Chief Information Officer

 

Reed College, one of the country’s most distinguished liberal arts colleges, is seeking a creative and collaborative leader to serve as the chief information officer (CIO). Reporting to the Dean of the Faculty and a member of College Senior Staff, the CIO will facilitate all aspects of information technology strategy, guide the selection of technology investment priorities, and  foster the development of the Computing and Information Services (CIS) team.   The CIO will have broad influence across the college with the ability to contribute directly to its success. The CIO will be expected to challenge the ways IT is typically practiced, implementing novel systems and practices that better serve Reed’s community members. The CIO will join a diverse and collaborative College leadership team with the expectation that the successful candidate will uphold Reed’s values including those reflected in Reed’s Diversity and Anti-Racism statements.  Learn more.

About Reed College

Founded in 1908 in southeast Portland, Oregon, Reed College is a coeducational, independent liberal arts and sciences college with a distinct focus on undergraduate education. Referred to as one of the most intellectual colleges in the country, Reed is known for its high standards of scholarly practice, creative thinking, and engaged citizenship. Its undergraduate program of study is demanding and intense and balances breadth of knowledge across the curriculum with depth of knowledge in a particular field of study.  The goal of the Reed education is that students learn and demonstrate rigor and independence in their habits of thought, inquiry and expression. Learn more about Reed’s mission and operating principles.

Reed students pursue a bachelor of arts degree in 40 majors and programs. The curriculum includes a yearlong humanities course, broad distribution requirements, and a senior thesis. A 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio and small conference-style classes allow faculty members to truly mentor students and engage with them in individual discussions. Reed also offers a graduate program leading to a master of arts degree in liberal studies.

Reed Students: What is a Reedie?

We've asked proud members of each graduating class since 2009 to tell us about themselves, their senior thesis projects, and their Reed experiences. Learn more.

 

Diversity, Inclusive Excellence, and Anti-Racism

Reed College is dedicated to serious and open intellectual inquiry in a community in which students, faculty, and staff from every identity, background, and lived experience are welcome and celebrated. We are committed to continually examining our systems, structures, and practices to create learning, living, and work environments in which persons of every ethnicity, race, religion, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, socio-economic status, and disability status can thrive. Learn more about diversity at Reed.  Learn more about Reed’s current diversity, equity and inclusion goals and programs.

Community

The CIO will interact with diverse students, faculty and staff within Reed’s highly collaborative and engaged community.  All community members adhere to Reed’s Honor Principle.  Faculty, students and staff each have a committee on diversity to make recommendations to senior leadership.  Reed students are dedicated to serious and open intellectual inquiry and to a community in which everyone can fully participate, regardless of identity. Reed faculty are well-known scholars dedicated to teaching. Learn more.

 

The CIO Agenda

The CIO will guide and mentor a staff of thirty-seven and oversee a service portfolio comprising instructional technology, administrative computing, infrastructure, user support and web support services. They will develop strategies to support Reed’s distinct academic and administrative technology requirements. The CIO will recommend and implement policies to promote effective and secure use of technology in ways that demonstrate understanding of Reed’s mission, values and community.

 

Key Priorities

Information technology (IT) systems and capabilities are very strong, and the individuals on the Reed IT team are highly talented and dedicated to the College. This search and these strengths provide the College with the opportunity to do even more with technology and information management to inform student success strategies, enable research and scholarship, and support teaching and learning strategies that enhance the classroom experience. Reed’s next CIO will guide strategies to address multiple priorities, including:

  • Maintaining and enhancing the high reliability, security, and responsiveness of our current system and capabilities;
  • Planning for the optimization or replacement of all or portions of the College’s student information and administrative systems (ERP);
  • Implementing innovative systems and practices that enhance the quality of work life for faculty and staff;
  • Enhancing support for research including storage and management of data, high performance computing and research software;
  • Maturing the College’s technology, organizational capability and data management strategies to expand the use of data in decision-making;
  • Championing diversity and inclusive excellence by creating technology services and processes that are inclusive, equitable, and accessible;
  • Attracting, facilitating the professional development, and retaining talented colleagues from diverse identities, backgrounds, and lived experiences;
  • Establishing and continually improving a robust IT disaster recovery plan aligned with business continuity planning;
  • Identifying ways to support the College’s focus on student success and the student experience; and
  • Improving structures and processes to partner with individuals and groups across the College to develop strategies and set priorities.

 

 

Qualifications and Experience

The successful candidate will have excellent collaboration, management, interpersonal and communications skills. The ability to listen, synthesize, mediate, lead, explain and communicate at all levels will be critical. The College seeks candidates with a track record of innovation and creativity in the application and management of technology and an understanding of the values of a mission driven institution, knowledge of the strategic issues facing higher education, and a broad perspective on successful IT practices. 

 

Candidates are required to have at least five years of IT management experience in a complex organization with multiple stakeholders and diverse technology needs.

 

It is preferable that candidates have established records of accomplishment in many of the following areas:

  • Establishing and nurturing relationships and effective collaborations with all stakeholders to implement strategies and design services and operate jointly led projects.
  • Implementing enterprise-wide technologies (E.g., ERP, Learning Management System, Identity Management) and change management strategies to  facilitate significant process change and service improvement.
  • Facilitating the selection and adoption of technology to create distinct educational experiences and excellence in teaching, learning, research, and scholarship.
  • Leveraging data and technology to support student success strategies and enhance the student experience.
  • Fostering a culture of trusted partnership, service, and continuous improvement within an IT team.
  • Developing an IT plan that balances the need to maintain a strong foundation of IT infrastructure, services, and administrative and academic priorities.
  • Introducing technology solutions and services that are inclusive, equitable, and accessible.
  • Navigating challenging labor markets to attract and retain a diverse, high performing team of IT professionals.
  • Developing future senior IT managers and facilitating the professional development of the IT workforce.
  • Guiding technology adoption and sourcing decisions including cloud based infrastructure and applications.
  • Identifying and managing technology-related risks including those related to information security, privacy, business continuity and disaster recovery.

 

 

Inquiries, and nominations may be directed in confidence to Next Generation partners, Mary Beth Baker, marybeth@nextgenpartnersllc.com; or Phil Goldstein, phil@nextgenpartnersllc.com. To apply, please email a cover letter, resume and response to the diversity, equity and inclusion prompt (see below) to: Reed@nextgenpartnersllc.com.

 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Prompt: Please describe how you have contributed to diversity, equity, inclusion and community growth in your present leadership role. Additionally, how would you use your skills and experiences to contribute to equity, inclusion and community growth at Reed?

 

Review of candidates will begin immediately and continue until a successful candidate is identified.

 

Reed College is committed to building a culturally inclusive community and a work environment that respects and inspires every person. Your unique skills, work history, cultural contributions, and lived experiences are essential to building this community. Members of historically marginalized groups including women, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), those with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, those who have served in the military, and members of other underrepresented communities are invited to apply.