University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Chief Information Officer
About the Opportunity
UNCSA is seeking a Chief Information Officer who embraces the opportunity to engage, collaborate, and build relationships with a diverse and dynamic college campus community while providing leadership, planning, and management of information technology resources for the University.
Reporting to the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) serves as the administrative head of the Information Technologies Department and provides vision, leadership, strategic planning, and oversight for all technology throughout all functions and locations of the University. The CIO is responsible for establishing current and long-range direction of technology for the university aimed at keeping the organization current and prepared to be on the forefront of change. This role requires the CIO to be knowledgeable about IT needs of a higher educational institution, including academic programs, administrative functions, and student services. It also demands an understanding of, and support for, the needs of entertainment content creators.
A detailed leadership profile for this position is available at: https://bit.ly/uncsa-cio.
About the University
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) is the nation’s first public arts conservatory, one of 17 constituent campuses in the University of North Carolina System, and home to some of the top-ranked professional artistic training programs in the world. Established by the N.C. General Assembly in 1963, the School of the Arts opened in Winston-Salem (“The City of Arts and Innovation”) in 1965 and became part of the University of North Carolina System when it was formed in 1972.
UNCSA provides gifted emerging artists with the experience, knowledge, and skills needed to excel in their artistic disciplines and in their professional and personal lives, and it serves and enriches the cultural and economic prosperity of the people of North Carolina and the nation. UNCSA is the state’s unique professional school for the performing, visual, and moving image arts, training students at the high school, undergraduate, and master’s levels for professional careers in the arts.
About the Team
Information Technologies is responsible for centralized IT management. The IT division is composed of the following areas: Enterprise Systems and Applications, Networks/Telecommunications & Video Teleconferencing, Information Security and Client Services.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Chief Information Officer oversees all campuswide technology needs. Responsibilities include:
• Developing and implementing the strategic vision and plans for enterprise services, networking and client services, and information security at UNCSA, in collaboration with internal and external campus stakeholders and in alignment with the University’s strategic plan.
• Consulting with administrative leadership, deans, program directors, and others to understand needs, and acting as an advisor on the implementation of existing technologies and possible new technologies.
• Working with the Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration and relevant stakeholders to forecast, budget, and optimize current and future costs of UNCSA’s technology and software needs.
• Developing relationships with external hardware, software, hosting, and related providers.
• Developing relationships with cohorts in the entertainment industry and higher education.
• Overseeing information security policies and strategy and monitoring and maintaining the security of the University’s applications, databases, and networks. Directing resources to deliver new technologies on a prioritized basis and maintaining existing technological systems in an efficient and timely manner.
• Hiring, supervising, developing, and leading the IT team, including overseeing departmental activities, setting project priorities, and modifying timelines as appropriate.
• Conducting research and competitive analysis, developing key relationships, and providing data to the Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration and other relevant stakeholders on purchases, methodologies, processes, and operations to improve technical functionality.
• Conducting research on leading edge technologies and making recommendations considering resources.
• Reviewing and approving computer-related purchases and upgrades to ensure new applications and technologies are compatible with existing systems and are appropriately integrated into the University’s technology infrastructure.
• Collaborating with other University CIOs and the System Office IT team; advocating for systems and services that benefit the needs of a smaller institution.
• Modeling a continuous commitment to improving services and assuring that information technologies on campus are attuned to the technological needs of faculty, staff, and students.
Education and Experience
At a minimum, the successful candidate is required to have either: (1) a post-graduate degree from an accredited institution and at least three years of related professional experience; or (2) an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution and at least five years of related professional experience.
Qualifications and Competencies
Desired qualifications and competencies include:
• Experience as a proven leader in the information technology field, preferably in a higher education or cultural arts setting.
• A track record of effective supervision, including motivational leadership and proactive staff development through training, feedback, and responsibility.
• A track record of effective engagement and collaboration with the broader campus community, including students, faculty, staff, and administrators.
• History of modeling outstanding customer service.
• Demonstrated awareness of and sensitivity to cultural issues and the needs of a diverse constituency.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise good judgment and decision-making.
• Ability to lead critical analysis of existing processes and make recommendations for improvement without alienating others.
• Experience developing long-term goals, strategic plans, and operational policies and procedures.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule to meet the requirements of the position, including extended days, nights, weekends, or on-call responsibilities.
Special Instructions
To apply, please submit a letter of interest and CV/resume via email to executivesearch@northcarolina.edu. For priority consideration by the search committee, application materials should be submitted by May 27, 2024. The position remains open until filled.
Finalists will be subject to a criminal background check prior to the offer of employment. All candidate names and information will remain confidential; however, finalists invited to campus may be asked to waive confidentiality to engage with the broader campus community. References will not be contacted without a candidate’s prior knowledge and consent.
Salary will be commensurate with education and experience.
Contact Information
UNCSA has retained the UNC System Office executive search team to support this recruitment. Confidential inquiries and nominations should be directed to Scott Murray, director of executive search and leadership programs, at sfmurray@northcarolina.edu.
Equal Employment Opportunity
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts strives to cultivate an environment that is diverse, inclusive, and free from discrimination. UNCSA is committed to prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, religion, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, political affiliation, National Guard or Veteran status, genetic information, or a disability.
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