Job Title: Interim Executive Director – Network Infrastructure Services
Work Location: Columbia, SC (Onsite)
Contract Duration: 9-12 Months
SCOPE OF THE PROJECT:
The Division requires an experienced executive leader to provide immediate organizational stabilization and transformational leadership during a period of significant departmental change. The department is currently experiencing organizational, operational, and cultural challenges that require decisive leadership, objective assessment, and rapid implementation of corrective actions before recruiting a permanent Executive Director.
This interim assignment is intended to serve as a transformational leadership role focused on establishing accountability, rebuilding organizational culture, improving operational effectiveness, aligning resources with institutional priorities, and implementing sustainable management practices. The successful candidate will be empowered to make difficult organizational decisions necessary to position the department for long-term success and ensure a smooth transition to permanent leadership.
Over a 9–12 month engagement, the Interim Executive Director will lead a comprehensive organizational transformation initiative that includes:
Utilize results from a comprehensive assessment of organizational structure, staffing, leadership effectiveness, operational processes, and service delivery in planning and enacting organizational changes.
Using the comprehensive assessment, further identify organizational barriers, cultural issues, and operational inefficiencies impacting performance, and execute an organizational transformation and culture improvement plan.
Restructure reporting relationships, staffing models, and operational responsibilities as necessary.
Address performance management issues through coaching, corrective action, reassignment, or separation, when appropriate and in accordance with university policies.
Restore accountability, professionalism, customer service expectations, and operational discipline throughout the department.
Improve collaboration with campus partners and university stakeholders.
Establish governance, communication, and decision-making processes that support long-term success.
Stabilize departmental operations while maintaining continuity of critical IT services.
Document organizational recommendations, operational procedures, strategic priorities, and transition plans for the incoming permanent Executive Director.
Recruit, mentor, and prepare internal leadership where appropriate to support long-term organizational success.
Success will be measured by demonstrable improvements in organizational culture, employee accountability, operational performance, customer satisfaction, governance maturity, and departmental readiness for permanent executive leadership.
DAILY DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES:
Provide executive leadership for all departmental operations.
Supervise managers, supervisors, and professional staff.
Establish performance expectations and monitor organizational outcomes.
Make timely personnel, operational, and resource allocation decisions.
Lead organizational change initiatives and culture transformation efforts.
Address employee relations issues in partnership with Human Resources.
Evaluate organizational effectiveness and recommend structural improvements.
Develop and monitor departmental priorities and performance metrics.
Collaborate with division leadership, university administration, and campus stakeholders.
Manage departmental budgets and strategic resource allocation.
Ensure compliance with university policies, security standards, audit requirements, and regulatory obligations.
Remove organizational obstacles that inhibit productivity, innovation, and collaboration.
Provide executive-level reports and recommendations to senior leadership.
Develop succession planning and transition documentation for permanent leadership.
REQUIRED SKILLS (RANK IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE):
3+ years of experience with Executive organizational transformation and change management
3+ years of experience leading organizational restructuring and culture change
3+ years of experience with Executive leadership of large, complex technology organizations
3+ years of experience with personnel management, coaching, and performance accountability
PREFERRED SKILLS (RANK IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE):
Experience leading organizational turnaround initiatives
Experience rebuilding organizational culture following periods of instability
Experience implementing governance and operational maturity frameworks
Experience managing organizational change in higher education
Enterprise IT strategy development
Experience working with executive leadership, governing boards, and cabinet-level administration
Knowledge of network operations, project management, change management, and enterprise network architecture and engineering
Experience supporting audit remediation and risk management initiatives
REQUIRED EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS:
Requires a bachelor’s degree and 8 or more years of experience, which may be substituted by an equivalent combination of certification, training, education, and/or experience.
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