Senior Director, Information Technology

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This posting is for an existing vacancy.

The internal posting deadline for this position is October 29, 2026 , 11:59PM.

Job Description:

Primary Purpose

The Senior Director, Information Technology (SDIT) leads the Faculty of Engineering’s information technology strategy and operations and is accountable for the overall results of Engineering IT. The role translates institutional priorities into innovative, reliable, and service-oriented solutions that support excellence in teaching, learning, research, and administration

The SDIT provides strategic leadership and oversight for the Faculty's technology services, infrastructure, and innovation portfolio, including IT support services, enterprise infrastructure and application services, audiovisual and classroom technologies, and research computing. The role ensures technology services are responsive, scalable, and aligned with the Faculty's academic, research, and operational objectives, while fostering strong stakeholder partnerships, operational excellence, and continuous improvement across all technology functions.

Reporting directly to the Executive Officer, the SDIT provides strategic and operational leadership for information technology across the Faculty of Engineering. The SDIT is accountable for translating priorities into coordinated technology strategies, initiatives, and services that advance the Faculty’s mission and core values. As the information technology expert, the SDIT oversees all information technology functions and personnel, ensuring the delivery of reliable, secure, innovative, and client-focused technology solutions. The role is responsible for establishing a service-oriented culture grounded in continuous improvement, operational excellence, collaboration, and accountability while aligning technology investments and resources with the Faculty’s strategic objectives. The SDIT leads a diverse portfolio of IT professionals operating within an academic environment, providing direction for technology governance, infrastructure, enterprise applications, information security, research computing support, digital transformation initiatives, and user services. Through strong operational leadership and strategic partnership with academic and administrative leaders, the SDIT enables the Faculty to maintain and enhance its reputation as a world-class leader in engineering education and research.

The SDIT fosters effective partnerships with academic, administrative, and external stakeholders to advance the Faculty’s strategic objectives. The role is responsible for bringing critical issues, risks, opportunities, and emerging trends to the attention of leadership, providing informed strategic advice, and driving the evolution and execution of the Faculty’s information technology vision to support innovation, operational excellence, and long-term institutional success. The SDIT also serves as Engineering’s senior IT liaison to the Chief Information Officer and IST, ensuring Faculty priorities are represented in institutional IT planning and that Engineering’s technology services align with University IT governance, standards and efficiency through shared services.

Key Accountabilities

Organizational Leadership

• Defines, establishes, and continuously evolves a Faculty-wide information technology operating model that supports the strategic priorities and enables excellence in teaching, learning, research, and administration.
• Provides overall leadership for the Faculty’s information technology organizational structure, ensuring roles, responsibilities, reporting relationships, and service delivery models are clearly defined, strategically aligned, and well positioned to meet current and future business needs.
• Establishes a cohesive and integrated technology organization by bringing together distributed and centralized IT functions under a common vision, governance framework, service standards, and operating principles.
• Creates and aligns strategic, governance, standards-setting, and operational activities across all Faculty information technology functions and personnel to ensure the consistent delivery of reliable, secure, scalable, and innovative technology services.
• Works with Engineering leadership and the Chief Information Officer to align the development and implementation of technology governance structures within Engineering to the institutional IT governance framework, including decision-making processes, policies, and accountability frameworks that support effective prioritization, resource allocation, risk management, and operational excellence.
• Oversees the organizational design and workforce planning of Faculty IT teams, ensuring the appropriate structure, capacity, capabilities, and succession strategies are in place to support evolving academic, research, and administrative requirements.
• Fosters collaboration among technology teams and stakeholders to establish shared goals, common service standards, and integrated approaches to technology planning, implementation, and support.
• Ensures the effective coordination of infrastructure, enterprise applications, information security, research computing support, client services, instructional technologies, and emerging technology initiatives within a unified service delivery framework.
• Establishes performance expectations, service metrics, and operational standards that promote accountability, continuous improvement, service excellence, and the effective stewardship of Faculty information technology resources.
• Leads organizational change initiatives associated with technology transformation, ensuring stakeholders are engaged, informed, and supported throughout the implementation of new processes, systems, and service models.
• Promotes a culture of innovation, collaboration, and client-focused service across all information technology functions, empowering teams to identify opportunities for improvement, modernize service delivery, and enhance the overall user experience.
• Ensures technology services, organizational structures, and operational practices remain aligned with university priorities, best practices, and the long-term strategic direction of the institution.

Strategic Leadership

• Develops and champions the Faculty information technology vision, translating strategic priorities into comprehensive, actionable plans supported by sound business cases, resource strategies, and measurable outcomes. Further seeks to collaboratively align the Engineering IT vision with the University IT Strategic Vision and yearly operating plan.
• Serves as a trusted advisor to the Executive Officer, providing expert counsel on emerging opportunities, risks, challenges, and stakeholder concerns, and recommending effective courses of action to advance objectives.
• Builds alignment and commitment across academic and administrative support groups by fostering engagement, facilitating informed decision-making, and mobilizing teams around shared strategic priorities and goals.
• Communicates and interprets the Faculty’s technology vision, priorities, and objectives to internal and external stakeholders, ensuring a clear understanding of how technology initiatives and functional teams contribute to institutional success.
• Collaborates closely with senior leaders across the Faculty, IST, and the broader University to develop integrated approaches that support academic, research, and administrative priorities while advancing innovation, service excellence, and operational effectiveness.
• Ensures information technology strategies, programs, and initiatives are aligned with Faculty and institutional priorities, governance frameworks, operational plans, policies, and procedures.
• Conducts environmental scans and assesses internal and external trends, emerging technologies, stakeholder needs, and sector developments to identify opportunities, challenges, and potential risks that may impact the Faculty.
• Provides strategic oversight of information technology planning, ensuring resources are allocated effectively to support long-term organizational objectives and sustainable growth.
• Develops strong relationships with stakeholders, campus partners, and vendors to strengthen collaboration, advance strategic initiatives, and enhance the technology capabilities.
• Promotes a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and evidence-based decision-making, ensuring technology services and initiatives evolve to meet the changing needs of the Faculty.
• Provides strategic direction for Engineering’s research IT environment. Establishes priorities and directs resources across the IT portfolios to support research requirements while meeting institutional security, compliance and operational standards.

