Director of IT Operations & Services

Position: The Director of IT Operations & Services at SURS is a senior leadership position responsible for supporting the daily operations of SURS and contributing to the strategic direction, planning, and management of SURS Information Technology (IT) initiatives. The Director of IT Operations & Services will work closely with the SURS CSTO to develop and implement technology strategies that align with the organization's goals and objectives while fostering innovation and promoting a culture of technological excellence. This role requires a deep understanding of support operations, strong technical acumen, exceptional leadership, and communication skills. This position will oversee the operational units of infrastructure and operations, application support, office services, and facilities.

Position: Director of IT Operations & Services

Position Type: Full-time | Based in Champaign, IL

Civil Service Classification: Information Technology Manager/Administrative Coordinator

Main Duties

• Leadership and Management
• Provide guidance and mentorship to staff, fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment.
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the IT department, Support Services team, and facilities, ensuring the delivery of reliable and efficient services.
• Collaborate with other senior leaders and stakeholders to understand their technology needs and develop solutions that enhance operational effectiveness.
• Evaluate, approve, and oversee the implementation of highly complex technical approaches and solutions.
• Provides leadership for planning, developing, and implementing information technology initiatives.
• Contribute to the development of Continual Operations Improvement and ensure the process is followed.
• Build confidence in IT by creating a track record of accomplishment.
• Oversees initiatives to monitor, evaluate, and improve customer service delivery.
• Participate in the hiring, training, development, evaluation, and appropriate disciplinary processes of direct and indirect reports.
• Draft and manage budgets for assigned projects and any assigned operational areas.
• Select, train, supervise, and conduct regular evaluations of all assigned personnel; ensure ongoing training for personnel to maintain up-to-date technical expertise.
• Ensure adequate staffing, scheduling, and resources to provide high-quality services.
• Be available evenings, nights, and weekends to respond to calls regarding questions or problems with SURS’ computing resources or facilities.
• Establish SLAs, OLAs & KPIs for all operational units to ensure the quality of services is met.

• Strategy and Planning
• Collaborate with the CSTO to develop and execute SURS’ IT strategic plan, aligning technology initiatives with divisional & organizational goals.
• Provide leadership to high-value cross-functional strategic initiatives.
• Assist in developing and implementing policies, standards, and procedures to ensure effective and secure use of IT resources & SURS’ facilities.
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends to provide recommendations on their potential impact and relevance to SURS.
• IT Governance and Compliance
• Lead the development and implementation of best practices and standards in process, design, architecture, and operations of all aspects of service-oriented information technology delivery.
• Support the CSTO and IT leadership peers in establishing IT governance frameworks, including project prioritization, resource allocation, and performance measurement.
• Ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and policies related to data security, privacy, and intellectual property.
• Support and work to improve disaster recovery and business continuity plans.
• Works with SURS InfoSec team to implement appropriate information security measures and components to protect SURS’ computing resources from malicious attacks.
• Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement
• Foster effective partnerships with organizational units to understand their technology requirements and provide innovative solutions.
• Collaborate with external vendors, consultants, and industry partners to evaluate and procure germane solutions that align with organizational needs.
• Participate in RFP committees and ensure appropriate solutions are procured to align with SURS’s technology stack.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

1. Any one or any combination totaling 5 years (60 months) from the following categories:
2. College coursework which includes Information Technology (IT), IT Management, Programming, IT Systems, or a closely related discipline, as measured by the following conversion table or its proportional equivalent:

• 30 semester hours equals one (1) year (12 months)
• Associate’s Degree (60 semester hours) equals eighteen months (18 months)
• 90 semester hours equals two (2) years (24 months)
• Bachelor’s Degree (120 semester hours) equals three (3) years (36 months)

1. Work experience in IT-related functions such as hardware/software support, programming, network design, network engineering, IT systems integration, or closely related field, which includes supervisory or lead worker capacity.
2. 6 Years of progressively responsible experience in leading and managing an IT team or organization.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)

• Strong supervisory, project management, administrative, budget management, and technical skills are required.
• The ability to maintain confidentiality with information processed, stored, transmitted, or accessed by the systems is required.
• Strong knowledge of emerging technologies, trends, and best practices in IT.
• Proven ability to lead and motivate diverse teams, fostering a collaborative work environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and proficiency in writing technical specification documents.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university in Computer Science, Business, Management Information Systems, or another related field.
• 6 years of experience in one or more technology areas: System Administration, Network Administration, Help Desk, Cloud Solutions and Application Integration, and/or Programming/Web Development.
• Experience in strategic planning, technology implementation, and IT governance.
• Experience in developing KPIs for operational excellence.
• Experience with enterprise architecture and cloud infrastructure.
• Experience in a fiduciary environment.
• Knowledge of facilities management & maintenance.

Position Information

This is a full-time position is based in Champaign, IL. During the initial training period, fully in-office workdays may be required. After successful completion of the initial training period. this position may transition to a hybrid role. The starting salary range for this position is $120,400 - $160,500. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the full range for a position. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, while also considering internal equity.

Benefits

• Insurance benefits, including medical, vision and dental
• Participation in SURS retirement plan
• Paid vacation, sick leave and 10 paid holidays
• 2 additional floating holidays after 6 months of employment
• Paid Parental Leave after six months of employment
• Casual/business casual attire (dependent on job duties)
• Flexible work environment
• Free parking
• 37.5-hour standard work week
• Find more details regarding the benefits SURS offers at: SURS Employee Benefits - SURS