Director of IT Operations & Strategy

Blacksburg, VA - USA

Monthly Salary: Not Disclosed

Posted on: 30+ days ago

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

Job Description

The Virginia Tech National Security Institute (VTNSI) is the universitys premier research and education hub for national security bringing together world-class faculty students and industry partners to address critical challenges facing the nation. VTNSI integrates cutting-edge research technology innovation and policy engagement to advance U.S. security and resilience.

The Director of IT Operations & Strategy provides strategic leadership and vision for VTNSIs IT environment ensuring that all systems processes and services align with the institutes mission and the broader university priorities. As VTNSIs primary IT leader the Director plays a critical role in shaping the institutes secure research computing this capacity the Director guides VTNSIs involvement in the development of a centralized CUI enclave advances governance structures with university partners and ensures compliance with federal and institutional security standards. The role is also responsible for building trust in IT operations by presenting data-driven insights fostering transparency and maintaining strong communication with leadership and stakeholders.
Beyond setting long-term IT strategy the Director oversees daily operations and enterprise systems leading efforts to modernize infrastructure standardize hardware and software management and implement automated workflows to streamline processes. Working closely with VTNSI leadership faculty staff and students the Director anticipates emerging research needs maximizes the value of shared university resources and drives collaboration across departments. A strong emphasis is placed on compliance and security including the consistent development of technical documentation implementation of business continuity strategies and enforcement of security controls.
The Director also leads mentors and evaluates a team of IT professionals fostering a culture of accountability continuous improvement and responsive service delivery. Reporting to the Executive Director the Director serves as a critical partner in advancing VTNSIs research mission through secure scalable and strategic IT leadership.

Required Qualifications

Masters degree in Information Technology Computer Science Business Administration or a related field or Bachelors degree with significant equivalent experience.
Experience collaborating with senior leadership and cross-functional teams in a mission-driven environment.
Significant professional experience leading IT operations in a complex organization.
Strong background in process automation IT project management and team leadership.
Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
Ability to develop policies manage budgets and oversee vendor contracts.
Due to the nature of the work conducted at the institute all candidates must be US Citizens.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in higher education government or research environments.
Experience with IT compliance standards including NIST 800-171 and CMMC 2.0.
ITIL certification or equivalent process management experience.
Familiarity with Endpoint Central ServiceDesk Plus and enterprise IT service management tools.
Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance

Overtime Status

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Restricted

Salary Information

Commensurate with experience

Hours per week

40 hrs per week

Review Date

November 3 2025

Additional Information

Due to the nature of the work at the Institute all candidates must be US citizens.

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its mottoUt Prosim(That I May Serve) Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world Virginia Tech is aninclusive communitydedicated to knowledge discovery and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36000 undergraduate graduate and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges a school of medicine a veterinary medicinecollege Graduate School and Honors College.The university has a significant presence across Virginia including Blacksburg the greater Washington D.C. area the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke sites in Newport News and Richmond and numerous Extension officesand research institutes.A leading global research institution Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees students or applicants on the basis of age color disability sex (including pregnancy) gender gender identity gender expression genetic information ethnicity or national origin political affiliation race religion sexual orientation or military status or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about discuss or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants or on any other basis protected by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation please contact Susan Kassat during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.

Required Experience:

Director

Job DescriptionThe Virginia Tech National Security Institute (VTNSI) is the universitys premier research and education hub for national security bringing together world-class faculty students and industry partners to address critical challenges facing the nation. VTNSI integrates cutting-edge resear...