Governance and Accountability

• Supports Faculty-level information technology governance by working collaboratively with the Chief Information Officer and IST to align the Engineering Faculty IT with the University’s institutional IT governance framework.
• Provides leadership and accountability for the effective stewardship of technology resources, ensuring transparency, value realization, and alignment with strategic priorities.
• Leads the Faculty's adoption and operationalization of University technology policies, standards, and service management practices, ensuring robust local procedures, sustainable operating models, and effective controls that advance service excellence, compliance, operational performance, and risk mitigation. Chairs and contributes to committees and advisory groups, facilitating informed decision-making, prioritization of initiatives, and resolution of complex technology-related issues.
• Establishes clear accountability structures, performance expectations, and service measures for technology teams, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, reliable, and client-focused services.
• Ensures compliance with applicable legislation, regulatory requirements, institutional policies, cybersecurity standards, and information management practices, including privacy, data protection, and accessibility requirements.
• Provides regular reporting and strategic recommendations to senior leadership on technology performance, emerging risks, major initiatives, service levels and key performance indicators.
• Contributes to and promotes sound financial governance through budget planning, resource management, and procurement oversight to ensure responsible stewardship of Faculty resources.
• Develops and manages Engineering IT’s operating and capital budgets, establishes spending priorities, and directs purchasing and the allocation of approved funds and resources within delegated authority. Is accountable for the effective use of IT resources and obtains approval for commitments beyond delegated limits.
• Fosters a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and evidence-based decision-making by leveraging performance metrics, stakeholder feedback to enhance technology services.
• Ensures governance processes support collaboration among academic units, research groups, administrative support units balancing local needs with Faculty and institutional priorities.
• Stakeholder Engagement, Communication, Change Management
• Develops and maintains strong, collaborative relationships with senior leaders, faculty researchers, administrative support units, student services, and institutional partners to understand needs, build trust, and advance information technology priorities.
• Leads and contributes to stakeholder engagement ensuring needs are identified, perspectives are considered, and effective partnerships are established to support successful outcomes.
• Communicates information technology strategies, priorities, and service impacts clearly and effectively to diverse audiences, fostering transparency, alignment, and informed decision-making.
• Provides leadership for organizational change management associated with technology transformation initiatives, including stakeholder engagement, communications, readiness and implementation strategies.
• Facilitates the successful implementation of new technologies, processes, and service models by promoting awareness, managing expectations, addressing concerns, and supporting stakeholders through periods of change and continuous improvement.
  

Service Excellence and Continuous Improvement

• Fosters a collaborative, service-oriented culture by building strong partnerships across academic, research, administrative, and technology teams to enhance service delivery and achieve shared objectives.
• Develops organizational capacity by mentoring leaders and staff, promoting knowledge sharing, and encouraging the adoption of best practices that strengthen technology capabilities and service excellence.
• Leads continuous improvement initiatives that enhance the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of information technology services, leveraging stakeholder feedback, performance metrics to deliver on key objectives.
• Encourages cross-functional collaboration and innovation to identify opportunities for process improvement, service modernization, and operational efficiencies that improve user experience.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Minimum of an undergraduate degree in engineering, computer science, information systems, data science, business or a related field. Advanced degree (MBA, MPA, or similar) or related certifications, specializations preferred.
• Advanced training in data governance, analytics, information architecture, and enterprise systems an asset.

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive experience leading information systems, data management, analytics, information architecture, enterprise systems and minimum of 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Highly developed people management and leadership skills with demonstrated ability to develop and support a professional, service oriented and continuous improvement focused workplace culture.
• Demonstrated experience with IT service delivery in a large, decentralized, research intensive, academic environment.
• A thorough understanding of research computing needs and the operational realities of specialized instructional and laboratory environments.
• Evidence of being a persuasive and dynamic leader with highly developed communication and interpersonal skills, who is comfortable with networking, influencing and persuading at the highest level to achieve required outcomes.
• Experience in planning for and overseeing interrelated, complex projects, and coordinating and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver quality results within deadlines.
• Ability to form relationships and build trust with all levels of the Faculty and university community to serve Engineering’s strategic mission.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• High level of strategic thinking and visioning with the ability to craft and execute on a Faculty level information systems strategy that balances innovation, compliance and academic needs.
• Excellent communication skills, relationship building, client service, negotiation, consultation, presentation, analytical, leadership and organizational skills.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and the capacity to listen effectively and sensitively to a broad range of diverse stakeholders, including faculty, staff and students.
• High degree of political acuity and judgement; ability to work with senior leaders in a manner which facilitates cooperation and consensus building.
• Critical thinking and excellent analytical skills to enable immediate and appropriate assessment of complex issues of concern to stakeholders.
• Diplomacy combined with excellent understanding of, and a commitment to the Faculty’s strategic mission, vision and values and their intersection with the broader university community.
• Ability to thrive in a hectic, results-oriented environment and commitment to work with integrity, creativity, and perseverance to foster a consistent level of service excellence.

Equity Statement

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion.  As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.