Associate Director of Information Technology and Chief Technology Officer

Location: Bennington,Vermont,United States

Bennington College invites applications for an Associate Director of Information Technology and Chief Technology Officer (AD-CTO) to join a dynamic and highly innovative IT team whose mission is to help fulfill the promise of a Bennington Education in all its forms by partnering to create world-class technology solutions for and with the Bennington College Community, working in support of a vibrant campus community.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for IT and Chief Information Officer (AVP-CIO), the AD-CTO is responsible for the design, build, and maintenance of the network, systems, and security infrastructure for the College. This role oversees the development, implementation, and management of technology systems, products, and infrastructure to ensure scalability, security, and efficiency. The AD-CTO leads cross-functional technical teams, fosters a culture of innovation, and aligns technology initiatives with organizational objectives to maintain a competitive edge in the market. Additionally, this position works in partnership with the AVP-CIO and the Chief Data Officer (CDO) to develop and execute secure management of data to achieve the business goals of the College.

Key responsibilities

1. Define and execute the College’s technology vision, strategy, and roadmap in alignment with overall business goals.
2. Identify and evaluate emerging technologies that could provide competitive advantages or operational efficiencies.
3. Participate in strategic planning and contribute to long-term organizational goals and innovation initiatives.
4. Collaborate closely with executive leadership (CEO, CFO, COO, etc.) to ensure technology supports and drives business objectives.
5. Lead research and development (R&D) efforts and encourage a culture of experimentation and innovation.
6. Collaborate with product management to align technology capabilities with customer and market needs.
7. Drive digital transformation and automation initiatives to improve efficiency and user experience.
8. Oversee information security, privacy, and compliance with relevant regulations and industry standards.
9. Manage technology budgets, vendor relationships, and procurement.
10. Mitigate technology-related risks through proper planning, monitoring, and disaster recovery strategies.
11. Oversees and guides the work of the Network and Media Administrator
12.  Additional related duties as assigned by the AVP-CIO.

Bennington serves a diverse student population inclusive of members of ethnically/racially minoritized, international, LGBTQIA+, and disability communities as well as diverse gender identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, and political beliefs. Our staff and faculty also reflect diverse and intersecting backgrounds and identities. All employees are expected to be respectful and responsive to these differences in the service of building a community that promotes student and employee success and community cohesiveness. Each individual (faculty, staff and students) will be accountable for upholding these values. The College’s approach to pluralism and inclusivity—both as fields of inquiry and practice—is to prioritize flexible thought, and to invite the examination of access, value, power, and privilege through its institutional policies and areas of study. We encourage applicants from diverse realms of interest, backgrounds, experience, and accomplishment to apply.

Qualifications

1. Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, data science, data analytics, data visualization, or other related field. Minimum of 5 years of related professional experience, preferably in data warehousing, data architecture, data storytelling/visualization, database engineering, and programming.
2. Minimum of 5 years of experience working in systems administration, network administration, and IT security preferred. 
3. Experience with Active Directory and Google Directory Services or similar identity management tech stack.
4. Project management expertise.
5. Effective communication skills.
6. Ability to effectively bridge user requirements from business units with technological affordances.
7. Ability to collaborate in partnership with non-technical business leaders at all levels of the College's faculty, staff, and administration to identify and manage process improvement.
8. Consistent exercise of discretion, independent judgment, and initiative, as well as the interpersonal skills necessary to develop and maintain effective