Details - Director of IT Operations and Infrastructure (A&F) (Hybrid Opportunity) | Human Resources (2024)

About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

Job Summary

The Director of Administration and Finance Information Technology (AFIT) Operations and Infrastructure manages day-to-day operations ensuring that IT needs are met for Administration and Finance, Human Resources, and Student Affairs and Campus Life executive areas, as well as campus HIPAA covered entities, in alignment with UMass Amherst’s computer, data, application, and security objectives. This position engages in strategic planning in order to provide efficient, secure, and reliable systems; provides project management, and participates in campus and University-wide IT projects.

Essential Functions

• Engages in the creation of IT Strategy and roadmap, effectively defining and delivering on new SOPs, process improvements, and projects.
• Leads and provides ongoing analysis, refinement, and development of systems. Manages resource allocation, defines scope, sets priorities, and oversees the design and implementation of IT infrastructure.
• Leads the design, implementation, and enhancement of ITIL processes like Incident, Problem, Change, Configuration, and Release Management to achieve operational excellence.
• Manages projects to ensure effective and efficient results. Develops project plans and makes scheduling decisions. Works closely with managers and directors to set priorities, coordinate work efforts, and report project activities. Works with other campus IT units and vendors to coordinate support for AFIT supported departments. Assigns tasks and assists with the completion of projects. Monitors and evaluates the implementation of goals for gaps and timeliness in order to implement corrective measures as needed. Utilizes cost/benefit analysis to determine appropriate resources.
• Manages team of systems analysts to ensure successful delivery of services by the team which includes:
  • Analyzing system workflows to identify potential points of failure, especially those with possible life-safety impacts. Recommending and implementing systems, system configurations, and procedures that mitigate operational and security risks.
  • Working on multiple projects as a project leads to research, propose, and implement strategies in the migration and consolidation of complex distributed systems to a more centralized enterprise model. This may entail the migration of critical campus services and applications to new on-prem or cloud infrastructure, as well as recommending and implementing systems, configurations, and procedures that mitigate operational and security risks.
  • Ensuring appropriate system availability, manageability, scalability, and security by designing, implementing, maintaining, and monitoring systems, such as computer workstations and servers primarily running current Windows operating systems.
  • Investigates, analyzes, and responds to IT security incidents for AFIT managed endpoints, applications and servers.
• Oversees and directs the user support teams to ensure quality and timely service.
• Uses a high degree of autonomy in analyzing and researching problems, initiating corrective actions, and documenting solutions to raise end-user and peer knowledge.
• Proactively communicates with leadership about progress and outcomes and how strategy and contributions support higher-level priorities and initiatives.
• Negotiates and influences the opinions and decision making of internal senior leaders on matters of significance to the division.

Other Functions

• Performs related duties as assigned or required to meet Department, Executive Area/Division, and University goals and objectives.
• Supervises and serves as backup for on-call rotation.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Master’s degree and 7 years of progressive experience in IT; or Bachelor’s degree and 10 years of progressive experience in IT; or 15 years progressive experience in IT.
• A minimum of five years’ experience as a technical or applications team lead with demonstrated project management experience.
• Expertise in a broad array of computing platforms and systems within a distributed computing environment, including but not limited to workstation software/applications, particularly those which run on current Microsoft Windows Workstation O/S; physical and virtual guest server operating systems, particularly current Windows Server O/S.
• Experience meeting the demands of complex production-oriented environments where timeliness and availability of information is considered critical. Must be able to work effectively to resolve problems under stressful conditions where the rapid restoration of normal operations is critical.
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain harmonious relationships with co-workers and with a broad range of clients; ability to work well in a leadership role with peers. Excellent oral and written communications skills, especially as consultation and accurate communication with non-technical individuals on technical matters, are a requirement for this staff member.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively, in a highly organized manner, paying close attention to detail, accountability and reliability in meeting project deadlines and requirements.
• Ability to pass Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) background check.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Experience working with TCP/IP networking and an understanding of network firewalls.
• Formal background in IT project management.
• Experience in enterprise virtual computing environments.
• Scripting and programming experience.
• Experience with enterprise IT methodologies.
• Experience with 24/7 life-safety infrastructure.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

Typical office environment.

Work Schedule

Monday through Friday, 40 hours a week.

This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee’s work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. As this position is non-unit, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees Non-Unit (Professional/or Classified) Employee Personnel Policy

Salary Information

• Non-unit exempt position.
• Salary commensurate with experience.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Along with the application, please submit a resume, and cover letter. References will be checked at the finalist stage. Please be prepared to provide contact information for three (3) professional references.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, caste, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related condition(s), veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, natural and protective hairstyle and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.