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Title: Executive Director of Business Systems Strategy & Optimization (INTERNAL)

Position Type: Fulltime Staff

Search Type: Internal - minimum 5 days

Department: 52R000 - Information Technology

Division: 4R1000 - Information Technology

Position Location: Richmond Campus

Driver Classification: Non-Driver

FLSA: Exempt

Schedule Type:  Full Time (37.5 hrs per week or more)

Additional Schedule Details:

Posted Salary Grade: Exempt - G28

Retirement:   KTRS 

Job Summary/Basic Functions

The Executive Director of Business Systems Strategy & Optimization serves as a cross-functional leader responsible for maximizing the institutional value of enterprise and operational systems across key business units, including Housing, Facilities, Auxiliary Services, and other operational areas. This role focuses on aligning technology with business processes, driving system adoption, and optimizing workflows to enhance efficiency, user experience, and return on investment. Leading work with the EVP to advance institutional priorities through the intentional design, optimization, adoption, and sustainability of systems supporting core business and operational functions.
This position operates as a strategic partner to both divisional leadership and the IT Enterprise Applications team. While Information Technology retains authority over system architecture, integrations, security, and governance, the Executive Director leads the functional strategy, utilization, and continuous improvement of systems within business operations.
This role establishes a scalable model for business systems optimization across the institution, reducing inefficiencies, minimizing shadow IT, and ensuring that existing technology investments are fully leveraged to support institutional priorities. As a partner to divisional leadership, the Executive Director leads a standardized Institutional Systems Optimization Lifecycle—from assessment and design through implementation, adoption, and formal handoff—so that systems deliver lasting institutional value while enabling functional units to assume long‑term operational ownership.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Web Development, or a related field.

Experience: Five years or related experience.

Licensure & Certifications:

Preferred Qualifications:

Job Duties:

• 35% - Institutional Systems Strategy & Optimization Provide institutional leadership for the strategic alignment and optimization of systems across business and operational areas. Conduct institutional‑level diagnostics and assessments of systems, workflows, data quality, and adoption Identify opportunities to improve system utilization, efficiency, and institutional value Develop and execute systems optimization roadmaps aligned with EVP and institutional priorities Ensure systems support standardized, scalable, and sustainable institutional processes Identify and eliminate redundancies, inefficiencies, and reliance on shadow IT solutions - (Essential)
• 30% - Process Design, Implementation & Enablement Lead system‑aligned process design and implementation through coordinated, cross‑functional efforts. Design future‑state workflows aligned with system capabilities and institutional standards Lead or coordinate optimization and implementation in partnership with IT and functional units Translate functional needs into clearly defined, actionable system requirements Develop training models, documentation, SOPs, and decision guides to support adoption Ensure effective change enablement and early adoption prior to operational handoff - (Essential)
• 20% - Ownership Transition, Sustainability & Continuous Improvement Ensure long‑term system effectiveness through structured transition and periodic institutional oversight. Facilitate formal ownership transition and handoff to functional units Define operational roles, responsibilities, and governance expectations post‑handoff Conduct periodic check‑ins and reviews to assess performance and identify improvement needs Re‑engage strategically when institutional change, redesign, or re‑optimization is required - (Essential)
• 15% - Data, Insights & System Effectiveness Ensure systems produce reliable data and insights that support institutional decision‑making. Ensure data integrity, consistency, and usability in partnership with IT governance and institutional standards Enable operational and decision‑support reporting by ensuring systems and definitions support reliable analytics Partner with Institutional Research and IT to align system‑level data practices with enterprise analytics frameworks Establish and monitor metrics measuring adoption, effectiveness, sustainability, and business outcomes Use data and insights to inform prioritization and strategic re‑engagement - (Essential)

Sponsorship: This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Funding Source: Institutional

Open Until Filled:

Special Instructions:

EEO Statement

Eastern Kentucky University is an Equal Opportunity employer and educational institution and does not discriminate on the basis of age (40 and over), race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, ethnicity, disability, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information in the admission to, or participation in, any educational program or activity (e.g., athletics, academics and housing) which it conducts or any employment policy or practice.

Background Check Statement

Offers of employment are contingent upon a satisfactory background check.