University of Utah
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Chief Information Officer
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University of Utah . Overview
As one of the nation’s leading research universities, the University of Utah is committed to providing best-in-class technology services and capabilities to empower all members of its community—faculty engaged in groundbreaking research, students seeking a premier campus experience, and staff requiring effective tools to excel in their roles. The university’s technology function aims to meet these high standards with the north star of its strategic goals: student success, research and innovation, service to the community, and ensuring the long-term viability of the University through IT services. The Chief Information Officer (CIO) provides the forward-looking vision, leadership and management necessary for the development, implementation and ongoing support of information technology initiatives and processes that align with and advance the University’s strategic plan. The CIO coordinates the adoption of technology policies and data standards to drive efficiency and effectiveness, while ensuring integrity, privacy, security and quality for all systems and data. Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer (COO), the CIO works closely with other senior leaders in academics, research and health sciences to engage stakeholders in collaborative efforts and support both IT and operational priorities. The CIO leads the University of Utah Information Technology (UIT) organization, overseeing the IT department’s managerial, technical and support personnel. The University of Utah CIO also serves in various state capacities, including as the CIO for Utah State Higher Education (USHE). In this capacity, they work with CIOs from the seven colleges and universities and IT administrators from the eight technical colleges in Utah to develop system-wide IT plans, policy, joint software, network connectivity, grants and legislative changes in law to IT and funding requests. In this role, the CIO reports to the Associate Commissioner of USHE. The CIO also ensures the Utah Education and Telehealth Network’s (UETN) services are aligned to the University’s, and that its policies and procedures are consistently followed, with resources well-coordinated with the University’s IT department. This role is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the main campus. Responsibilities Provide strategic direction for the long-term development of the University of Utah’s information technology. Partner and collaborate with senior leadership team members representing academics, research, administrative services and health sciences in the use of technology to support the University’s vision and strategic plan. Oversee infrastructure modernization, including network consolidation, disaster recovery planning, and the adoption of cloud and AI services to support institutional goals. Establish, lead, and continuously improve IT governance processes to ensure transparency and sound prioritization of technology investments across the University of Utah. Oversee the evaluation, selection, and adoption of transformative, disruptive, and evolutionary technologies that enhance student experience, learning resources, and operational efficiency. This encompasses targeted opportunities within the HR and Finance systems that could support the potential implementation of an ERP solution. Drive the evaluation and implementation of emerging cloud and digital learning technologies to increase organizational agility and foster a high-quality, accessible academic environment. Promote consistent and reliable IT support for faculty, staff, students, and extended campuses, ensuring seamless access to technology services for both on-campus and online activities. Identify, recruit, and develop IT leadership talent to build a high-performing organization capable of leading innovation and transformation across the university. Lead the design, development, and testing of new technology initiatives, with a focus on inventive solutions and industry-leading innovation. Drive continuous efforts to improve operations, streamline work processes and work both independently and cooperatively to provide quality IT service. Collaborate with university departments and external partners to negotiate and implement technology solutions that meet organizational needs. Ensure governance and practices meet regulatory and institutional standards for information security and privacy, and oversee the development and execution of comprehensive information security and business continuity plans. Provide leadership to ensure the university’s information security, data governance, and enterprise risk mitigation strategies are aligned with prevailing industry standards and regulatory requirements, thereby safeguarding institutional assets and enabling sustainable innovation. Serve as the primary contact for the University with state organizations for IT-related requests. Manage annual and long-term budgeting and resource planning for technology and departmental staffing and resources. Manage IT funding and spending through coordinated models that maximize value, support shared purchasing, and facilitate effective vendor management. Provide system-wide leadership and coordinate the development and management of shared information technology services across USHE including governance, digital learning technologies, finance, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and applications. Ensure UETN’s services are aligned to the University’s and that its policies and procedures are consistently followed, with resources well-coordinated with the University’s IT department. Lead the USHE system-wide IT strategic planning process determining priorities, projects and future direction. Oversee the USHE information technology budget with a process for generating campus, federal and state legislative resource requests. Serve as USHE’s senior spokesperson on issues related to administrative, student support, clinical and academic information systems. Minimum Qualifications 15 years of technology leadership experience, including group-level or division-level technology leadership (e.g., CIO, CTO). Demonstrated success in leading a significant technology transformation requiring influence, change management, business orientation and strategic resource optimization. Experience operating in a distributed/matrixed environment; higher education, association or multi-faceted corporate experience is preferred. Knowledge of healthcare organizations and academic partnerships; experience or strong knowledge of healthcare organizations and the working integration between healthcare and higher education. Team leadership experience of organizations with more than 300 employees (including full-time, contract and vendor resources). Academic credentials in a relevant field; bachelor’s degree required, master’s degree or PhD preferred, preferably in STEM fields such as computer science, engineering or other technical disciplines. Critical Leadership Capabilities: Collaborating and Influencing; Acting Strategically; Driving Results (descriptions of capabilities provided in the original content). The University of Utah has engaged Spencer Stuart to conduct this search. Interested parties should direct inquiries to Ian Finlay at ifinlay@spencerstuart.com.
