Enterprise Project Manager - Executive - Interim Director of Research Computing

Key Objectives (9–12 Month Engagement)

• Stabilize departmental operations while maintaining continuity of critical IT services and customer engagement.
• Inventory current research technology infrastructure, services, operational procedures, active and anticipated projects, and budget needs.
• Align operational procedures with divisional standards, including use of the service desk ticketing system for support requests, client communications, task/project tracking, and reporting analytics.
• Establish governance, communication, and decision-making processes that support long-term success.
• Document organizational recommendations, strategic priorities, lifecycle budgets, professional development needs, and transition plans for the incoming permanent Director.
• Recruit, mentor, and prepare team members to support long-term organizational success.

Success will be measured by clear improvements in organizational culture, employee accountability, operational performance, customer satisfaction, governance maturity, and readiness for permanent executive leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead all departmental operations, research technology infrastructure, and related services.
• Supervise managers, professional staff, and student staff.
• Set performance expectations and monitor organizational outcomes.
• Make timely operational and resource allocation decisions.
• Lead organizational change and culture transformation initiatives.
• Evaluate organizational effectiveness and recommend structural improvements.
• Develop and track departmental priorities and performance metrics with executive leadership.
• Coordinate departmental budgets and strategic resource allocation with executive leadership.
• Ensure compliance with institutional policies, security standards, audit requirements, and regulatory obligations.
• Remove obstacles that hinder productivity, innovation, and collaboration.
• Deliver executive-level reports and recommendations.
• Develop succession planning and transition documentation for permanent leadership.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience leading organizational transformation, change management, and service delivery optimization.
• 8+ years of experience leading large, complex technology projects.
• 8+ years of experience in personnel management, coaching, and performance accountability.
• Bachelor’s degree (required).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with research cyberinfrastructure, high-performance computing (HPC), high-speed storage, and networking technologies.
• Experience implementing governance and operational maturity frameworks.
• Experience managing organizational change in higher education.
• Master’s degree in science, technology, or a related field.
• Certifications: ITIL; Cloud Infrastructure (AWS/Azure); AI Infrastructure (AWS/Azure/Google); Carpentries Instructor Training; HPC technologies (Slurm, InfiniBand).