Senior Director, Technology Applications

DescriptionWhat if I told you it is possible to find a Company that lived to educate, inspire and empower others while creating a family atmosphere that truly appreciates and respects their team? Would you apply?What if I threw in strong Company values, outstanding benefits, and the opportunity for you to make a tangible impact and feel appreciated?See below for a feel of what the Company culture is (REALLY) like. Hint: it's amazing.At Westcliff, we are constantly striving to be the best while valuing each of our team members as human beings and succeeding together!Westcliff is a leader in innovative global education. We are respected for our transformative, technologically advanced programs and initiatives with a focus on excellence, social responsibility, and diversity. Our tagline – “Educate. Inspire, Empower.” – is a summary of our Mission Statement. As it suggests, the main focus of our University is to strive to enhance the opportunities of our students and employees to enjoy success through empowerment, as a result of their education and hard work.By joining the Westcliff team, you’ll be playing a significant role in our growth, having an opportunity to put your personal touch on Westcliff’s progress as we grow and succeed together!Senior Director, Technology ApplicationsWestcliff University is seeking a Senior Director of Technology, Applications to lead the strategy, implementation,and optimization of enterprise applications to support the university’s rapid growth and enhance the studentexperience.This role will accelerate the university’s technology roadmap, with a focus on establishing an integrated scalableapplication platform. The position provides hands-on leadership across enterprise systems such as the StudentInformation System (SIS), Instructional Technology (LMS), Slate CRM, and related project management. The goal is toestablish a premier IT organization that implements leading technology and provides innovative technology solutions tothe organization.The Senior Director reports to the CFO and partners with academic and administrative leadership, and outside vendorsto deliver proactive, high-impact technology solutions aligned with institutional priorities.Applications Strategy and Delivery Own and execute the enterprise applications roadmap, aligned to institutional growth and student experience goalsLead implementation and enhancement of key platforms (e.g., academic/operational systems including SIS, LMS, Academic operations and CRM)Drive delivery of SaaS and custom-built applications to support scaling needsLeverage AI to accelerate business processes automation and build a robust knowledge baseEstablish governance for application architecture, integrations, and lifecycle managementEnhance the University’s posture and awareness of Application Information SecurityAble to transform the development organization to new AI development paradigmEvaluate and recommend new technology solutions aligned with university needsLeadership and Team DevelopmentProvide strong, hands-on leadership across applications, instructional technology, and systems solutions teamsBuild and scale the applications organization, including hiring critical roles and optimizing team structureUpskill existing leadership by providing mentorship and guidanceTechnology Acceleration and ExecutionIncrease speed and quality of application implementations, addressing current resource and execution gapsIntroduce agile, product-oriented delivery models where appropriateEnsure applications are positioned to support rapid institutional growth and scalability Vendor and Partner ManagementDevelop and manage strategic relationships with key application vendors and consulting partnersLeverage external partners (e.g., Moodle consultants, offshore resources) to accelerate deliveryStakeholder EngagementAct as a visible and proactive technology leader across the universityPartner with academic and administrative leadership to understand needs and translate them into solutionsImprove IT’s reputation as a strategic, solution-oriented partner rather than a reactive functionData and Business IntelligenceDevelop a formal data and analytics roadmap to improve data availability, reporting/analytics capabilities, including our evolution from reporting to predictive analyticsActively incorporate AI into our roadmap, pushing the organization to have focused and insightful analytics as opposed to dashboards and reportingAll other duties as assignedJob Requirements10+ years of progressive IT leadership experience, with significant focus on enterprise applicationsProven track record leading large-scale application implementations and integrationsExperience building and scaling high-performing technology teamsStrong experience with vendor management and SaaS platformsDemonstrated ability to operate in fast-growth, transformation-oriented environmentsHands-on leadership style with the ability to drive execution, not just strategyExperience in higher education or similarly complex environmentsFamiliarity with Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as MoodlePreferred Experience balancing in-house development and commercial platforms Exposure to offshore or hybrid delivery models