Director Student IT Services

Join Our Team and Make a Difference in Higher Education!

At the System Administration office at the University of Colorado, we are dedicated to building a workplace where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. Our office is committed to fostering a culture where employees find community, a sense of belonging, and the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to our mission and purpose.  

By joining our team, you’ll have a direct impact on shaping the future of higher education. In addition to the Office of the Board of Regents, the University of Colorado’s system administration includes 19 units that provide essential services to CU’s campuses in Aurora, Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Denver, as well as the Office of the President. While not a part of any one campus, we are proud to serve in the centralized office for the University system. Together, we ensure CU continues to deliver outstanding education, groundbreaking research, and valuable service to our communities.

We believe in creating an environment where the unique experiences and perspectives of everyone are embraced, enriching the work we do and the strategic outcomes we pursue. If you’re passionate about making a difference, contributing to a dynamic team, and supporting a mission that matters, we encourage you to apply and be part of our journey.  Learn more about CU System Administration.

Position Summary:

University Information Services (UIS) provides enterprise technology services, applications, and platforms that support the University of Colorado campuses and System Administration. UIS partners with university leadership and business organizations to deliver secure, reliable, and innovative technology solutions that advance the university's mission.

CU Student IT Services (CU-SIS) delivers and supports a portfolio of enterprise student technology products and services serving prospective students, current students, alumni, faculty, staff, and administrative offices across all four campuses and System Administration. The portfolio includes student information systems, enrollment and admissions technologies, financial aid systems, student financial services, degree planning and audit solutions, international student services systems, student communications platforms, reporting and analytics capabilities, and a growing ecosystem of integrated software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications.

The Director of Student IT Services provides strategic leadership, operational oversight, portfolio stewardship, and organizational direction for CU-SIS. This position is responsible for aligning technology services and investments with university priorities, fostering strong relationships with campus and system stakeholders, ensuring reliable service delivery, and developing a high-performing team capable of supporting an increasingly interconnected student technology ecosystem.

This position reports to the Assistant Vice President of IT Service Strategy and is exempt from the State of Colorado Classified Staff system.

Where You Will Work:

Applicants must be Colorado residents or able to relocate to Colorado within a month of starting employment with University of Colorado System Administration.

This role is eligible to work remotely within Colorado. Occasional travel to the System office and campuses will be expected.

Please note, leadership may adjust in-office work requirements with a minimum of three months' notice before any change can be implemented.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

Duties and responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

Enterprise Student Technology Strategy & Portfolio Leadership

• Lead the development and execution of strategy, roadmaps, and long-range plans for the university's enterprise student technology portfolio.
• Align technology investments, services, and priorities with institutional objectives, student success initiatives, enrollment goals, regulatory requirements, and operational needs.
• Guide evaluation and adoption of new technologies, vendor solutions, and service models.
• Develop and communicate portfolio priorities, opportunities, risks, dependencies, and resource needs.
• Participate in higher education communities, professional organizations, and peer networks to identify emerging trends, best practices, and opportunities for innovation.

Business Relationship Management & Cross-Campus Collaboration

• Serve as a strategic partner to student affairs, enrollment management, registrars, bursars, financial aid offices, 

  advising organizations, institutional leadership, and campus IT leaders.

• Build trusted relationships across campuses and System Administration to understand current needs, future priorities, and emerging challenges.
• Facilitate discussions regarding business strategy, technology roadmaps, service improvements, governance, and investment decisions.
• Communicate business value, tradeoffs, risks, and opportunities associated with enterprise student technology investments.
• Represent campus and System Administration interests within UIS and advocate for UIS capabilities and service offerings across the university.

Service Delivery, Operations, & Organizational Effectiveness

• Ensure reliable delivery, support, and continuous improvement of enterprise student technology services.
• Establish and maintain effective operational practices, service management processes, portfolio governance, demand management, and work intake procedures.
• Lead organizational improvement initiatives that enhance transparency, accountability, collaboration, and service effectiveness.
• Oversee planning and coordination for major upgrades, implementations, integrations, maintenance activities, and service transitions.
• Monitor service performance, operational metrics, customer feedback, and organizational outcomes to support informed decision making.

Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing team through recruitment, coaching, mentoring, performance management, and succession planning.
• Establish clear expectations and accountability while fostering an inclusive, collaborative, and customer-focused culture.
• Support employee growth through professional development, career planning, leadership opportunities, and knowledge sharing.
• Develop future leaders and strengthen organizational resilience through delegated leadership and capacity building.
• Foster an environment that supports employee engagement, well-being, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Resource, Capacity, & Investment Stewardship

• Lead resource planning, capacity management, budget development, staffing strategy, and vendor management activities.
• Evaluate current and future demand to ensure appropriate alignment between organizational capacity and customer needs.
• Support governance and technology acquisition processes by helping stakeholders assess business value, implementation impacts, operational support requirements, and long-term sustainability.
• Manage vendor relationships and technology investments to maximize value, reduce risk, and improve institutional outcomes.
• Provide leadership regarding capacity constraints, investment priorities, staffing needs, and portfolio tradeoffs.

Applications Used/Managed

The Director provides oversight and stewardship for enterprise and enterprise-dependent student technology services, including but not limited to: PeopleSoft Campus Solutions, uAchieve Degree Audit and related tools, Nelnet, Sunapsis, NameCoach, Parchment, student CRM/admissions platforms, degree planning and advising solutions, scheduling and workflow platforms, reporting and analytics tools, integrations, and other student-facing or student-supporting systems used across CU campuses and System Administration.

