Empire State University invites applications for the position of Deputy Chief Information Officer / Assistant Vice President for Data, Applications, and Web Platforms within the Office of Integrated Technologies (ITS).

This senior leadership role reports directly to the Chief Information Officer / Vice President for Integrated Technologies (CIO) and serves as a key member of the ITS executive team. The Deputy CIO / AVP provides strategic, operational, and tactical leadership for the university's enterprise data, applications, and web and digital experience services. This role ensures that technology and data are leveraged as strategic assets to support the university's academic mission, student success priorities, and online-first operating model.

The Deputy CIO / AVP is responsible for translating institutional and ITS strategy into coherent, scalable, and secure data and technology services. This role oversees the day-to-day operations of data platforms, application development, enterprise systems, and web services while advancing long-term modernization, integration, and governance initiatives across the university. The Deputy CIO / AVP will also support the oversight, evaluation, and ongoing refinement of institutional policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with SUNY, New York State, and applicable federal regulations.

Role Summary

The Deputy CIO and AVP leads the planning, delivery, and continuous improvement of Empire State University's digital and data ecosystem. This includes enterprise data platforms, data warehouse and analytics environments, administrative and academic applications, system integrations, reporting platforms, and public-facing web services.

This role provides enterprise leadership in advancing data strategy, governance, and analytics in partnership with institutional stakeholders. The Deputy CIO / AVP plays a key role in translating the university's data strategy and governance frameworks into operational capabilities, ensuring that institutional data is accessible, reliable, and effectively used to support decision-making, integrations, and institutional priorities.

The role emphasizes service reliability, user-centered design, data stewardship, accessibility, cybersecurity, and data-informed decision-making in support of a diverse, distributed, and adult learner population.

Working in close partnership with ITS leadership, academic and administrative units, and SUNY system peers, the Deputy CIO / AVP ensures that data and technology services are aligned, well-governed, and responsive to evolving institutional needs.

In the absence of the CIO, this role may serve as acting CIO and represent ITS in executive-level decision making.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic and Executive Leadership

• Serve as a senior technology and data leader within ITS, contributing to university-wide strategy, planning, and governance.
• Act on behalf of the CIO when designated, providing continuity of leadership and operational oversight.
• Translate institutional and CIO priorities into actionable strategies for data, applications, and digital platforms.
• Balance short-term operational needs with long-term modernization, sustainability, and data maturity goals.
• Ensure alignment with university strategic priorities, including student success, academic excellence, equity, and organizational effectiveness.
• Promote shared ownership, transparency, and accountability across ITS and institutional partners.

Data Strategy, Architecture, and Analytics

• Partner with institutional leadership and governance bodies to advance and operationalize the university's data strategy.
• Support and help mature data governance frameworks, including data ownership, stewardship, quality standards, and lifecycle management.
• Translate governance policies and strategic priorities into scalable data architecture, platforms, and processes.
• Provide operational leadership for the university's data warehouse, data architecture, and data engineering environments.
• Ensure the availability of reliable, well-modeled, and accessible data to support reporting, analytics, and operational decision-making.
• Promote a culture of data-informed decision-making across academic and administrative units.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to align data definitions, models, and integrations with institutional standards.
• Ensure data platforms support both operational and analytical use cases, including real-time and batch data integration.

Applications, Integration, and Web Platform Leadership

• Provide operational and strategic oversight of:
  • Enterprise Application Development
  • Application Integration and Data Services
  • Web and Digital Experience Platforms
• Lead the design, development, enhancement, and lifecycle management of enterprise and custom applications.
• Ensure seamless integration with Banner, Brightspace, Slate, reporting platforms, and other core systems.
• Ensure that system implementations and integrations are aligned with institutional data strategy and governance standards, enabling consistency, interoperability, and reuse of data assets.
• Drive the use of enterprise data assets and data architecture standards to inform system implementations, integrations, and enhancements.
• Establish and maintain standards for application architecture, integration, accessibility, and documentation.
• Promote modern delivery practices, including agile methodologies, DevOps, secure coding, and cloud-based platforms.

Governance, Policy, and Compliance

• Partner with university leadership and governance bodies to develop, implement, and sustain policies and standards related to data, applications, accessibility, and digital platforms.
• Contribute to and support institutional data governance structures, including councils, committees, and stewardship models.
• Help operationalize governance decisions through technology, data architecture, and process alignment.
• Ensure compliance with SUNY policies and applicable state and federal regulations.
• Embed accessibility, privacy, and data stewardship into development and data management practices.

