Manager, Information Technology in Ottawa

The Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering is a world-renowned community of researchers and students dedicated to solving some of the world's most pressing challenges through collaborative and multidisciplinary research and experiential education. Through rigorous technical training, and unparalleled extracurricular and professional experience opportunities, we prepare the next generation of engineering leaders and change makers to unlock the future's boundless potential.

Reporting to the Director, Information Technology, the Manager, Information Technology (Research Computing) has the primary responsibility for providing strategic leadership and management for the Faculty’s research computing initiatives, ensuring alignment with the University’s commitment to research computing excellence and priorities of academic units across the Faculty.

• Oversee divisional computing and technology needs, assessing and fulfilling requirements to support the Faculty’s research objectives.
• Lead special initiatives, including both research and non-research projects, focusing on emerging, exploratory, and evolving technologies with the aim to drive modernization, adoption, and the development of sustainable and secure support structures.
• Enhance and standardize secure computing practices across teaching and research labs, ensuring consistent and reliable support for all computing needs.
• Establish critical partnerships with academic units and institutes, faculty, administrative staff, and students, as well as institutional units and teams to drive forward-thinking, sustainable, security and service-focused research computing support.
• Interact with influential Faculty and University leaders, overseeing and guiding technically savvy team members, managing team priorities and productivity.
• Cover all aspects of business, HR, and operational needs including financial management, budgets, procurement, contracts and intake.
• Draw from institutional, industry, and peer best practices and maintain up-to-date knowledge of technology, advances, and directions in computing, IT security, and IT risk.
• Evaluate the performance of the Faculty’s research presence.
• Partner with the Manager, Information Security Programs, and others to identify and analyse gaps and vulnerabilities, offering sound recommendations to improve services delivered.
• Support research-connected information security incident response and guide and support research connected to the Faculty-wide business continuity/DR activities, infrastructure planning projects, and promote audit readiness.
• Manage the research computing budget of the Faculty and make recommendations for major purchases and leases.
• Negotiate procurement contracts and product pricing with external vendors.
• Design, plan and implement organizational structure and information technology infrastructure to best support the Faculty’s research initiatives.

Qualifications

• Education: Graduate degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related discipline, or an acceptable equivalent combination of education and experience. Certification in Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Foundation, Project Management, Information Systems Security Certification (CISSP), or any other security certification is a strong asset.
• Experience: 10 years of recent and related experience demonstrating leadership and technical expertise in supporting, collaborating and applying computational research technology, preferably in a post-secondary educational institution. Demonstrated leadership experience in strategic goal planning and overseeing IT operations in academic and research environments. Experience working with research groups in support of their computational needs and experience with the design of solutions. Experience designing, implementing and supporting advanced research computing architectures. Demonstrated expertise in security fundamentals and improving and applying security frameworks, principles, and compliance expectations to a documented operational state. Extensive experience working with diverse populations, including demonstrated effective consultation skills with various constituencies. Experience assisting with research/grant applications.
• Skills: Excellent strategic planning, leadership and change management skills. Excellent organizational and strategic and project management skills. Excellent personnel planning and management skills. Excellent budget planning and financial management skills. Excellent analytical skills. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Ability to maintain a broad perspective on business processes; identify opportunities for improvement; and work with competing interests and divergent groups to bring about positive change. Demonstrated ability to work well with a diverse group of people at many diverse levels, including faculty, research staff, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, senior administration, and IT staff. Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and the promotion of a respectful and collegial learning and work environment. Proven ability to develop and implement goals and action plans and operational models, ensure audit ready compliant IT execution and oversee multiple projects.
• Other: A diligent problem solver who is able to unify and motivate teams, address conflicts and grey zones and drive a productive IT culture. Knowledge of research funding and associations including government grants, agencies, industry and partner management.

This role is currently eligible for a hybrid work arrangement, pursuant to University policies and guidelines.

Diversity Statement: The University of Toronto embraces Diversity and is building a culture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectively address and serve the interests of our global community. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities.

Accessibility Statement: The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members.