The University of Arizona

Senior Director, Administrative and Auxiliary Operations, Specialized IT Services

The University of Arizona$139K — $180K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
  • Minimum of nine years of relevant work experience, including five years in managerial roles.
  • Strong knowledge of university auxiliary and public safety systems and operations.
  • Proven ability to negotiate and influence senior leaders in a decentralized environment, preferably in higher education.
  • Experience in managing cross-functional teams and applying technology solutions to operational needs.

Responsibilities

  • Oversee long-term initiatives across multiple divisions within the university.
  • Act as a technology partner for leadership in public safety and auxiliary operations.
  • Identify and create integrated systems to enhance campus efficiency and connectivity.
  • Align unit initiatives with broader institutional priorities and manage resource constraints.
  • Mentor and lead IT teams, ensuring performance and fostering a positive team culture.
  • Manage complex, cross-departmental technology initiatives from evaluation to implementation.
  • Cultivate continuous learning and professional growth within the team.

Benefits

  • Full benefits package available for employees.
  • Eligibility for hybrid work arrangements based on supervisor approval and departmental needs.
Full Job Description
Senior Director, Administrative and Auxiliary Operations, Specialized IT Services

Posting Number
req26898

Department
Campus IT Services

Department Website Link
https://it.arizona.edu/

Location
Tucson Campus

Address
Tucson, AZ USA

UITS invites applicants for the Senior Director, Administrative and Auxiliary Operations, Specialized IT Services (IT Architecture Manager IV) position. This position leads the Administrative & Auxiliary Operations pillar of Specialized IT Services, consisting of a cross-disciplinary team of IT architects, application developers, business analysts, project managers, and specialized support staff. This role serves as the senior technology partner to the university's public safety and auxiliary enterprise, including the Office of Public Safety, which includes the University Police Department, the Real-Time Coordination Center, and Risk Management; Parking & Transportation; University Unions, including Campus Dining, the Meal Plan Office, and the Events and Planning Office; Housing & Residential Life; Intercollegiate Athletics; the CatCard Office; University Facilities Services, including Facilities Management and Planning, Design & Construction; and the Campus Store.

This position is based at the Tucson campus and may be eligible for a hybrid work arrangement, subject to supervisor approval and department needs.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Duties & Responsibilities
  • Oversee the long-term initiatives of multiple large divisions.
  • Serve as the trusted technology partner to public safety, administrative, and auxiliary leadership, actively participating in each unit's leadership meetings to build a working understanding of their operational practices and technology needs.
  • Identify opportunities to translate those needs into shared, integrated systems, creating efficiencies and a more connected campus experience.
  • Align and prioritize unit-level initiatives against broader institutional priorities and facilitate governance and portfolio decisions in the context of differentiated missions and constrained resources.
  • Lead and mentor the Business Analysis, Project Management, Application Development, EGIS, Athletics, and Housing IT teams through regular one-on-ones and team meetings.
  • Manage performance, priorities, and team culture.
  • Cultivate continuous learning, professional growth, and career development by identifying opportunities for team members to leverage and apply their skills in support of the entire pillar and to optimize the use of the team's collective technical talent.
  • Oversee a team of multidisciplinary managers.
  • Oversee complex, cross-departmental technology initiatives end-to-end, from technical evaluation through implementation and support, prioritizing them strategically against the broader goals of the pillar and university.
  • Participate in RFP committees and vendor evaluations to guide strategic modernization decisions that deliver the greatest value from the university's technology investments.
  • Manage vendor relationships, service providers, and external partners across administrative, auxiliary, and public safety technology portfolios, including contract review and negotiation.
  • Serve as Information Risk Owner (IRO) for technology and vendor risk reviews, ensuring appropriate governance.
  • Collaborate with other senior leaders within UITS to develop strategies and roadmaps that align IT initiatives, operations, and resources to the broader goals of the university.
    Supervisory Responsibilities:
  • This position has supervisory responsibility for approximately 29 FTE employees.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
  • Strong working knowledge of university-specific auxiliary systems and operations, including campus housing, dining, retail, parking, and transportation.
  • Strong working knowledge of public safety systems and operations, including police, physical security, access control, video management, and physical and mobile credentialing.
  • Demonstrated ability to negotiate with and influence senior leaders within a culture of decentralized decision-making, preferably in higher education.
  • Demonstrated success partnering with diverse operational stakeholders to translate differentiated operational needs into shared technology solutions.
  • Understanding of emerging technologies and potential applications to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Skill in developing high-performing, cross-functional teams that serve a diverse portfolio of operating units.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage demand for new IT functions, prioritization, and resource constraints.
  • Skill in cultivating a positive culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and improvement.


This job posting reflects the general nature and level of work expected of the selected candidate(s). It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The institution reserves the right to amend or update this description as organizational priorities and institutional needs evolve.

Minimum Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience required.
  • Minimum of nine (9) years of related work experience, including five (5) years of managerial experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.


Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience facilitating cross-organizational discovery and decision-making to guide IT architectures and solutions that have potential for delivering at scale across one or more university divisions.
  • Experience managing a diverse portfolio of work across multiple IT leaders, managers, and teams.
  • Experience managing financial and personnel resourcing, balancing supply and demand.
  • Experience in a higher education setting or a setting with similar distributed decision-making structures.
  • Experience managing executive relationships.
  • Demonstrated experience influencing process change, communication approaches, and technology decisions up to leadership, across peers and functional leaders, and down through teams and individuals.


FLSA
Exempt

Full Time/Part Time
Full Time

Number of Hours Worked per Week
40

Job FTE
1.0

Work Calendar
Fiscal

Job Category
Information Technology

Benefits Eligible
Yes - Full Benefits

Rate of Pay
$139,102 - $180,833

Compensation Type
salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)

Grade
14

Compensation Guidance
The Rate of Pay Field represents the University of Arizona's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. The University considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, and internal equity.

The Grade Range represent a full range of career compensation growth over time. The university offers compensation growth opportunities within its career architecture. To learn more about compensation, please review our Applicant Compensation Guide and our Total Rewards Calculator.

Career Stream and Level
M4

Job Family
IT Architecture

Job Function
Information Technology

Type of criminal background check required:
Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive)

Number of Vacancies
1

Target Hire Date

Expected End Date

Contact Information for Candidates
[email protected]

Open Date
8/26/2026

Open Until Filled
Yes

Documents Needed to Apply
Resume and Cover Letter

Special Instructions to Applicant

About The University of Arizona

The University of Arizona is a public research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885, the UA was the first university in the Arizona Territory. As of 2021, the university enrolls 45,918 students in 19 separate colleges/schools, including the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson and Phoenix and the James E. Rogers College of Law, and is affiliated with two academic medical centers (Banner - University Medical Center Tucson and Banner - University Medical Center Phoenix). The University of Arizona is one of the elected members of the Association of American Universities (an organization of North America's premier research institutions) and is the only representative from the state of Arizona to this group. UA athletes have won national titles in several sports, most notably men's basketball, baseball, and softball. The official colors of the university and its athletic teams are cardinal red and navy blue.
Learn more about The University of Arizona
Size
15,000 employees
Industry

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