Director, Information Technology

GENERAL STATEMENT

Under the direction of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the Director, Information Technology provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the technology infrastructure, systems, and staff supporting Student Auxiliary Enterprises (SAE) at CSULB, the shared-services organization for Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) and Beach Shops. The Director oversees the IT Operations Manager and technical staff, including student employees, and serves in a hands-on leadership role spanning strategic planning, project management, network architecture, hardware and software support, LAN management (in collaboration with CSULB Network Services), and the technology that supports SAE facilities and operations, including point-of-sale, electronic access control, video surveillance, audiovisual, and network-connected building control systems.

As a peer partner to the Senior Director, Facility Operations & Sustainability and a strategic technology partner to all SAE departments, the Director develops collaborative relationships across the organization to understand operational priorities, customer service needs, and compliance requirements. The position leads the IT component of SAE's evolving technology and facilities service model by strengthening cross-functional partnerships, developing shared processes, and assuming expanded responsibility for building-systems technology as systems are added or modernized. The Director proactively identifies, recommends, and implements technology solutions that improve organizational effectiveness, strengthen internal controls, enhance documentation practices, support audit readiness, and deliver a seamless customer experience where technology and facility operations intersect. The Director fosters a solutions-oriented service culture that emphasizes collaboration, accountability, and responsive support across departmental boundaries, ensuring requests are owned through resolution and users receive consistent, effective support.

Leadership & Administration

1. Select, train, motivate, and evaluate the work of senior IT staff; develop and implement advanced training; set clear service and communication expectations for the IT team and hold staff accountable to them. Sets and communicates service standards for the IT team, including responsiveness, follow-through, and cross-departmental coordination, and addresses gaps promptly.

2. Strategically allocate resources, including budget and personnel, to maximize the impact of IT initiatives.

3. Effectively plan, communicate, implement, and manage projects, staff, and daily work; provide regular, proactive status communication to stakeholders and the CFO on projects, incidents, and service performance.

4. Develop and maintain effective working relationships at all times and demonstrating cooperative behavior with a diverse population of staff, students, and co-workers.

Strategic Planning & Technology Innovation

5. Define, deliver, and support strategic plans for implementing information technologies to maintain organizational effectiveness and efficiency.

6. Create and maintain a technology roadmap that outlines the future direction of IT initiatives and projects, ensuring business continuity; include a lifecycle and replacement plan for building technology systems, developed jointly with Facilities and Projects and aligned with the organizations' capital plans.

7. Establishes efficiency and efficacy standards, providing recommendations for improvement of IT infrastructure.

8. Identify and evaluate emerging technologies to ensure the organization remains at the forefront of technological advancements.

9. Deploy information technology solutions with an understanding of business and management principles, including project management, budgeting, forecasting, and organizational goals.

10. Direct technological research and oversee work performed by third-party programmers, outside vendors, and other staff.

Operational Partnership & Technology Solutions

11. Develop and maintain regular working relationships with division and department managers across ASI and Beach Shops; meet with them to learn their operations, workflows, pain points, and compliance requirements.

12. Identify, evaluate, and recommend technology solutions to operational problems, and lead or support their implementation through to adoption, including training, documentation, and follow-up with the affected department.

13. Partner with management, Accounting, and HR to apply technology in support of compliance standards and internal controls.

IT Infrastructure, Systems & Service Delivery

14. Oversee the installation, maintenance, and support of LAN infrastructure, user computers, POS systems, business applications, and the networked building technology that depends on them (access control, video surveillance, audiovisual, and building control systems), in coordination with Facilities.

15. Assess, develop, implement, and oversee technology services within the organization, including Local Area Network Servers, user computers, POS systems, business applications, and system integration.

16. Maintain the quality of service by establishing and enforcing organizational and industry standards, benchmarking, and providing technical and professional training for Student Auxiliary Enterprises; define and report service-level targets and ticket metrics, and review customer feedback with the CFO.

Information Security, Compliance & Business Continuity

17. Ensure adherence to industry standards, including PCI compliance (in partnership and collaboration with the SAE Projects Department), and work in close partnership with Projects to guide technology solutions through the CSULB Procurement Compliance Review (PCR) process.

18. Develops and implements business continuity protocols to minimize disruption to business operations in the event of emergency situations or data loss.

19. Ensure the security and preservation of company IT assets through asset management, disaster recovery, application currency, data backup, and data confidentiality procedures and compliance.

