Associate Director of IT Governance & Planning

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Job Function The Associate Director of IT Governance & Planning is an experienced IT governance leader who drives oversight and operational excellence within our IT function. This pivotal role focuses on effectively managing IT budget and reporting, IT sourcing and vendor management, and IT performance and metrics management. The successful candidate will establish robust governance frameworks, ensuring alignment between IT initiatives and overall business objectives while optimizing financial performance, vendor relationships, and performance measurement systems. Job Responsibilities IT Budget & Reporting

• Manage the annual IT budget, ensuring organizational goals and objectives are aligned. Work closely with department heads to forecast IT expenditure needs and ensure resource allocation meets business priorities.
• Monitor IT spending throughout the year, identifying opportunities for cost savings and efficiency improvements. Implement cost control measures while ensuring high-quality IT service delivery.
• Provide regular financial reports on IT expenditures, track budget performance against actuals, present financial performance to senior leadership, and highlight key variances, trends, and actionable insights.
• Oversee capital and operational budgeting processes, ensuring alignment with strategic IT projects and initiatives.

IT Sourcing & Vendor Management

• Manage the execution of sourcing strategies for IT products and services. Evaluate internal requirements and recommend sourcing models (e.g., in-house, outsourced, hybrid).
• Manage the vendor selection process, including market research, RFPs, contract negotiations, and selecting best-fit partners based on cost, quality, and strategic alignment.
• Oversee ongoing vendor relationships, ensuring that vendors meet contractual obligations, deliver quality services, and maintain strong communication with IT teams.
• In collaboration with the Director of Planning & Governance, manage vendor performance metrics and SLAs. Monitor vendor performance regularly and work to address issues, improve service delivery, and ensure optimal value from vendor contracts.
• Oversee the lifecycle of IT contracts, from negotiation and execution to renewal and termination. Ensure all contracts are compliant with organizational policies and industry regulations.

IT Performance & Metrics Management

• In collaboration with the Director of Planning & Governance, deploy a performance management framework to track and measure the effectiveness of IT services and initiatives. Establish KPIs and metrics to assess the performance of IT systems, projects, and vendor relationships.
• Build and maintain dashboards and reporting systems to provide regular insights into IT performance. Ensure that key performance metrics are accessible to executives and stakeholders.
• Analyze performance data to identify trends, bottlenecks, and areas for improvement in IT processes and service delivery. Manage initiatives to drive continuous improvement in IT efficiency and effectiveness.
• Benchmark IT performance against industry standards and competitors. Stay updated on emerging trends, tools, and best practices in IT performance management.
• Conduct regular performance reviews for major IT projects and operations, ensuring that objectives are met, and corrective actions are taken as needed.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Leadership

• Collaborate with senior leadership, department heads, and other key stakeholders to ensure that IT strategies and investments align with broader business goals.
• Provide regular updates and reports to the Director of Planning & Governance, CIO/CTO and other executives on the status of IT budgeting, vendor management, and performance metrics. Communicate complex financial and operational data in a clear, actionable format.

Risk & Compliance Management

• Identify and manage financial, operational, and contractual risks associated with IT sourcing, budgeting, and vendor management. Implement mitigation strategies to minimize impact.
• Ensure all IT procurement, sourcing, and vendor management activities comply with internal policies, external regulations, and industry standards.
• Other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements

• Education Required: Bachelor's degree in information technology, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field.
• Advanced degree is preferred.
• Relevant certifications (e.g., ITIL, PMP, Six Sigma, CISSP, or related) are preferred.
• Minimum of three to five years of experience in IT governance, budgeting, vendor management, and performance metrics.
• Strong understanding of IT budgeting, financial reporting, and cost management within the technology sector.
• Proven experience sourcing IT services and managing vendor relationships, including negotiation, contract management, and performance oversight.
• Experience in developing and tracking IT performance metrics, implementing continuous improvement initiatives, and providing strategic insights to senior leadership.
• Estimated Travel: < 10%
• This position will be based out of the national office in Indianapolis, Indiana. The current work environment is hybrid: 3 days in the office and 2 days are remote.

Key Competencies

• Effective Communication | Can exchange ideas, thoughts, opinions, knowledge, and data so that the message is understood with clarity and purpose.
• Critical Thinking | Ability to examine issues and ideas and to identify good and bad reasoning in a variety of fields with differing assumptions, contents, and methods.
• Stakeholder Focus | Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external stakeholders, gets first-hand stakeholder information and uses it for improvements in products and services, acts with stakeholders in mind, establishes and maintains effective relationships with stakeholders and gains their trust and respect through honesty, integrity, authenticity, and inclusivity.
• Strategic Partnering | Develops networks and builds alliances; collaborates across boundaries to build strategic relationships and achieve common goals.
• Accountability | Holds self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results. Determines objectives, sets priorities, and delegates work. Accepts responsibility for mistakes. Complies with established control systems and rules.

Core Values

• LEADERSHIP| We actively listen and continually strive to provide vital solutions, counsel, and advocacy for student-athletes and intercollegiate athletics.
• INCLUSION| We seek and incorporate different perspectives and experiences to drive innovation and impact.
• COMMUNICATION| We commit to an environment of openness to build trust and make timely decisions.
• COLLABORATION| We work together, based on mutual respect, to lead and serve our stakeholders.
• ACCOUNTABILITY| We take ownership of our actions and results to add daily value.

Experience
Required

• Experience developing and tracking IT performance metrics, implementing continuous improvement initiatives, and providing strategic insights to senior leadership.
• IT budgeting, financial reporting, and cost management within the technology sector.
• 3 - 5 years: Experience in IT governance, budgeting, vendor management, and performance metrics.

Education
Required

• Bachelors or better

Preferred

• Masters or better

Licenses & Certifications
Preferred

• PMP