IT Director

About the role

While titled as a Director within the University of Kansas structure, this role carries the scope and responsibility of a senior technology executive, comparable to a Vice President–level leader in industry. The Director will provide strategic and operational leadership for a comprehensive, cloud-based assessment platform, overseeing product development, engineering, platform operations, and security.

The Assessment & Technology Services team supports the Kite® platform and Dynamic Learning Maps® (DLM®) assessments, which annually serve hundreds of thousands of students across multiple states. These include high-stakes assessments designed for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, as well as general education populations. The platform plays a critical role in enabling equitable and accessible assessment experiences at a national scale.

This position is responsible for guiding the continued evolution of a mature, mission-driven technology platform, ensuring reliability, scalability, and innovation in support of state partners and educational outcomes. The successful candidate will bring a balance of strategic vision and operational execution, with a collaborative leadership style suited to an established and high-performing team. This individual will be motivated by both the technical challenges of operating a national-scale platform and the meaningful impact of supporting educational access and equity.

Role Distinction

This leadership role combines the scope of a large-scale SaaS technology organization with the mission and stability of a public research university. The Director will lead a highly experienced, cross-functional team spanning engineering, architecture, quality assurance, DevOps, data, and operations.

The position offers the opportunity to shape a long-term technology and product vision, including platform modernization, cloud-native optimization, and the thoughtful integration of emerging technologies such as AI/ML into the assessment lifecycle.

About The Achievement & Assessment Institute (AAI)

The Achievement & Assessment Institute is a nationally recognized leader in large-scale assessment and educational and well-being research. Its work supports state education agencies across the country and contributes to improving outcomes for student populations. The University of Kansas offers a collaborative environment, a strong institutional mission, and a comprehensive benefits structure, including retirement, health, and professional development opportunities. Lawrence, Kansas, is consistently ranked among the top college communities in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Technology Strategy, Platform Leadership & Operations (35%)
  • Develop and execute a multi-year product and technology strategy for the Kite platform.
  • Lead cross-functional teams responsible for software development, cloud infrastructure, platform operations, security, and technology delivery.
  • Ensure platform reliability, scalability, performance, availability, and security within a cloud-native AWS environment.
  • Establish operational priorities and oversee day-to-day technology operations.
  • Drive continuous improvement of technology services, delivery practices, and operational processes.
• Stakeholder Engagement, Product Alignment & Strategic Planning (25%)
  • Partner with state agencies, researchers, institutional stakeholders, and executive leadership to align technology solutions with educational and assessment needs.
  • Communicate product roadmaps, implementation priorities, timelines, and strategic initiatives to internal and external stakeholders.
  • Support long-term strategic planning and platform sustainability efforts.
  • Collaborate with organizational leadership to align technology initiatives with institutional goals and operational objectives.
• System Modernization & Innovation (20%)
  • Oversee system modernization initiatives, including re-platforming and cloud optimization efforts.
  • Lead and support AI/ML integration opportunities and process automation initiatives.
  • Guide architecture improvements that enhance scalability, resiliency, efficiency, and user experience.
  • Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend innovative solutions to support organizational growth and operational effectiveness.
• Organizational Leadership & Resource Management (15%)
  • Foster a strong organizational culture focused on collaboration, innovation, accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
  • Provide leadership support, mentorship, staffing oversight, and employee development opportunities.
  • Manage vendor relationships, consulting partnerships, and contract administration activities.
  • Oversee budget planning, financial stewardship, and resource allocation to support strategic and operational goals.
• Other Duties as Assigned (5%)
  • Perform other related duties and strategic initiatives as assigned in support of the mission and operational needs of the Achievement and Assessment Institute.

Requirements

• This is a hybrid position which requires 2-3 days on-site in our Lawrence, Kansas office.
• Required Qualifications:
  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field
  • Seven (7) years of progressive experience in software development, technology, or product management roles
  • Five (5) years of leadership experience managing large, cross-functional teams (engineering, product, QA, and operations), at a senior director, VP, or equivalent level
  • Demonstrated success owning and operating enterprise SaaS platforms end-to-end, from concept through deployment and ongoing operations as evidenced by application materials
  • Five (5) years of experience working with cloud-native architectures, with a strong preference for AWS environments
  • Proven expertise in agile delivery and DevOps practices at scale, including CI/CD and high-availability system management as evidenced by application materials
  • Three (3) years of experience integrating AI/ML capabilities into products, platforms, or operational workflows, with an emphasis on responsible and secure implementation
  • Strong track record of building stakeholder trust and aligning technology strategy with organizational and client needs as evidenced by application materials
• Preferred Qualifications:
  • Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field
  • Ten (10) years of experience leading product or technology organizations in complex, regulated, or high-availability environments
  • Experience supporting high-volume, mission-critical platforms, ideally in education, assessment, or similarly regulated domains as evidenced by application materials
  • Familiarity with K-12 education systems, large-scale assessment programs, or EdTech ecosystems as evidenced by application materials
  • Relevant certifications (e.g., PMP, PgMP, Agile/Scrum)