Assistant Vice President, Digital Strategy & IT Governance

Position Summary

Why work at Villanova? Join a mission-driven organization. Since Villanova University’s founding in 1842, we have been inspired by the values of truth, unity, and love, and are a community dedicated to service to others. Villanova has been included among the nation’s best colleges and universities. VU’s inclusion again in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 “Best Colleges” rankings is another indication of the University’s continued prominence and forward momentum. Villanova’s most precious asset is our people. As an employee, you will receive a holistic benefits package, generous paid time off, a competitive retirement savings plan, flexible work options, wellness programs including gym membership, professional development, tuition assistance, and more.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Strategic Planning
• Partner with the CIO to define, implement, and monitor the University IT strategic plan.
• Design and evolve enterprise IT governance structures, standards, and decision-making frameworks.
• Align enterprise architecture and technology roadmaps with institutional priorities and long-term business capabilities.
• Guide strategic evaluation and prioritization of major enterprise systems, platforms, and digital investments.
• Absess emerging technologies (e.g., cloud, AI, data platforms) to inform long-range institutional planning.
• Operational Excellence
• Oversee the Project Management Office (PMO) and enterprise portfolio management practices.
• Execute enterprise IT governance processes, including initiative intake, evaluation, sequencing, decision gates, and resource allocation cycles.
• Lead recurring portfolio review processes and ensure disciplined project lifecycle management.
• Establish and monitor enterprise performance metrics aligned to strategic plan execution and operational effectiveness.
• Provide executive oversight of program and project controls, including scope management, risk mitigation, financial stewardship, and cross-functional dependency coordination.
• Ensure compliance with institutional IT policies, standards, and regulatory requirements in collaboration with Information Security and other stakeholders.
• Provide transparent reporting and executive visibility into portfolio health, risks, and value realization.
• Oversee institutional technology acquisition workflows in collaboration with Procurement and Legal to ensure governance alignment and fiscal responsibility.
• Partner with IT leadership to strengthen operational maturity, service design, and continuous improvement practices.
• Organizational Leadership
• Serve as a member of the IT senior leadership team, contributing to divisional planning and policy development.
• Partner with peer AVPs and senior leaders across University Technology Services to ensure coordinated execution of enterprise technology initiatives.
• Represent University Technology Services on institutional governance councils, executive committees, and cross-functional task forces.
• Lead and develop high-performing teams through hiring, mentoring, performance management, and succession planning.
• Foster strong cross-functional relationships across academic and administrative units to ensure alignment and effective collaboration.
• Promote transparent communication, shared accountability, and a culture of disciplined execution.
• Oversee digital strategy communications and institutional training initiatives to support stakeholder awareness and engagement.
• Cultivate strategic partnerships with peer institutions, industry partners, and technology vendors.
• Facilitate knowledge-sharing across IT teams to reduce silos and enhance enterprise coordination.
• Advance Villanova’s Augustinian values and UTS RESTLESS vision and values within governance and operational practices.

Additional Responsibilities

• Participate in professional associations, conferences, and industry forums as appropriate to support ongoing professional development and institutional visibility.
• Perform other related duties and lead projects as assigned by the VP/ CIO in support of divisional and institutional priorities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Formal Education: A bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field.
• Work Experience: Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in the information technology field. At least 7 years of progressively responsible management experience within complex or decentralized organizations. Experience leading large-scale digital transformation initiatives (e.g., IT governance, PMO management, ERP, cloud modernization, AI and data strategy).
• Senior-level accountability for divisional budgets, capital planning, and financial stewardship within a complex organizational environment. Experience establishing and overseeing enterprise performance metrics aligned to strategic plan execution and institutional outcomes.
• Work Skills: Exceptional senior-level communication skills (written and verbal), with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear strategic messaging for executive, board-level, and non-technical audiences. Demonstrated senior-level strategic thinking and enterprise decision-making capability. Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams while fostering accountability, agility, and operational discipline. Demonstrated ability to manage organizational change, influence stakeholders, build consensus, and drive cross-functional collaboration. Ability to analyze complex institutional challenges, leverage data to inform enterprise decision-making, and implement actionable solutions. Senior-level oversight and application of IT service management, project management, and continuous improvement methodologies. Ability to evaluate and responsibly apply artificial intelligence technologies within enterprise workflows.

Specific Job Knowledge

• Deep understanding of enterprise IT governance, enterprise architecture, strategic planning, and portfolio management principles.
• Knowledge of current and emerging trends in information technology, including cloud computing, data analytics, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation practices.
• Knowledge of institutional technology acquisition and procurement governance processes, including vendor management, contract review, proposal evaluation, negotiation strategies, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Knowledge of financial planning principles, capital allocation models, and enterprise portfolio investment prioritization.
• Knowledge of IT service management frameworks (e.g., ITIL or comparable methodologies) in complex enterprise environments.

Other Commitment

• To Villanova University’s mission and values, including fostering an inclusive and service-oriented culture. Willingness to work outside standard business hours to support critical maintenance or system events as needed.

AI Fluency

• Demonstrated understanding of artificial intelligence (including generative AI) and its practical application in business operations. Ability to identify AI-enabled opportunities, evaluate risks, and incorporate AI tools into workflows responsibly and effectively.

Preferred Qualifications

• Formal Education: Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field.
• Work Experience: Experience with higher education administrative, academic, and research technology environments. Experience with business process transformation and service design in a university or public sector context.
• Specific Job Knowledge: Knowledge of high-performance computing or research computing environments.
• Other Active Engagement: Active engagement with professional communities such as Internet2, EDUCAUSE, or the Campus Research Computing Consortium.