Job Description

Roles & Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

1. IT Strategy, Governance and Presidential Advisory

• Serve as the President's primary technology advisor translating institutional strategic objectives into technology investment decisions, capability roadmaps, and implementation sequencing
• Develop, own, and execute AIU's multi-year Technology Strategic Plan, updated annually and aligned with the RISE Strategy 2026 2030 KPIs and the WSCUC accreditation evidence requirements
• Establish and chair the AIU Technology Governance Committee a cross-functional body including the VPAA, VP Administration & Finance, VP Enrollment, and Faculty Council representative to set institutional technology priorities and resolve competing demands on IT resources
• Present quarterly technology performance reports to the President and an annual technology state-of-institution report to the Board of Trustees in plain language, not technical language
• Manage the IT budget with full accountability for return on investment: technology spend must be justified by measurable institutional outcomes, not by technical preference
• Lead all major technology vendor selection, contract negotiation, and relationship management ensuring AIU obtains best-value agreements and maintains leverage with strategic technology partners

Reporting Departments (If Applicable)

• Executive Director of Information Technology: day-to-day IT operations, helpdesk, infrastructure, and enterprise platform administration
• Digital Transformation Office Director: program management for all transformation initiatives, process automation, and workflow digitalization
• Cybersecurity & Data Governance Lead: information security, data governance standards, and compliance

Minimum Qualifications:

Education

• Doctorate (PhD) in Computer Science, Information Technology, Computer Engineering, or a closely related field strongly preferred
• Master's degree in a relevant discipline required as a minimum; candidates with a master's and exceptional, directly relevant GCC higher education CIO experience will be considered

Experience

• Minimum ten (10) years of progressive technology leadership experience, with at least five (5) years at CIO, Deputy CIO, or equivalent executive level in a higher education institution
• Demonstrated experience leading campus digital transformation, specifically the transition of institutional processes from manual, Excel, and SharePoint-based workflows to integrated, automated enterprise systems
• Proven track record in selecting, implementing, and optimizing enterprise university platforms, particularly Banner (SIS), Canvas (LMS), Salesforce (CRM), Oracle or equivalent ERP, and business intelligence tools
• Experience building and executing AI strategies in an institutional or enterprise context, not theoretical familiarity with AI, but demonstrated deployment of AI tools that delivered measurable operational improvements
• Experience working in GCC higher education is a significant advantage, candidates with UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, or comparable Gulf university CIO experience are strongly preferred
• Experience managing technology in a context of accreditation preparation, WASC, AACSB, ABET, or comparable quality assurance framework, is a substantial advantage

Technical Knowledge

• Deep proficiency with higher education enterprise platforms: Ellucian Banner or equivalent SIS, Canvas or comparable LMS, Salesforce or equivalent CRM, Oracle Fusion/EBS or equivalent ERP, Tableau or equivalent BI
• Cloud architecture and management expertise: Azure, AWS, or GCP, including IaaS, PaaS, SaaS governance, cloud migration strategy, and hybrid infrastructure management
• AI and machine learning application: practical experience deploying AI tools in an institutional setting, student success analytics, process automation, natural language processing, or predictive modelling
• Cybersecurity governance: demonstrated knowledge of ISO/IEC 27001, NIST frameworks, and risk-based security program management, including incident response and business continuity planning
• Data governance and integration: experience designing data governance frameworks, master data management standards, and system integration architectures that eliminate data silos
• DevOps and automation: familiarity with modern DevOps practices, RPA tools, and workflow automation platforms that reduce manual administrative workload

Leadership and Interpersonal Competencies

• The ability to translate complex technology concepts into clear business and strategic language for Board members, the President, Deans, and faculty, technology leadership at the C-suite level is fundamentally a communication role
• Demonstrated change management capability, the ability to lead people through technology-driven organizational change with empathy, clarity, and persistence
• Service-oriented leadership: AIU's IT function exists to serve students, faculty, and staff, the CIO must model and build a culture where the technology team measures its success by the outcomes it enables, not the systems it manages
• Executive-level stakeholder engagement: the CIO sits on the Senior Leadership Team and must be an effective, credible peer contributor to institutional strategy discussions that extend beyond technology