCAUSE senior leadership programs, Centre for Higher Education Research Development (CHERD) programs, and similar.
• Over ten years of progressive experience in senior IT management, encompassing project management, technical implementation, and operational oversight within a large institution or complex organization.
• Demonstrated experience with licensing, contract interpretation, vendor negotiations and managing enterprise IT projects in diverse, multi-constituency environments.
• Demonstrated experience with financial and budget management, strategic prioritization of resources and negotiating contracts and long term budget planning.
• Equity Diversity Inclusion and Accessibility training and/or certifications
• Excellence communications skills, writing, oral and presentations