As the second-largest Catholic university in New England, and one of the fastest-growing private doctoral institutions in the U.S., Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers more than 100 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs on its Fairfield, Conn., campus. Sacred Heart also has a campus in Dingle, Ireland, and offers online programs. More than 10,000 students attend the University’s eight colleges and schools: College of Arts & Sciences; School of Communication, Media & the Arts; School of Social Work; School of Computer Science & Engineering; College of Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education & Human Development; the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology and the Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing. Sacred Heart, a Laudato Si’ campus, stands out from other Catholic institutions as it was established and led by laity. The contemporary Catholic university is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, and at the same time cultivates students to be forward thinkers who enact change—in their own lives, professions and in their communities. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 390 Colleges: 2025 Edition, and Best Business Schools: 2024 Edition. Sacred Heart is home to the award-winning, NPR-affiliate station, WSHU Public Radio, a Division I athletics program, and an impressive performing arts program that includes choir, band, dance, and theatre. www.sacredheart.edu
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To apply
Only applications submitted through the official Careers at SHU site will be accepted for employment consideration. If you are viewing this job advertisement through a different site, please visit Careers at SHU to submit a formal application.
Qualified candidates are invited to submit a complete application and resume via our online application system. A cover letter or statement of interest is also preferred for all staff positions.
Sacred Heart University complies with all federal and state employment laws and regulations. Applicants must be lawfully authorized to work for any employer in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa for this position.
Position Summary
Sacred Heart University is seeking a visionary and results-oriented Vice President for Information Technology (VP for IT) to lead the University’s technology strategy and operations in alignment with its ambitious growth trajectory and mission-driven goals. The VP for IT provides vision, leadership, and strategic direction for all aspects of the university’s information technology (IT) infrastructure, systems, and services. The VP of IT ensures that IT initiatives align with the university’s academic, research, and administrative goals and objectives, and strives to leverage technology to enhance the teaching, learning, research, and operational effectiveness of the institution.
Reporting to the SVP for Administration, the VP for IT will oversee a forward-thinking IT division that aims to be proactive, business-aligned, and deeply integrated with institutional strategy. This leader will drive digital transformation, improve user experiences across all university constituencies, and harness technology to support academic excellence, operational efficiency, and strategic innovation.
Principal Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Develop and execute a comprehensive IT strategy aligned with the University’s mission, academic goals, and operational priorities.
• Act as a strategic advisor to the University’s administrative and academic leadership on all matters related to technology, digital transformation, and innovation.
• Lead institution-wide initiatives that leverage emerging technologies to improve agility, scalability, and impact.
• Assess in ongoing way, IT platforms and structure to improve IT efficiency and effective use of resources.
• Designs, establishes, and maintains an organizational structure and staffing to effectively accomplish the organization’s vision, strategic goals and objectives.

Digital Transformation & Innovation

• Champion the development of a modern, resilient, and agile digital ecosystem to support teaching, learning, research, and administrative functions.
• Foster a culture of innovation through partnerships, pilot programs, and emerging technology adoption (e.g., AI, data analytics, automation).
• Modernize the IT ecosystem to reduce complexity and to achieve robust integration capabilities and higher value for investments.
• Drive IT’s value as a strategic differentiator for the University through high quality student and faculty experiences.
• Embrace an entrepreneurial, fast growth, quick moving, University environment responsive to the marketplace.

IT Infrastructure and Operations Management

• Ensure the availability, reliability, security, and scalability of IT infrastructure. This involves overseeing the planning, design, and maintenance of systems, implementing security and disaster recovery plans, managing IT assets, and supervising user support and training.
• Establish and enforce IT policies and procedures to ensure security, integrity, and compliance with regulations. This also includes overseeing IT fiscal operations and ensuring compliance with relevant laws and policies.

Customer Experience & Operational Excellence

• Lead efforts to deliver seamless, responsive, and student-centered technology experiences across all platforms.
• Oversee IT service delivery, enterprise systems, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and data governance to ensure reliability, security, and scalability.
• Evolve IT organization to enhance foundational practices to improve IT’s ability to execute effectively and efficiently in support of the University’s needs.
• Create needed consistency to measure performance, contextualize challenges and opportunities and track improvement.

Business Alignment & Collaboration

• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders—including faculty, staff, and students—to understand business needs and co-create solutions.
• Align IT investments with institutional ROI and strategic objectives through disciplined planning and transparent communication.

Senior Leadership

• Experienced leader who is visible and approachable, interacting with the campus community regularly; possesses the creativity, flexibility, and resourcefulness to function effectively within the university culture.
• Embraces being open and attentive to listening and responding to the organization’s changing needs.
• A working leader who values staff input and trusts in their expertise and ability to perform their job functions while fostering a team environment and continual professional development.
• Is a strategic partner with all members of the President’s senior leadership team. Work collectively and collegiately in development of all university strategic initiatives.
• Ensure technology strategy reflects the University’s mission, values, and culture.
• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Other Attributes

• Master’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership in IT, with executive-level experience in higher education, corporate environment or a similarly complex organization
• Proven success leading digital transformation and delivering measurable business outcomes
• Expertise in enterprise systems, cybersecurity, cloud strategy, data architecture, and customer experience platforms
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with a collaborative leadership style and a commitment to service

This job posting provides an overview of the role’s general nature and expected tasks. It is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all duties performed. The university reserves the right to modify or reassign job responsibilities at any time. This posting description does not constitute an employment contract, either explicit or implied.
Sacred Heart University is a space that respects and embraces differences, recognizes the unique contributions that individuals can make, and creates a community that maximizes the potential of all faculty and staff. As an equal opportunity employer, we encourage applications from qualified candidates who reflect the wider world in which we live

Please refer the Job description for details