Description:
Reporting to the Senior Director, IT Solutions, the incumbent manages a team of IT professionals engaged in the development, maintenance and support of IT solutions. May be responsible for one large application or for a group of smaller applications. Is responsible for highly valued IT assets on which the University’s business operations are almost completely dependent.
In this role, your responsibilities will include:
- Business case preparation: Collaborates with client managers to identify new business needs and other opportunities for technology to be applied to solve business problems, increase administrative efficiency and lower administrative costs, and improve services. Evaluates the technical, economic, and operational feasibility of different approaches to solving business problems. Develops project proposals.
- Project management: Creates or oversees the creation of detailed project plans using sophisticated tools with a detailed understanding of project planning techniques and critical path analysis concepts. Negotiates with client managers and IT managers in other departments to organize inter-disciplinary project teams according to the needs of each project. Provides guidance to multiple project managers working simultaneously on different projects. Ensures that appropriate activity and progress reports are prepared regularly with respect to systems development projects. Ensures appropriate controls are built in to the project plan. Ensures risks are monitored and managed over the course of each project, ensures that risk mitigation strategies are implemented where necessary.
- Technical resources management: Plays an integral role in overall IT resources planning, including the development of the annual resource allocation plan.
- Human resource management: Manages a team of IT professionals involved in multiple IT development projects and support activities. Provides direction to staff regarding project planning and management, development methods, design alternatives, and technical options. Fosters a positive work environment and teamwork. Recruits/discharges staff, evaluates their performance, ensures adequate personal and professional development, identifies development needs and recommends appropriate training strategies.
- Business process analysis and design: Oversees the design of complete solutions to complex business problems using expert knowledge of technology, business process analysis techniques, business process re-engineering, and workflow analysis. Applies the concepts and principles of change management, ensures that appropriate communication strategies are put in place with respect to new projects and business process changes.
- IT solutions development: Direct all aspects of systems analysis and design, programming and debugging, quality assurance testing, technical and user documentation, and system implementation. Evaluates or oversees the evaluation of “buy” and “build” approaches to meet business requirements. Develops requests for information and/or requests for proposals to solicit commercial software alternatives, and conducts detailed functional and technical evaluations of commercial software products. Chooses the appropriate design architectures for University applications.
What you will bring:
- University degree in Computer Science, Management Information Systems (MIS) or related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Minimum 10 years of experience in a complex and diverse IT environment demonstrating experience in project planning and management, risk analysis and IT resources management.
- Knowledge of the University’s information technology policies, procedures and standards.
- Experience working with various software development methodologies, tools, and techniques (systems analysis, data modelling, database design, system design, programming, quality assurance, documentation, change and problem management, etc.).
- Experience using software metrics; formal estimation methods, defect measurement, etc.
- Experience managing a team of IT professionals.
- Analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Negotiating, interpersonal and communication skills.
- Bilingualism – French and English (spoken and written).