Chief Information Officer - T-Net British Columbia : Job Details

The College of New Caledonia (CNC) has been dedicated to helping meet the adult and post-secondary educational needs of northern British Columbians since 1969. Serving an area approximately 117,500 square kilometers in size, or 12% of the province, CNC plays an important role in training and educating students in health sciences, trades and technologies, social services, business and university studies. CNC is a pillar in its communities and has six campuses across BC's Central Interior - Prince George, Burns Lake, Fort St. James, Mackenzie, Quesnel and Vanderhoof. Across all campuses, 5,000 students in 90 distinct programs are enrolled each year.

With affordable tuition, practical, hands-on learning and no more than 37 students per class, students can acquire the skills they need for a long-lasting, stable and successful career in as few as 10 months. CNC offers students the ability to easily transfer into the third year of degree programs, with 15 agreements with 10 universities in BC, AB, and elsewhere.

CNC is honoured to work with the Indigenous people in this region, inclusive of the First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. CNC acknowledges the graciousness of the First Nations peoples in welcoming those who are seeking knowledge on their traditional territories.

THE LOCATION: PRINCE GEORGE & NORTHERN BC

Prince George is a mid-sized city of about 75,000 people located in central British Columbia on the traditional territory of the Lheidli T'enneh. Surrounded by tree covered hills and a short drive in all directions from the beautiful BC outdoors, Prince George has all of the amenities of a larger city mixed with the charm and friendliness of a smaller town. Due to being the largest city in the surrounding region and its wide variety of employment options, Prince George serves as a dynamic hub for Northern BC.

Prince George has a thriving and diverse economy that offers professionals and tradespeople numerous opportunities to advance their careers. The dream of owning a home can become a reality in Prince George, where the median cost of a single-family home is just over $380K; that compares to $1.5M in Vancouver, $1.3M in Toronto, and $875K in Victoria.

THE OPPORTUNITY: CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

Under the general direction of the Vice President, Finance & Corporate Services, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) will provide strategic leadership and oversight to ensure the effective delivery of information technology (IT) services that support and enable the overall strategic goals of the College.

The CIO is responsible for developing the College's technology infrastructure, governance framework, and long-term IT planning to create a digital strategy that enables learning and teaching, applied research, and College operations. The CIO will work broadly and collaboratively to envision, execute and enable major technology projects to ensure they align and support the College's priorities.

Nature and Scope

The CIO leads and oversees all areas of information technology, including implementation of enterprise information systems and software solutions, network and security, data management, systems design and development. The CIO is accountable for ensuring high quality, secure, and highly reliable IT systems and services.

The nature of the IT Services Department requires the ability to collaborate and build strong relationships across departments in a multi-campus environment. The CIO must demonstrate a high standard of professionalism in performance, the ability to exercise independent judgement and decision-making, place a high value on customer service, and possess the ability to enhance teamwork and open communication.

Specific Accountabilities:

• Provides direction and leadership for the staff of the IT Services Department in the execution of their respective tasks and duties;
• Responsible for overseeing the overall IT functions for the College; leads the College community in discussing, prioritizing, planning for, and implementing technology to advance the College's goals and strategic plan;
• Establishes and monitors an IT governance framework that supports the College's business strategies; measures and meets appropriate service levels and periodically assesses return on investments in technology;
• Establishes and manages a security strategy that optimizes the safety of the College's technological assets and manages risk;
• Projects long-term IT needs and develops and directs the strategy to address the needs through innovation, system development, software, hardware acquisition, cloud services engagement and integration, and partnerships;
• Implements a project management methodology for all IT projects to ensure timely communication, and completion of projects on time and within budget;
• Develops an IT annual budget, preparing business case justifications and cost benefit analysis for IT spending and initiatives;
• Responsible for IT Services' departmental budget; prepares/administers operating and capital budgets in accordance with short and long-term plans;
• Fosters a culture of service excellence in the IT department;
• Develops and optimizes IT as a high-performance team with emphasis on collaboration, teamwork, and staff empowerment;
• Maintains current knowledge of and ensures compliance with all relevant provincial/federal laws, policies, and regulations, and with College policies and procedures;
• Participates in an advisory capacity for technology-related programs; may serve as a member of committees as appropriate or as directed by the VP, Finance & Corporate Services;
• Will be part of a team actively engaged in contributing to and accomplishing the vision, mission, and goals of the College.

THE PERSON

The ideal candidate has a passion for and commitment to information technology and customer service with a solid track record as a technology infrastructure leader in a post-secondary environment. The CIO should have demonstrated experience successfully leading IT infrastructure revitalization and transformation, including the associated change management skills.

Required Qualifications, Skills, and Experience:

• An Undergraduate Degree in computer science, information technology, or other relevant field; Master's Degree preferred; ten years of IT leadership experience in a complex organization, with at least five years in a public sector setting;
• Ten years of progressively responsible experience in a supervisory/management role, with at least two years at a senior level;
• Working knowledge of IT infrastructure and topology, security and privacy issues, teaching and learning systems, student information systems, data governance, ERP systems and relational databases;
• Demonstrated knowledge of information technology security issues and solutions;
• Current knowledge of legal/regulatory environment, including Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy, and Privacy Impact Assessments;
• Creative, innovative, and strategic thinker who is flexible, adaptable and resourceful;
• Excellent organizational skills; ability to successfully multitask/manage competing priorities simultaneously;
• Knowledge of audio-visual technology and presentation tools used by faculty for curriculum delivery;
• Team and service-oriented leader with an aptitude for working in a collegial, collaborative environment; proven leadership qualities coupled with excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
• Proven knowledge of business and management principles including strategic planning, resource allocation, HR management, finance/budgeting, and project management;
• Proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop a team, as well as a demonstrated ability to think strategically and deliver results;
• Experience preparing/monitoring IT operational and capital budgets that meet various prevailing objectives and constraints.

Competencies and Personal Characteristics:

Leadership - Achieves desired organizational results by encouraging and supporting the contribution of others; a proactive and positive team player who acts with a sense of urgency and leads by example; sets and communicates clear goals.

Accountable - Holds self and others accountable for responsibilities; focuses on results and measuring attainment of outcomes in a business focus.

Strategic - Develops/implements a plan in support of organizational strategic direction. Demonstrates an understanding of the link between job responsibilities and overall organizational goals and needs, and performs one's job with the broader goals in mind.

Creativity and Innovation - Develops new insights into situations and questions conventional approaches; encourages new ideas and innovations; designs and implements new, cutting-edge programs/processes.

Influential and Collaborative - Has an honest, open approach to working with others; possesses strong relationship and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships and develop/maintain partnerships, obtaining stakeholder agreement.

Integrity and Honesty - Demonstrates a resolute commitment to and respect for the rules and core values of the organization, setting an example of professionalism and ethical propriety.

Communication - Clearly presents written and verbal information and writes with clarity and purpose; communicates effectively in both positive as well as negative circumstances; listens well.

People Development - Fosters long-term learning and development of others through coaching, managing performance and mentoring; has a genuine desire to develop others and help them succeed.

Effective Working Relationships - Treats colleagues, staff, and students with respect; resolves conflicts respectfully, in a timely manner; negotiates effectively; provides effective feedback to colleagues/employees.

Student-Focused - Anticipates and responds to the needs of colleagues and students, and other internal and external stakeholders of the College; keeps the student interests in the forefront.