"Chief Information Officer"

Company Description

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Why join the Harvard Graduate School of Education?

The Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) is a diverse community of learners, teachers, and employees who are passionate about changing the world through education and striving for maximum impact in the field of education.

Many choose to work at the Harvard Graduate School of Education because they believe in our mission and are excited by our vision for the future. We have a reputation as a great place to work, for our excellent leadership, and we are a strong community that values diversity. For more information about HGSE, its programs, research, and faculty, please visit: www.gse.harvard.edu.

Job Description

Role Overview

The Chief Information Officer (CIO) provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for information technology services at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). The CIO is responsible for the planning, delivery, security, and continuous improvement of technology services that support HGSE’s academic mission, professional education programs, research activities, and administrative operations.

Working closely with HGSE leadership, faculty, staff, students, and University partners, the CIO leads a broad and evolving portfolio that includes systems and infrastructure, information and privacy security, vulnerability management, academic and learning technologies, business and administrative systems, web platforms, audiovisual and multimedia services, research software and data tools, and end-user support. The CIO ensures that HGSE’s technology environment is secure, resilient, scalable, and aligned with University standards and the broader One Harvard technology strategy, while remaining responsive to emerging needs and opportunities.

HGSE is a residential academic community supporting primarily on-campus degree programs, along with faculty and staff. Our commitment to a vibrant campus culture relies on strong in-person engagement, which fosters collaboration, innovation, and a high-quality student experience. This position requires an on-campus presence several days per week, with flexibility during certain times of the year. Evening and weekend work may be required, either in person or remotely.

Key Responsibilities

Technology Strategy and Leadership

• Develop and execute a multi-year technology strategy aligned with HGSE’s academic priorities, institutional goals, and University-wide initiatives.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to HGSE leadership on technology investments, innovation, risk management, and long-term sustainability.
• Translate institutional needs into secure, scalable, and cost-effective technology solutions.
• Oversee IT financial planning, budgeting, vendor management, contract negotiation, and technology lifecycle management.

Systems, Infrastructure, and Security

• Provide executive oversight of HGSE’s systems and infrastructure, including cloud services, identity and access management, networking, and core enterprise platforms.
• Lead infrastructure modernizations initiatives, optimizing existing cloud-based systems to further enhance scalability, reliability, and cost efficiency.
• Ensure alignment with University identity, authentication, and security standards, including enterprise directory services.
• Oversee vulnerability management, system patching, testing, and remediation activities to meet or exceed University and UCISO security requirements.
• Guide major system upgrades and platform modernization efforts to reduce technical debt and ensure long-term sustainability.
• Retire deprecated technologies in favor of standardized, supported solutions.

Security, Privacy, and Information Risk Governance

• Provide executive oversight and institutional stewardship of HGSE’s information security, privacy, and data-risk management program, aligned with University policies, standards, and regulatory obligations.
• Establish and maintain strong partnership with School and University security, privacy, and compliance leadership, empowering subject-matter experts while ensuring clear escalation paths and timely executive decision-making.
• Ensure appropriate governance of security and privacy considerations in research activities, data-sharing arrangements, and external partnerships, including compliance with applicable domestic and international data-protection requirements.
• Oversee integration of security, privacy, and third-party risk due diligence into procurement, contracting, and technology adoption processes in collaboration with University partners.
• Promote risk-based, pragmatic approaches to security and privacy that protect institutional trust while enabling research, teaching, and administrative operations.
• Embed security, privacy, and information-risk considerations into technology planning, system modernization, and change management initiatives to reduce institutional risk and avoid reactive controls.

Academic and Learning Technologies

• Provide strategic oversight of technologies that support teaching, learning, and academic operations across degree programs, professional education, and emerging delivery models.
• Guide the selection, implementation, and lifecycle management of platforms supporting instructional delivery, learning experiences, assessment, and core academic processes.
• Partner with faculty, academic leadership, and instructional teams to ensure technology effectively supports pedagogy, learning outcomes, and evolving learner needs.
• Lean into emerging technologies and platforms, including AI-enabled tools, that offer flexible and diverse options for end-user learning experiences.
• Oversee digital accessibility compliance for academic content and systems, including staff training, content testing and auditing, and vetting vendor products to ensure alignment with accessibility standards and University requirements.
• Ensure appropriate security controls for academic systems, including access management, permissions, academic mailing list governance, and coordination of security patching and remediation activities.
• Oversee the management and integration of academic data and records for faculty, students, applicants, and academic staff, including systems spanning the student information system (SIS), databases, ETL processes, and legacy applications.
• Provide executive oversight and strategic partnership for technology services supporting core academic offices, including the Registrar and Enrollment Services, Admissions, Faculty Affairs, and Student Affairs.
• Promote integration and interoperability across academic systems, learning platforms, and institutional data sources to improve reliability, reduce redundancy, and enhance the overall academic experience.
• Ensure academic and learning technologies are accessible, secure, sustainable, and aligned with institutional and University standards.

