Oberlin College & Conservatory, an independent coeducational institution, holds a distinguished place among American colleges and universities. Oberlin was the first college to grant undergraduate degrees to women in a coeducational program and, historically, was a leader in the education of African Americans.
The Oberlin community is known for its academic and musical excellence and its commitment to social engagement and diversity. From its founding in 1833, Oberlin College has been a school with a mission, or rather, many missions. Beginning with abolition and coeducation, and most recently addressing the challenges of climate change, Oberlin has always been—to quote historian Geoffrey Blodgett ’53—a “peculiar mix of scholarly ambition and stubborn moral idealism.”
About the Center for Information Technology (CIT)
The Center for Information Technology is the central provider of technology and a key strategic partner on all digital-related initiatives at Oberlin, including enterprise infrastructure, applications, educational technology, information security, telecommunication services, and end-user and systems support. The successful candidate will join Oberlin at a time of significant positive change. Working with the new Chief Information Officer and other members of the CIT management team to drive Oberlin’s digital transformation and CIT organizational strategy.
Director of Enterprise Applications.
The Center for Information Technology (CIT) at Oberlin College invites applications for the position of Director of Enterprise Applications. This is a full-time, 12-month recurring Administrative and Professional (A&PS) staff position.
Reporting to the CIO, the director is a key member of the CIT senior leadership team, and primarily responsible for providing strategic leadership, technical expertise, and operational support for the institution's enterprise software applications including ERP (Ellucian Banner) and ancillary systems. The director is responsible for enabling, operating, and continually developing a robust, world-class IT operations organization.
Key responsibilities:
Modernizing the applications portfolio: Responsible for ensuring that the college's enterprise applications, including the ERP system, are modernized, and optimized to support the college’s digital transformation and data-driven decision-making.
Championing Integration: Responsible for identifying opportunities for integration by working closely with other departments to understand their needs and identifying areas where integration could improve efficiency and streamline processes.
Ensuring availability of data: Responsible for optimizing the existing applications portfolio to enable effective services and processes and improve the availability of data.
Improving user experience: Collaborate with campus community to improve students, faculty and staff experience and supporting processes, ensuring that technology is leveraged to enhance learning and student outcomes.
Providing data analytics and reporting infrastructure: Work with the Institutional Effectiveness and Planning team to provide a data analytics and reporting infrastructure and modern integration platform.
Facilitating communication, collaboration, and engagement: Enhance the availability and adoption of digital tools to facilitate communication, collaboration, and engagement among students, faculty, and staff.
Project management: Model and champion project management, proper change management culture in the team and facilitate priority setting and decision making to ensure that projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the satisfaction of stakeholders. Develop, track, and publish robust accountability metrics on performance and operational excellence.
Diversity and inclusive excellence: Contribute to diversity and inclusive excellence by creating technology services and processes that are inclusive, equitable, and accessible to all members of the college community.
Employee Retention and diversity: Foster an inclusive, positive work environment, and encourage employee growth by offering professional development opportunities such as training and mentorship.
Advising the CIO: Work closely with the CIO to understand the CIT vision for the college and provide expertise and recommendations on technology initiatives. Be a trusted advisor, stay informed about the latest technologies and trends, and provide actionable insights to help drive efficiency, improve user experience, and minimize risk.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience required
7 years of senior-level experience managing complex technical environments
5 years of technical expertise in ERP (Architecture, functionality, and data model)
Attention to detail and commitment to quality assurance to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the system
Proven experience in project management, change management and budget management
Continuous learning mindset to stay up to date with new technology
Ability to innovate and succeed by building partnerships and co-creation
Strong familiarity with various information technology services and concepts, balancing business needs with technological realities.
Ability to lead and with work in a team environment and collaborate with other departments and external vendors.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in higher education and with Banner Ellucian product suite
Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Technical Operations Management, or a related discipline
Master’s degree
Inquiries, and nominations may be directed in confidence to Next Generation partners, Mary Beth Baker, marybeth@nextgenpartnersllc.com. To apply, please email a cover letter and a resume to: Oberlin@nextgenpartnersllc.com.
***Review of candidates will begin immediately and continue until a successful candidate is identified.