Stakeholder Relations & Vendor Management

20. Build trusted relationships with all levels of system users, staff, management, Facilities leadership, vendors, and campus partners (including CSULB Information Technology Services, Beach Building Services, Design & Construction Services, and Housing & Residential Life) to understand how their needs intersect with our operation and deliver valuable solutions to best serve the students and community at CSULB.

21. Develops and maintains relationships with external IT vendors and service providers, including low-voltage, security, and building-systems integrators.

Facilities Partnership & Integrated Building Technologies

22. Serve as the IT department's lead partner to the Facilities department. Meet regularly with the Senior Director of Facility Operations & Sustainability and Facilities managers to plan work, resolve open issues, and align priorities across the two departments.

23. Ensure IT department owns technology requests from end to end. When a request requires physical, electrical, or building work, IT coordinates directly with facilities and other campus partners to close out projects efficiently.

24. Jointly design and maintain with Facilities a shared intake, ticketing, and escalation process so that requests touching both departments have a single owner, a visible status, and a defined resolution path.

25. Provide technical leadership for building technology systems, including electronic access control, video surveillance and retention, audiovisual systems, and network-connected building controls, in partnership with Facilities, CSULB ITS, Housing & Residential Life, University Police Department (UPD), and other campus security partners.

26. Represent SAE technology requirements in capital projects, renovations, and new construction (including the University Student Union renovation): participate in design review, low-voltage and security submittals, commissioning, and turnover, and ensure standards, licensing, support agreements, and documentation are in place before systems go live.

27. Establish and document technology standards for SAE facilities (network closets, cabling, device placement, power and environmental requirements) and coordinate their inclusion in Facilities and campus project standards.

28. Maintain a current inventory and support plan for building technology systems, including service contracts, software support renewals, and cost-sharing arrangements with campus partners.

29. Work with Facilities to plan for and support technology needs during building closures, relocations, and temporary operations.

30. Other duties as assigned, reasonably within the scope of the job.

Directly and indirectly supervise staff including but not limited to full-time employees, part-time employees, and student employees in the IT department. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with Associated Students and Beach Shops policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; scheduling, planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Education and/or Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field required, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Minimum of 8 years of experience in Information Technology. Minimum of 5 years of experience in a supervisory position. Experience partnering with facilities, construction, or operations teams on building technology projects such as access control, video surveillance, audiovisual, or building automation systems. Project management experience with vendors, design-build contractors, and multi-stakeholder implementations. Experience with PCI DSS compliance and point-of-sale environments in retail or dining operations preferred. Experience in higher education, auxiliary services, or a shared-services environment preferred.

Knowledge and Abilities

Demonstrated ability to lead cross-departmental processes and build collaborative working relationships with peer department leaders and campus partners. Must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills and must be customer service oriented. Ability to effectively communicate in English both written and oral form. Good communication and leadership skills. Ability to follow written and verbal instructions Knowledge of Firewall, routers, switches and intrusion systems. Knowledge of wireless connectivity, Active Directory and Group Policy, Microsoft 365 and cloud services, intrusion detection, SQL databases, Windows and Linux server environments, and scripting.

Certifications, Licenses, Registrations

Relevant professional certification (for example, Microsoft, Cisco CCNA, CISSP, ITIL, or PMP) preferred. 

Background Check

Appointment to this position is contingent upon successful completion of a comprehensive background check based on reportable last actions.

Mandated Reporter

The person holding this position is considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

The job will require the employee to work in an office environment while working at a desk and viewing a computer screen for long periods of time. The employee is regularly required to sit, talk, hear and use office equipment within arm’s reach. Specific vision abilities are required, which may include close vision and ability to adjust focus. There will be time spent intermittently on their feet and moving around large buildings and to various operating locations across campus, including retail operations facilities, dining facilities, the University Student Union, the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, network and equipment rooms, and active construction or renovation sites (with appropriate safety equipment). The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. The employee must comply with the University’s rules and regulations as well as those of Associated Students Inc. and Beach Shops. 

The employee typically works in a climate-controlled indoor environment within SAE administrative offices, with regular movement to operating locations across campus, including retail and dining facilities, the University Student Union, the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, warehouse areas, equipment rooms, and outdoor and construction areas. The noise level is generally quiet to moderate, with high customer traffic during peak periods.