"IT Program Director"

IT Program Director

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Department: Health Data COMPASS

Requisition #: 38443

Job Summary:

The Program Director of Cloud Engineering provides both operational and technical leadership for the Compass engineering program, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and delivery of innovative, cloud-based solutions that advance clinical and research capabilities across the Anschutz campus. This position oversees program direction, resource strategy, vendor partnerships, and cross-campus collaboration to mature Compass's engineering infrastructure and it's future-state cloud architecture.

The Program Director of Cloud Engineering will partner with the Director of Operations to help shape long-term technology strategy, strengthen partnerships across academic, technical, and clinical stakeholders, and develop a high-performing team through coaching, accountability, and professional growth. This position reports to the Director of Operations and is expected to perform the following duties:

Key Responsibilities:

Program Administration & Leadership (70%)

• Provide program direction for Compass's engineering program by aligning technical capabilities with organizational priorities and evolving customer needs.
• Develop multi-year cloud infrastructure roadmap and drive adoption of emerging technologies that enhance operational efficiency, data integration, and scalability.
• Develop, manage, and forecast the engineering program budget; identify cost efficiencies, evaluate return on investment, and recommend strategic investments.
• Lead vendor strategy, contracting, and RFP/RFQ processes while cultivating partnerships that expand capabilities and support long-term program goals.
• Allocate resources across projects and product lines to ensure appropriate application stack coverage and anticipate future capability needs.
• Establish performance metrics, track operational effectiveness, and oversee program reporting against SLAs and strategic objectives.
• Lead staff development across roles and levels: set clear priorities, coach for growth, conduct annual reviews, and build a strong culture of accountability, innovation, and collaboration.
• Serve as a strategic partner with Compass leadership and OIT to ensure all solutions meet security, compliance, and governance expectations.

Technical (30%)

• Provide technical vision and oversight to guide the engineering team toward Compass's future-state architecture, including integration with campus and external partner systems.
• Contribute as a technical advisor or subject matter expert for high-impact initiatives, pilots, or operational workflows.
• Standardize and optimize program operating procedures, including performance monitoring, capacity planning, and quality assurance.
• Identify opportunities to reduce technical debt, improve code and data quality, and optimize cloud-native workflows.
• Manage vendor relationships and performance for cloud-native platforms and tools.
• Collaborate with leadership to expand Compass's data and infrastructure capabilities using advanced tools for protection (e.g., DLP), integration, and enrichment (e.g., NLP and LLM/AI applications)

Work Location: Hybrid - this role is eligible for a hybrid schedule of 3 days per week on campus and as needed for in-person meetings.

Why Join Us: Health Data Compass (Compass) is the technology innovation arm of the Research Informatics Office. Compass maintains, develops, and innovates within a data integration and analytics platform on cutting-edge, cloud-based technologies to support biomedical research and clinical excellence throughout the CU research enterprise and our hospital partners.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or a closely related field from an accredited institution.
• A combination of education and related technical/military/paraprofessional experience may be substituted for a bachelor's degree on a year for year basis.
• At least six (6) years of progressively responsible experience in cloud computing, data engineering, data analysis, or cloud platform management.
• At least four (4) years of people management or supervisory experience.

Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Public Health, Data Science, Informatics, or a related field.
• Experience developing, analyzing, or reporting on data systems in a healthcare or research environment.
• Experience working with Epic data, including Epic proficiencies or certifications.
• Experience querying data using SQL or another programming language such as R, SAS, or Python.
• At least two years of project management experience.
• Demonstrated experience mentoring others and fostering a collaborative, supportive team culture.
• Hands-on experience with Google Cloud Platform (e.g., BigQuery, Cloud Storage, Dataflow) for data integration, analytics, or cloud-based solution development, with optional cloud-related certifications.
• Experience with medical imaging data workflows, including DICOM receivers and PACS storage systems.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to communicate effectively, both in writing and orally
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees at all levels throughout the institution
• Demonstrated commitment and leadership ability to advance diversity and inclusion
• Attention to detail and accuracy, with strong analytical and critical thinking skills
• Knowledge of HIPAA regulations and healthcare data, clinical research, healthcare operations
• Demonstrated effectiveness in a complex organizational environment

How to Apply:

For full consideration, please submit the following document(s):

1. A letter of interest describing relevant job experiences as they relate to listed job qualifications and interest in the position.
2. Curriculum vitae / Resume
3. Three to five professional references, including name, address, phone number (mobile number if appropriate), and email address

Questions should be directed to: Hana Shorrosh, HANAN.SHORROSH@CUANSCHUTZ.EDU

Screening of Applications Begins: Immediately and continues until position is filled.

Anticipated Pay Range: The starting salary range (or hiring range) for this position has been established as $124,000 - $135,000