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Chief Information Officer
role at
University of Utah . Overview
As one of the nation’s leading research universities, the University of Utah is committed to providing best-in-class technology services and capabilities to empower all members of its community—faculty engaged in groundbreaking research, students seeking a premier campus experience, and staff requiring effective tools to excel in their roles. The university’s technology function aims to meet these high standards with the north star of its strategic goals: student success, research and innovation, service to the community, and ensuring the long-term viability of the University through IT services. The Chief Information Officer (CIO) provides the forward-looking vision, leadership and management necessary for the development, implementation and ongoing support of information technology initiatives and processes that align with and advance the University’s strategic plan. The CIO coordinates the adoption of technology policies and data standards to drive efficiency and effectiveness, while ensuring integrity, privacy, security and quality for all systems and data. Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer (COO), the CIO works closely with other senior leaders in academics, research and health sciences to engage stakeholders in collaborative efforts and support both IT and operational priorities. The CIO leads the University of Utah Information Technology (UIT) organization, overseeing the IT department’s managerial, technical and support personnel. The University of Utah CIO also serves in various state capacities, including as the CIO for Utah State Higher Education (USHE). In this capacity, they work with CIOs from the seven colleges and universities and IT administrators from the eight technical colleges in Utah to develop system-wide IT plans, policy, joint software, network connectivity, grants and legislative changes in law to IT and funding requests. In this role, the CIO reports to the Associate Commissioner of USHE. The CIO also ensures the Utah Education and Telehealth Network’s (UETN) services are aligned to the University’s, and that its policies and procedures are consistently followed, with resources well-coordinated with the University’s IT department. This role is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the main campus. Responsibilities Provide strategic direction for the long-term development of the University of Utah’s information technology. Partner and collaborate with senior leadership team members representing academics, research, administrative services and health sciences in the use of technology to support the University’s vision and strategic plan. Oversee infrastructure modernization, including network consolidation, disaster recovery planning, and the adoption of cloud and AI services to support institutional goals. Establish, lead, and continuously improve IT governance processes to ensure transparency and sound prioritization of technology investments across the University of Utah. Oversee the evaluation, selection, and adoption of transformative, disruptive, and evolutionary technologies that enhance student experience, learning resources, and operational efficiency. This encompasses targeted opportunities within the HR and Finance systems that could support the potential implementation of an ERP solution. Drive the evaluation and implementation of emerging cloud and digital learning technologies to increase organizational agility and foster a high-quality, accessible academic environment. Promote consistent and reliable IT support for faculty, staff, students, and extended campuses, ensuring seamless access to technology services for both on-campus and online activities. Identify, recruit, and develop IT leadership talent to build a high-performing organization capable of leading innovation and transformation across the university. Lead the design, development, and testing of new technology initiatives, with a focus on inventive solutions and industry-leading innovation. Drive continuous efforts to improve operations, streamline work processes and work both independently and cooperatively to provide quality IT service. Collaborate with university departments and external partners to negotiate and implement technology solutions that meet organizational needs. Ensure governance and practices meet regulatory and institutional standards for information security and privacy, and oversee the development and execution of comprehensive information security and business continuity plans. Provide leadership to ensure the university’s information security, data governance, and enterprise risk mitigation strategies are aligned with prevailing industry standards and regulatory requirements, thereby safeguarding institutional assets and enabling sustainable innovation. Serve as the primary contact for the University with state organizations for IT-related requests. Manage annual and long-term budgeting and resource planning for technology and departmental staffing and resources. Manage IT funding and spending through coordinated models that maximize value, support shared purchasing, and facilitate effective vendor management. Provide system-wide leadership and coordinate the development and management of shared information technology services across USHE including governance, digital learning technologies, finance, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and applications. Ensure UETN’s services are aligned to the University’s and that its policies and procedures are consistently followed, with resources well-coordinated with the University’s IT department. Lead the USHE system-wide IT strategic planning process determining priorities, projects and future direction. Oversee the USHE information technology budget with a process for generating campus, federal and state legislative resource requests. Serve as USHE’s senior spokesperson on issues related to administrative, student support, clinical and academic information systems. Minimum Qualifications 15 years of technology leadership experience, including group-level or division-level technology leadership (e.g., CIO, CTO). Demonstrated success in leading a significant technology transformation requiring influence, change management, business orientation and strategic resource optimization. Experience operating in a distributed/matrixed environment; higher education, association or multi-faceted corporate experience is preferred. Knowledge of healthcare organizations and academic partnerships; experience or strong knowledge of healthcare organizations and the working integration between healthcare and higher education. Team leadership experience of organizations with more than 300 employees (including full-time, contract and vendor resources). Academic credentials in a relevant field; bachelor’s degree required, master’s degree or PhD preferred, preferably in STEM fields such as computer science, engineering or other technical disciplines. Critical Leadership Capabilities: Collaborating and Influencing; Acting Strategically; Driving Results (descriptions of capabilities provided in the original content). The University of Utah has engaged Spencer Stuart to conduct this search. Interested parties should direct inquiries to Ian Finlay at ifinlay@spencerstuart.com.
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