Grinnell College is seeking to hire a Chief Information Officer (CIO) to join the senior administrative staff, according to a Campus Memo sent out on March 24. This new administrator will be responsible for leading technology support and services, including developing new infrastructure, ensuring secure cyber networks and supporting academic technology. The CIO will report directly to President Raynard Kington, and will work closely with other senior staff members on information technology throughout campus.
According to the job advertisement published on Witt/Kieffer, a professional search firm hired by the College that specializes in higher education employment, the CIO will have a large presence in terms of ongoing projects on campus. With the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the CIO will partner in all scholastic assistive technology initiatives. The CIO will also collaborate with the Librarian of the College for information and technology support and will have a role in media and communications for the College’s web presence.
Other duties will include establishing new ways in which technology services are used for alumni engagement, data management and storage as well as crisis communication services.
“The Chief Information Officer will provide broad, college-wide leadership in academic and administrative information technology,” Kington wrote in an email to The S&B.
As described by the position listing, the ideal candidate for this position is an individual who has held a similar leadership position in technology services at a higher education institution with a “progressively responsible” agenda. This informed the College’s decision to hire Witt/Kieffer, a company whom they have worked with previously to broaden the search for qualified professionals.
“Our consultants also reached out to around 400 people individually. We made announcements to our Board of Trustees, to our own faculty, staff and students through the Campus Memo, and to Grinnell College alumni in the IT/Tech industry,” Kington wrote.
Additionally, advertisements have appeared in online forums including Inside Higher Ed, Higher Ed Jobs and The Chronicle Online.
The deadline for candidates to apply is April 20, 2015. Witt/Kieffer consultants Karen L. Goldstein and Robin Mamet will then review applications.
In terms of salary figure for the CIO position, Kington stated that “a fair and competitive salary for the industry” would be offered to the right candidate “based on their qualifications.” He also noted that, like all full-time employees, the CIO would receive a “comprehensive benefits package.”
Kington wrote that he sees the CIO position as one that will bring the College to the level of expertise required to be a leading liberal arts institution where technology plays a central role in academic engagement and success.
“With the rapid pace of changes and advances in information technology, a VP-level administrator will be in the best position to work collaboratively across every department on campus to bring the level of technological expertise we need, and to provide leadership and direction to the ITS team,” Kington wrote.
