Director, Research Technology

Villanova University, an R2 research institution, invites applications and nominations for the newly created role of Director, Research Technology (Director).

Reporting to the Deputy Chief Information Officer, the Director is responsible for providing campus-wide leadership and vision for enterprise technology services and solutions in support of Villanova’s research community across all research disciplines. The individual must possess a high degree of political acumen and strong communication skills to work effectively across the university to advance the research mission at Villanova, which is a core focus of the 2020-2030 strategic plan, Rooted. Restless. The Director will work closely with the Chief Research Officer, the University Librarian and Director of the Falvey Memorial Library, and other senior staff within the Provost’s Office as well as with research faculty, and other administrative/academic research leaders to understand the direction of research at Villanova and create a research technology program that advances it. This position will also engage proactively with UNIT leadership to enable seamless support and fulfillment of technology needs in the research community as well as to manage the implementation of programs and infrastructure within established timeframes and budgets.

The Director will leverage their extensive knowledge of the research support funding landscape to identify grant opportunities (government, foundations, and corporate) and will bring experience working as a Principal Investigator, Co-PI, senior researcher, or named contributor to drive the technology agenda on future research endeavors at Villanova. In addition, the Director will integrate opportunities and challenges, and develop alternatives and possibilities, including funding mechanisms/models, for recommendation to the Chief Information Officer.

For a full description of the role, please see here.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications

  • Undergraduate and Master’s degrees from accredited institutions Demonstrated expertise administering a research program in any industry and knowledge of administrative, budgetary, human resources, and financial principles and practices
  • 10 years of experience in providing user support and use of computing systems (preferably in support of research) or the equivalent combination of education, training, and experience from which comparable skills can be acquired
  • Excellent interpersonal communication skills to develop and maintain professional relationships within and across internal and external organizations, such as campus leadership, department chairs, school/college deans, and faculty at all ranks as well as other directors and managers in academic units Commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • Experience in public speaking and the ability to clearly present technology solutions and services to faculty, staff, and administrators
  • Demonstrated ability to build collaborative partnerships to improve, enhance, or launch new services and support across a complex organization
  • Ability to articulate, define, and build a compelling and thorough business case to invest in resources as needed to support emerging research technology needs
  • Knowledge of the local and national research computing space, including emerging technologies and architectures of importance (e.g. shared HPC, cloud computing, data storage, research data management, etc.) as demonstrated by publications, presentations, or related work in at least one research discipline

Preferred Qualifications

  • Ph.D. or equivalent in an area related to Villanova’s research activities Proven experience with research grants (such as acting as PI, Co-PI, senior researcher, or a named contributor) Experience developing and/or contributing to the development of funding models for enterprise research-technology services Demonstrated expertise in program building within higher education Proven record of engaging with academic researchers Thorough understanding of the academic culture of a university and the relationship between central services and research services Experience managing matrixed teams Experience writing research grant proposals Active affiliation and experience working with higher education professional groups in the research technology space, such as CASC, Internet2, or EDUCAUSE

TO APPLY

Villanova University has engaged Opus Partners to support the recruitment of this position. Katie Dean, Associate Partner; Craig Smith, Partner; and Chris Stadler, Associate, are leading the search. Inquiries, applications, and nominations should be sent by email to Chris (chris.stadler@opuspartners.net). Required application materials include a resume and cover letter.

Villanova University is an equal opportunity employer and educational institution. There shall be no discrimination against any employee, applicant for employment, or any student on any basis prohibited by law, including but not limited to, sex, race, color, religion, age, disability, veteran status, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression.