Manager, Digital Workplace and Academic Applications

Position Announcement

Position Details

Proposed Start Date
12/16/2026

Classification Title
Information Technology and Telecommunications

Rank
N - No Rank

Working Title
Manager, Digital Workplace and Academic Applications

Department
610130 - OIT Technology Infrastructure

Position Number
D94100

Representation
UU - Unclassified Unrepresented

Renewable
Renewable

End date, if applicable

Position FTE
1.0

Tenure Status
F - Fixed Term

Position Summary

Position Summary

The Digital Workplace & Academic Applications Manager leads the Digital Workplace & Academic Applications (DWAA) team within the Office of Information Technology (OIT) at Portland State University (PSU), and operates within the Technology Infrastructure & Academic Systems (TIAS) department of OIT.

The Digital Workplace & Academic Applications team is responsible for administering a wide range of applications used by faculty, staff, and students campus-wide, such as Google Workspace, Canvas, Atlassian applications, and telephony & communication applications.

In this role, you will lead the DWAA team as a hands-on technical manager, leading a team of six IT professionals, administering applications and services the team is responsible for, leading projects, collaborating with key stakeholders, and providing leadership and guidance to the team to ensure that services are delivering positive outcomes to campus while being operated in a stable and efficient manner. You will also work closely with your manager to develop long-range plans, application roadmaps, and to improve processes and service delivery.

An overview of the job duties for this position is as follows:

• Technical Leadership and Support for Digital Workplace & Academic Applications (30%)
• Supervisor and Mentor DWAA Team (25%)
• Project & Change Management (20%)
• Stakeholder & Vendor Management (15%)
• Other Duties as Assigned (10%)

Technical Leadership and Support for Digital Workplace & Academic Applications (30%):

• Act as the service offering manager for applications with the DWAA team's service portfolio, ensuring that services meet campus needs and are delivered in a stable and efficient manner.
• Coordinates selection and/or recommendation of software, hardware, and support providers for campus digital workplace applications.
• Collaborate and coordinate with the Office of Academic Innovation to review and recommend academic applications and services.
• Investigate and develop technical and process solutions to complex technical challenges across the DWAA service portfolio, often in collaboration with team members. Present potential solutions and outcomes to stakeholders and colleagues when appropriate.
• Administer assigned systems and software applications
• Establish and recommend policies on system use and services.
• Identify and implement opportunities for process improvements and automations that improve the effectiveness and efficiency of DWAA applications and services.
• Develop service roadmaps and other long-term plans to ensure that digital workplace services meet evolving campus needs.
• Coordinate identification and resolution of problems.
• Create and maintain technical, process, and customer-facing documentation.
• Ensure that DWAA applications and documentation are accessible and compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA standards. Coordinate with vendors to remediate accessibility issues when necessary.
• Ensure minimal downtime.
• Foster a security conscious environment that improves the security posture of DWAA's applications, processes, and team culture.
• Provides technical leadership and troubleshooting on complex projects.

Supervisor and Mentor DWAA Team (25%):

• Supervise Digital Workplace & Academic Applications team members.
• Complete annual performance appraisals of team members.
• Hold regular team meetings and 1:1 check-ins.
• Assign operational and project work appropriate to each staff member's expertise and skill level.
• Set priorities and schedules for campus critical projects and deliver regular updates to the Director of Technology Infrastructure & Academic Systems.
• Manage training and professional development opportunities for the DWAA team and help enable professional growth for staff.
• Build a productive, collaborative, and engaging team culture that aligns with OIT's values and attributes for success.

Project & Change Management (20%):

• Lead complex projects involving DWAA services and cross-campus stakeholders.
• Monitor and track project progress and regularly update the OIT project portfolio, the Director of Technology Infrastructure & Academic Systems, and other key stakeholders.
• Provide effective change management and communication to projects and other service changes to ensure that stakeholders are aware of and suitably prepared for changes that impact them. Collect and incorporate feedback as appropriate.

Stakeholder & Vendor Management (15%)

• Collaborate closely with key PSU stakeholders that own or share responsibility for some of DWAA's service portfolio, such as (but not limited to) the Office of Academic Innovation and Facilities & Property Management.
• Collaborate with other OIT teams to ensure effective service delivery and support. Actively work to improve communication and coordination between teams to reduce information silos and facilitate effective change management.
• Participate on the TIAS Leadership team and OIT Managers group to collaborate across teams and accomplish shared goals.
• Manage vendor relationships and contract negotiations and renewals for DWAA-administered applications.
• Communicate and coordinate with campus technology administrators (TAGs) and technology coordinators (TCs) to collect and implement feedback and effectively communicate changes that impact campus.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and four years of experience in the Information Technology field, or a combination of comparable work experience, training, and education.
• Experience with application/system administration.
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively with others to identify areas for improvement and successfully guiding solutions to completion.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated experience communicating effectively with technical and non-technical staff.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Experience working on group projects and/or change initiatives.
• Ability to produce accurate, reliable work within deadlines and to balance competing priorities.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, production environment and to provide occasional evening and weekend support.
• Ability to work with sensitive/confidential information and to handle such information as required by Federal and State regulations, and Portland State University and the Office of Information Technology policies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading a group of technical staff and cultivating a collaborative, effective, and engaging team environment.
• Experience administering applications such as (or similar to):
  • Google Workspace
  • Google Gemini
  • Canvas
  • Jira Service Management
  • Confluence
  • Google Voice
  • Amazon Connect
  • AiM
  • Desigo
  • Kaltura Mediaspace
  • YuJa Panorama
• Experience with project management and service management tools, such as Jira Software and Jira Service Management.
• Experience and familiarity with ITSM and ITIL concepts.
• Experience working with vendors to manage contracts, submit feature requests and bug reports, and track and communicate new features and functionality.
• Experience creating accessible (WCAG 2.1 AA compliant) and effective documentation for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• A strong understanding of cybersecurity best practices and how to effectively implement them.
• Deep understanding of modern SaaS and cloud-based applications and trends in the following areas:
  • Digital workplace
  • Academic technology
  • Generative AI
• Experience working in a higher education environment.
• Experience with Python, SQL, and/or Git.

We ask our employees and applicants (that's you!) to align with our OIT Attributes for Success
- Coaching: you appropriately give, accept, and incorporate feedback from others.
- Communication: you exchange information and ideas well, verbally and in writing; communication is an essential tool for productivity and strong working relationships in OIT.
- Emotional Intelligence: you possess the capacity to be aware of, manage, and express your emotions; you handle interpersonal relationships with empathy and safety, enabling diverse types of people to work together.
- Proactive: you recognize and initiate opportunities to take action and prevent potential problems or threats.
- Teamwork: you identify with the larger organizational team and your role within it; you share resources, respond to requests, and support our organizational strategy.

Key Cultural Competencies

• Create an environment that acknowledges, encourages, and celebrates differences.
• Function and communicate effectively and respectfully within the context of varying beliefs, behaviors, orientations, identities, and cultural backgrounds.
• Seek opportunities to gain experience working and collaborating in diverse, multicultural, and inclusive settings with a willingness to change for continual improvement.
• Adhere to all of PSU's policies including the policies on Prohibited Discrimination & Harassment and the Professional Standards of Conduct.

Environmental Stewardship

Contributes to a culture of environmental stewardship, practices resource conservation, and actively works toward achieving long-term sustainability goals.

Work Days/Hours
Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm. Up to one day remote, with the approval of the supervisor.

Total Compensation Range & Benefits Statement

The starting salary rate for this position is between $112,146 and $126,000 per year. The starting salary may be negotiable above this range; however, it is dependent upon the knowledge, experience, skills, and abilities of the chosen candidate, the budget of the hiring department, and approval from human resources. PSU's excellent benefits package includes 95% premium-paid healthcare; a generous retirement and vacation package; and reduced tuition rates for employees, spouses, or dependents at any of the Oregon Public Universities. For more information about benefits, please visit PSU's benefits page. Please visit the Total Compensation Calculator to explore the added value of PSU's employee benefits.

Application Instructions

Additional Information

You will need to pass a background check and must be legally authorized to work in the United States as our department is unable to sponsor any type of visa applications or extensions.

If you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation to apply for a position, or once you receive a position with Portland State University, please call 503-725-4926 or email askhrc@pdx.edu. This posting will remain open until finalists are identified; however, the committee will begin reviewing application materials on October 9, 2026, and we anticipate the first round of phone interviews to occur near November 2, 2026. Ideally, the start date will be near December 16, 2026.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every qualification in the job description, including the preferred qualifications. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may come from a less traditional background. We encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of our preferred qualifications. We highly encourage you to read through all of the minimum qualifications and address how your skills relate to each of them in either your resume or cover letter.

Additional Application Instructions (deadlines, etc.)

If you are a finalist for the position, please note that you will need to provide t