Executive Director of Network and Security

Position Summary

Rowan‑Cabarrus Community College seeks an experienced, strategic, and forward‑thinking technology leader to serve as the Executive Director of Networking and Security, with a strong emphasis on enterprise networking and infrastructure. This senior leadership role is responsible for the design, reliability, scalability, and performance of the College’s network and connectivity environment, including campus, data center, and cloud‑based networks that support academic, administrative, and operational systems.

The Executive Director provides vision, direction, and oversight for network architecture, engineering, and operations, ensuring high availability, resilience, and future readiness of the College’s technology infrastructure. While networking is the core focus of the role, the Executive Director also provides leadership and governance for cybersecurity, data protection, disaster recovery, and compliance with federal and state information security standards, ensuring security is embedded across all network and infrastructure initiatives.

As a member of the Information Technology Services leadership team, the Executive Director collaborates closely with institutional leaders to develop and implement technology strategies that enhance teaching, learning, student success, and operational effectiveness, with a particular focus on modernizing and advancing the College’s networking capabilities.

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive salary commensurate with education and experience.
• Comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision, retirement, and generous leave.
• Professional development and training opportunities provided by the College and the North Carolina Community College System.

Required Education/Experience

• Associate’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or a related field.
• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in networking and/or cybersecurity, with at least three (3) years in a leadership or managerial role.
• Strong knowledge of enterprise networking, information security frameworks, and higher education compliance requirements.
• Proven ability to lead staff, manage budgets, and deliver large-scale technology projects.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and collaboration skills.

Preferred Education/Experience/Skills

• Master’s degree in information technology, Cybersecurity, Business Administration, or related field.
• Professional certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CCNP, or equivalent.
• Direct experience in higher education, ideally within the North Carolina Community College System.
• Expertise in cloud networking, hybrid infrastructure, and zero-trust security architectures.

Work Environment

• Standard office environment with regular interaction across multiple campus locations.
• Occasional evening or weekend work may be required to support system upgrades, incident response, or critical projects.
• This position is eligible for 1 day a week of Hybrid/remote work in alignment with College policy.