What We Offer:

Salary: The anticipated hiring range has been established at $172,000-$177,000.

CU System Administration takes into consideration a combination of the selected candidate’s education, training and experience as it relates to the position, as well as the position’s scope and complexity, internal pay equity and external market value when determining a salary level for potential new employees.

Benefits: With our unparalleled range of benefits, including top-notch healthcare, comprehensive wellness programs, enriching professional development, and a dynamic work-life balance, we ensure your holistic growth and happiness.

• No-cost or low-cost medical & dental plan options, some inclusive of IVF assistance.

• Disability, Life, Vision Insurance options.

• Multiple retirement planning options including a mandatory 401(a) plan where CU contributes 10%25 of your gross pay, a 401k or 403b plan and a 457 deferred compensation plan.

• Pre-tax savings plans, such as Health care and Dependent care flexible spending accounts.

• Embrace a healthy work-life balance with ample sick and vacation leave, along with at least 12 paid holidays. This includes a dedicated week off for winter break.

• 6 weeks of parental leave to adjust to the joys of parenthood.

• A tuition benefit program for you and/or your dependents.

• Free RTD EcoPass and free onsite parking at our 1800 Grant Street Office.

• Many additional perks & programs with the CU Advantage.

Additional taxable fringe benefits may be available.

For more information on benefits programs, please review our Comprehensive Benefits Guide.

Access our Total Compensation Calculator to see what your total rewards could be at CU.  (This position is a University Staff position)

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

Please include all relevant experience in your resume to be accurately assessed against these qualifications.  You must meet all minimum requirements at the time of application to be considered for this role.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education, or equivalent professional experience (professional experience may be substituted for the educational requirement on a year-for-year basis)
• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience supporting enterprise administrative systems, technology services, or business operations, including:
  • Experience supporting student services, enrollment management, academic administration, or related higher education functions
  • Experience leading operational support, service delivery, or technology organizations
  • Experience managing complex portfolios, programs, projects, or services
  • Experience facilitating organizational planning, prioritization, and stakeholder engagement
  • Experience managing vendor relationships and technology investments
• Five (5) years of leadership experience including:
  • Personnel supervision and performance management
  • Budget, resources, or capacity planning
  • Leading cross-functional teams and complex initiatives

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting enterprise student information systems and related student technologies
• Experience with higher education ERP systems, SaaS solutions, and integration ecosystems
• Experience with strategic planning, portfolio governance, demand management, and service management practices
• Experience leading technology-enabled organizational change initiatives
• Experience working in higher education, particularly within a multi-campus environment
• Familiarity with frameworks such as SFIA, ITIL, project management methodologies, and organizational capability maturity models
   

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

To be successful in this position a candidate will need the following:

• Knowledge of enterprise applications, technology services, and software delivery practices
• Knowledge of information technology service management (ITSM) principles and best practices
• Knowledge of portfolio management, demand management, governance, and organizational change concepts
• Ability to develop strategy and translate long-term objectives into actionable plans
• Ability to build trusted partnerships with executive leadership, business stakeholders, vendors, and technical teams
• Ability to assess organizational needs, evaluate alternatives, and communicate recommendations effectively
• Ability to align competing priorities, balance organizational constraints, and facilitate decision making
• Strong leadership, coaching, and talent development capabilities
• Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship management skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to influence without direct authority within a matrixed organization
• Ability to lead organizational change and continuous improvement initiatives
• Knowledge of higher education business processes and administrative systems
• Understanding of enterprise SaaS platforms, integrations, data governance, accessibility, privacy, and information security considerations

How to Apply:

For full consideration, please attach the following as separate documents to your application: 

1. A cover letter identifying the job specific minimum qualifications you possess and interest in the position.
2. A resume including all relevant experience to be accurately assessed against the qualifications listed in the posting.

Please ensure you check the “Job Specific Attachments” box next to each document on the “Required Documents” page of the application for the appropriate documents to be attached.

Per the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, you are not required to provide your date of birth, dates of school attendance, or dates of graduation on your resume or cover letter. If an application requires additional materials, such as a transcript or certification, you may redact identifying information relating to your date or birth, dates of school attendance, or dates of graduation.

When to Apply:

For full consideration completed applications must be submitted by October 1, 2026.  Reference checking is a standard step in our hiring process. You may be asked to provide contact information, including email addresses and phone numbers, for up to five references as part of the search process for this position.

*Please note: All application materials must be submitted through CU Careers; emailed materials will not be considered. *

Sponsorship Statement:

We are unable to sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.

Background Check Statement:

The University of Colorado is committed to providing a safe and productive learning and living community. To achieve that goal, we conduct background investigations for all final applicants being considered for employment. Background investigations include a criminal history record check, and when appropriate, a financial and/or motor vehicle history. The Immigration Reform and Control Act requires that a verification of employment eligibility be documented for all new employees by the end of the third day of work. The University of Colorado is committed to diversity and equality in education and employment.

ADA Statement:

We are committed to an inclusive and barrier-free search process. We provide accommodations for applicants requesting accommodation through the search process such as alternative formats of this posting.  Individuals with disabilities in need of accommodations throughout the search process should contact the ADA Coordinator at: systemhr@cu.edu.