Security, Risk, and Operational Resilience

• Partner closely with Information Security to integrate secure development and data protection practices.
• Oversee risk assessments for applications, integrations, and data platforms.
• Respond to audit findings with clear, prioritized remediation plans.
• Ensure effective incident response and recovery processes for application and data-related disruptions.
• Promote a culture of accountability and continuous improvement around system reliability, resilience, and data integrity.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement

• Collaborate with faculty, staff, and academic leadership to deliver systems and data capabilities that improve teaching, learning, and administrative efficiency.
• Partner with functional leaders to align business processes with application capabilities and data insights.
• Translate institutional needs into scalable data and technology solutions.
• Manage relationships with vendors and implementation partners to ensure value, interoperability, and service quality.
• Represent ITS perspectives in shared governance and cross-functional initiatives.
• Foster inclusive decision-making that reflects the needs of a diverse and distributed university community.

Workforce Development, Communication, and Capacity Building

• Lead, mentor, and support directors and managers overseeing data, applications, integration, and web services.
• Provide leadership to data engineering, data integration, and analytics teams, ensuring alignment with enterprise data strategy.
• Recruit, develop, and retain high-performing technical teams.
• Ensure training and documentation for enterprise systems and data platforms are inclusive, clear, and user-centered.
• Lead communication efforts related to major platform changes, data initiatives, and service enhancements.

Job Requirements:
Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of three to five (3-5) years of progressively responsible IT management experience, including supervision of professional and/or technical staff and teams.
• Minimum of five to seven (5-7) years of experience in relevant information technology fields, including data platforms, enterprise applications, systems integration, or web and digital services.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing the implementation, operation, and support of enterprise applications (e.g., ERP, LMS, CRM).
• Experience managing data integrations, data exchange processes, and teams responsible for APIs, middleware, and interoperability.
• Experience supporting or overseeing data platforms, reporting environments, or data warehouse technologies.
• Experience coordinating services across cloud-based and on-premise environments.
• Working knowledge of current IT practices, including cloud services, agile methodologies, and secure development.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Familiarity with IT governance, compliance, and security frameworks.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Business, Information Systems, or a related field.
• Experience in higher education or public sector environments.
• Experience overseeing enterprise systems such as Banner, Brightspace, Slate, or comparable platforms.
• Demonstrated experience supporting or advancing enterprise data strategy, data governance, and analytics initiatives.
• Experience managing or modernizing data warehouse and data architecture environments.
• Experience supporting reporting, BI, and analytics platforms.
• Experience leading technology modernization initiatives, including cloud adoption and system transformation.
• Experience managing web and digital experience platforms, including accessibility.
• Experience with vendor management and contract oversight.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and retain technical teams in a complex organization.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage senior leadership and institutional stakeholders.

Special Information:

• This position is located in Saratoga Springs, NY.
• Occasional travel may be required to fulfill department and university-wide commitments.
• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. VISA sponsorship is not available for this position.
• SUNY Empire provides employees with robust remote and flexible work options to meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff in a dispersed work environment.

Additional Information:
Rank/Salary: Management-Confidential / $135,000-$145,000, dependent on experience and qualifications.

We are pleased to offer our employees an excellent benefit package which includes NYS health insurance, free dental and vision, competitive retirement options, and generous vacation, sick and holiday accruals; and a strong emphasis on work-life balance. We also offer professional-development activities for professionals and support staff.

SUNY Empire is an AA/EEO/ADA employer. The University actively seeks applications from women, veterans, individuals with a disability, members of underrepresented groups or anyone that would enrich the diversity of the University. SUNY Empire is committed to fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff, and students, as well as ensuring equal educational opportunity, employment, and access to services, programs, and activities, without regard to an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, or criminal conviction. Employees, students, applicants, or other members of the university community (including but not limited to vendors, visitors, and guests) may not be subjected to harassment that is prohibited by law or treated adversely or retaliated against based upon a protected characteristic.

SUNY Empire provides reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities, veterans, or wounded warriors where appropriate. If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (518) 587-2100.

In accordance with the Title II Crime Awareness and Security Act, a copy of our crime statistics is available upon request by calling (518) 587-2100. It can also be viewed online at our Safety and Security website.

To apply, visit http://esc.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=200957

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