Director of Information Technology

About the role

The Director of Information Technology will provide operational and strategic leadership, direction, and administration of technology services across the network. This role will develop, recommend, and implement technology systems, policies, and long-term strategy to ensure that technology is reliable, compliant, cost-effective, and aligned to instructional and operational priorities.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the single accountable owner of technology across the network, setting vision, priorities, and standards aligned to school needs
• Translate organizational goals into a clear, multi-year technology roadmap that balances reliability, innovation, and cost
• Build operating models that clarify ownership between network teams, school teams, vendors, and internal support staff and drive consistent execution across schools
• Lead change management for major technology initiatives, ensuring strong adoption and staff readiness
• Lead the strategic owner of the student information system ecosystem, including governance, prioritization, configuration standards, integrations, and long-term system design
• Delegate and oversee operational execution tasks related to student information systems, reporting processes, user management, and cyclical systems maintenance while ensuring quality control and alignment to organizational standards
• Oversee end-to-end IT operations, ensuring responsive, reliable, and high-quality support to schools and network teams
• Own infrastructure strategy and execution, including devices, networks, and core systems, to ensure consistent and secure performance
• Monitor system performance and user experience, using data to proactively address issues and improve service delivery
• Serve as escalation point for critical incidents and ensure strong readiness for high-stakes moments (e.g., testing)
• Own relationships with technology vendors and managed service providers, setting performance expectations and ensuring accountability
• Lead procurement strategy and RFP processes to secure high-quality, cost-effective solutions
• Manage the technology budget and align investments to long-term organizational priorities and total cost of ownership
• Oversee technology funding sources (e.g., E-Rate), ensuring compliance and strategic use of funds
• Own prioritization and decision-making related to PowerSchool configuration, integrations, workflows, permissions structures, and connected applications
• Ensure all technology systems meet data privacy, security, and accessibility requirements (e.g., FERPA, COPPA, Title II)
• Build sustainable systems for data governance, risk management, and compliance that reduce manual oversight
• Own identity, access, and device management to ensure secure and scalable onboarding and offboarding
• Ensure strong integration, governance, and performance across core systems, including PowerSchool, Google Workspace, assessment platforms, identity systems, and connected operational applications
• Oversee state and federal reporting systems and processes to ensure accurate, compliant, and timely submission of required district data across Massachusetts and Rhode Island
• Build sustainable processes for data validation, reporting workflows, and cross-functional coordination that reduce compliance risk and reliance on institutional knowledge
• Set strategy and systems for staff and student technology, including device lifecycle, inventory, and readiness
• Partner with school and academic teams to ensure classroom technology supports teaching and learning
• Maintain clear documentation and training systems to enable consistent execution across schools
• Evaluate and guide adoption of new technologies, including AI, ensuring alignment to instructional and operational priorities
• Balance innovation with practicality, ensuring new tools are scalable, compliant, and value-add
• Build internal capacity to responsibly implement and manage emerging technologies across the organization

Requirements

• 5–7+ years of experience in technology, operations, or systems leadership, including experience managing complex projects or functions
• Experience owning or improving systems that support multiple teams, schools, or sites
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritize and follow through on key initiatives
• Comfort working with technology systems and data, and the ability to learn new tools quickly
• Familiarity with data privacy and security best practices in a school or similar environment
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to work across technical and non-technical teams
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively with a range of stakeholders
• The ability to focus and thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment

Qualifications

• Share a commitment to and belief in all students and the mission of Excel Academy Charter Schools, including Excel’s values and educational model
• Be committed to addressing racial and economic inequity in education
• Work effectively in a team environment and have a willingness and desire to support others in doing their best work
• Be open to change, are willing to problem-solve, and seek feedback for your own professional growth and improvement
• Possess points of intersection with our students, such as speaking Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, or a language commonly spoken by our students and families at an advanced level, being first generation college graduates, or having grown up low-income

Benefits

Starting Salary & Start Date: $100k - $135k, commensurate with experience. The ideal candidate would start as soon as possible.