Business Technologies

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for enterprise business and administrative systems, including Salesforce Sales Cloud, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Salesforce Service Cloud, and associated third-party applications, integrations, and extensions.
• Establish and maintain an enterprise framework for decision-making, prioritization, and issue escalation related to business platforms, ensuring alignment with institutional goals, data strategy, security requirements, and user needs.
• Serve as the executive point of accountability for resolving cross-functional conflicts, tradeoffs, and risks related to enterprise business systems, particularly where decisions impact multiple departments or constituencies.
• Partner with functional leaders across admissions, enrollment, advancement, communications, operations, and other administrative units to elicit business requirements and translate them into scalable, maintainable technical solutions.
• Oversee governance, architecture, and lifecycle management for Salesforce and related platforms, including data models, integrations, release management, and dependency management across internal and vendor-supported solutions.
• Guide the evaluation, adoption, and ongoing management of third-party add-ins and extensions, balancing functional benefit with long-term sustainability, security, cost, and platform complexity.
• Establish strong engineering, data, and operating practices that support continuous improvement, system reliability, and responsible innovation.
• Reduce reliance on vendor-managed solutions where appropriate through internal expertise, clear standards, and disciplined governance.
• Ensure business platforms support analytics, reporting, and data-informed decision-making across HGSE.
• Align business technology strategy with University standards and shared services while advocating for HGSE’s priorities and operational realities.

Web Platforms and Digital Presence

• Oversee HGSE’s web ecosystem, including the flagship website and distributed web platforms.
• Lead major web platform migrations and modernization initiatives.
• Ensure institutional websites meet standards for accessibility, security, branding, and long-term sustainability.
• Establish governance and support models that balance consistency with flexibility across HGSE’s digital presence.
• Evaluate and maintain usage agreements for web solutions and products provided by HUIT.
• Ensure that web hosting, server, and database infrastructure needs are met in a robust manner.

AV and Multimedia Services

• Provide strategic oversight of audiovisual and multimedia services supporting classrooms, events, studios, and digital content production.
• Serve as an executive sponsor for multimedia strategy, ensuring the Multimedia Services function has visibility, resources, and influence commensurate with its role in teaching, learning, and institutional storytelling.
• Guide investments in AV infrastructure, video studios, and multimedia technologies to support teaching, learning, and professional education.
• Partner with academic and administrative leaders to assess evolving needs for video production, hybrid events, and multimedia learning assets.
• Ensure AV and multimedia services are reliable, scalable, and aligned with institutional standards and emerging best practices.

Research, Data, and AI Support

• Provide strategic oversight for technology services supporting HGSE’s research mission, including research software, data platforms, and emerging AI-enabled tools.
• Partner with faculty and research leadership to assess needs and identify sustainable, secure, and compliant solutions for data collection, analysis, collaboration, and dissemination.
• Guide the evaluation and responsible adoption of AI and advanced analytics tools in research contexts, balancing innovation with data governance and compliance.
• Ensure research software and data practices align with University policies related to security, privacy, regulatory compliance, and responsible data stewardship.
• Establish clear intake and support models for research software and AI requests, including guidance on when to leverage University-supported platforms versus custom solutions.

IT Service Delivery and Operations

• Oversee the IT Service Center (ITSC) and ensure high-quality, customer-focused support for faculty, staff, and students.
• Establish effective escalation paths and staffing models for complex or high-impact technical issues.
• Promote a strong service mindset, operational discipline, and culture of continuous improvement.
• Address operational risk through redundancy, documentation, cross-training, and succession planning.

Staffing, Leadership, and Organizational Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop inclusive IT leadership and staff across multiple functional domains.
• Build and retain a diverse skilled, engaged and appropriately resourced IT organization, providing exceptional leadership and effective supervision of the team
• Model inclusive leadership in team meetings, hiring actions, performance management, opportunities for growth, and mentorship
• Partner with HGSE leadership to assess evolving staffing needs, including emerging areas such as cloud services, security, AI, multimedia, and learning technologies.
• Support recruitment, retention, professional development, and succession planning.

University IT Leadership, Governance, and Engagement

• Represent HGSE in University-wide IT leadership forums, including the Harvard CIO Council.
• Participate in University committees, councils, and working groups.
• Serve as a trusted partner to peer CIOs and central IT leaders, contributing expertise while advocating for HGSE priorities.
• Help shape University-wide standards, platforms, and governance models that promote interoperability, security, and sustainability.
• Identify opportunities for collaboration, shared investment, and reuse of solutions across the University.
• Ensure HGSE’s technology strategy both aligns with and constructively influences broader University IT initiatives.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible leadership experience in information technology or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex technology environments in higher education or similarly complex organizations.
• Strong background in enterprise systems, infrastructure modernization, cloud technologies, and information security.

Qualified Harvard Internal applicants are encouraged to apply.

This position includes a six-month orientation and review period.

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• Strategic thinker with strong execution and operational discipline.
• Demonstrated ability to lead diverse teams and manage organizational change.
• Strong financial, vendor, and portfolio management experience.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Collaborative leadership style with strong stakeholder engagement skills.
• Deep commitment to security, digital accessibility, and institutional sustainability.

Additional Information

• Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hours per week
• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity and Education

Work Format Details

This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that some of the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed at a non-Harvard location. The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University’s Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

Salary Grade and Ranges

This position is salary grade level 062. Please visit Harvard's Salary Ranges  to view the corresponding salary range and related information.

Benefits

Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Generous paid time off including parental leave
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one
• Retirement plans with university contributions
• Wellbeing and mental health resources
• Support for families and caregivers
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks

Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page.