Director of Information Technology

Union Presbyterian Seminary is a thriving theological institution with campuses in Richmond, Virginia and Charlotte, North Carolina, dedicated to preparing leaders for the church and the world. Technology is integral to our mission, shaping how we educate, connect, and serve across both campuses, supporting our expanding hybrid learning model, and fostering inter-institutional collaboration.

The Director of Information Technology is a full-time, in-person position based in Richmond, Virginia, providing strategic leadership and operational oversight for the Seminary's technology infrastructure, vendor relationships, and IT budget across both campuses. The Director sets direction for the IT department's roadmap, manages key vendor and contractor relationships, develops and oversees department policy, and supervises IT staff. While day-to-day end-user support is primarily handled by the Technology Support Specialist and Systems Administrator, the Director is expected to serve as a working technical resource and resolve issues directly as a regular part of the role. At a small institution, the Director must be comfortable moving between strategic leadership and hands-on technical support as the situation demands. The Director reports to the Vice President for Strategy and Institutional Effectiveness.

Responsibilities and Duties

Strategic Planning and Leadership (25%)

• Develop and maintain a rolling 1, 3, and 5-year technology roadmap and provide leadership for strategic technology initiatives, including classroom upgrades, system integrations, and infrastructure transitions
• Supervise IT staff; set priorities, conduct performance reviews, support professional development, and periodically review team structure and workload to ensure it matches institutional demand
• Partner with Advancement, Business Office, Registrar's Office, and other campus offices to assess technology needs, evaluate current systems, and identify solutions that improve efficiency and integration across institutional operations
• Ensure technology needs for Seminary Extended, a Lilly collaboration grant, are coordinated and supported in partnership with Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and Eastern Mennonite University

Vendor and Contract Management (20%)

• Serve as the Seminary's primary point of contact for key technology vendors and contractual partners, including network/MSP, Zoom, security monitoring, and major software providers
• Negotiate and manage vendor contracts, renewals, and service level agreements
• Evaluate current vendor relationships on an ongoing basis to determine which services should continue to be outsourced versus brought in-house, including planning now for the conclusion of the current managed network services (Segra) contract
• Bring in specialized vendors to assess needs in complex spaces (e.g., classroom technology and meeting spaces) and synthesize their recommendations into a clear plan and budget request
• Research and recommend membership in relevant purchasing consortiums, including theological school consortiums, to optimize costs on software, hardware, and services

Budget Oversight (15%)

• Develop and manage the department's operating and capital budgets and approve expenses
• Plan for hardware and software lifecycle replacement in accordance with established inventory management policy, including managing the Seminary's four-year computer replacement cycle and planning purchases in stages rather than full-scale replacement
• Plan and budget for network and backend infrastructure needs (switches, power, equipment) ahead of need, with particular attention to requirements created by the Segra contract transition
• Identify opportunities for cost savings through software consolidation, licensing review, and vendor negotiation
• Prepare budget reports and forecasts as needed

Policy, Security, and Governance (15%)

• Develop, maintain, and periodically review IT governing policies, including computer usage, password management, data governance, disaster recovery
• Maintain overall accountability for data and infrastructure security in partnership with the Systems Administrator and third-party security providers and ensure appropriate disaster recovery and business continuity planning is in place and tested
• Oversee compliance with relevant regulations and standards as they pertain to technology and data

Operational Support and Oversight (25%)

• Provide direct technical support and troubleshooting as a regular part of the role, including help desk support, classroom technology, and event support on both campuses
• Serve as a working technical resource for the team, capable of resolving the full range of issues the IT department handles, and available to step in wherever needed
• Oversee day-to-day operations of the IT department and ensure Help Desk requests are being addressed within established service level expectations, including response time commitments and ticket resolution benchmarks
• Maintain accountability for department performance metrics, including user impact, response times, and ticket resolution, and use these to set ongoing priorities
• Act as Seminary contact for the upsem.edu domain and other back-end web functions, in consultation with the Communications Office
• Oversee the management and integrity of institutional databases, including Sonis and PowerFAIDS (financial aid system), ensuring data accuracy, appropriate access controls, and coordination with relevant offices
• Work closely with Hospitality and Facilities to support technology needs for campus events

Knowledge and Skills

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution required
• Substantial experience in a technology-oriented leadership role, particularly in higher education or a similarly mission-driven environment
• Minimum of three years of progressive supervisory experience
• Experience in a higher education or nonprofit environment strongly preferred
• Demonstrated experience managing vendor relationships, contracts, and budgets
• Hands-on working knowledge of campus IT infrastructure, network environments, and information security practices, with the ability to diagnose and resolve issues directly and move comfortably between strategic leadership and technical work as the needs of a small institution require
• Working proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 administration, endpoint management, help desk ticketing systems, and network troubleshooting
• Familiarity with Canvas LMS, Active Directory, and Zoom administration
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute a multi-year strategic technology plan
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills; ability to work collegially with departments and committees
• Demonstrated leadership, project management, and analytical/problem-solving skills
• A demonstrated commitment to the mission of Union Presbyterian Seminary and the ability to engage with a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff

Working Conditions and Benefits

• Full-time, administrative (exempt), in-person position located on the Richmond Campus, serving both Richmond and Charlotte campuses
• Salary commensurate with experience, within the range of $110,000-$125,000
• Some evening and weekend hours required, particularly during events
• Regular scheduled visits to the Charlotte campus (approximately every 6-8 weeks) to maintain relationships, address concerns, and provide on-site oversight, with a deeper quarterly visit for more extensive engagement
• Comprehensive benefits include health insurance and retirement contributions, paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave

Please submit a cover letter and resumé to tamora.droppa@upsem.edu. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until position is filled. Contact shawn.oliver@upsem.edu with any questions.

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution required
• Substantial experience in a technology-oriented leadership role, particularly in higher education or a similarly mission-driven environment
• Minimum of three years of progressive supervisory experience
• Experience in a higher education or nonprofit environment strongly preferred
• Demonstrated experience managing vendor relationships, contracts, and budgets
• Hands-on working knowledge of campus IT infrastructure, network environments, and information security practices, with the ability to diagnose and resolve issues directly and move comfortably between strategic leadership and technical work as the needs of a small institution require
• Working proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 administration, endpoint management, help desk ticketing systems, and network troubleshooting
• Familiarity with Canvas LMS, Active Directory, and Zoom administration
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute a multi-year strategic technology plan
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills; ability to work collegially with departments and committees
• Demonstrated leadership, project management, and analytical/problem-solving skills
• A demonstrated commitment to the mission of Union Presbyterian Seminary and the ability to engage with a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff

• Full-time, administrative (exempt), in-person position located on the Richmond Campus, serving both Richmond and Charlotte campuses
• Salary commensurate with experience, within the range of $110,000-$125,000
• Some evening and weekend hours required, particularly during events
• Regular scheduled visits to the Charlotte campus (approximately every 6-8 weeks) to maintain relationships, address concerns, and provide on-site oversight, with a deeper quarterly visit for more extensive engagement
• Comprehensive benefits include health insurance and retirement contributions, paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave