Assistant Vice President, Digital Strategy & IT Governance

Posting Number: 20260358S

Location
Villanova, PA

Work Schedule:
full-time/12-months

Department: 711-UTS – Senior Management Team

Position Summary

Why work at Villanova?

• Join a mission-driven organization. Since Villanova University’s founding in 1842, we
  have been inspired by the values of truth, unity, and love, and are a community dedicated to service to others.
• Villanova
  has been included among the nation’s best colleges and universities. VU’s inclusion again in U.S. News &
  World Report’s 2025 “Best Colleges” rankings is another indication of the University’s continued prominence and forward momentum.
• Villanova’s most precious asset is our people. As an employee, you will receive a holistic benefits package, generous
  paid time off, a competitive retirement savings plan, flexible work options, wellness programs including gym membership, professional
  development, tuition assistance, and more.

Reporting to
the Vice President for Information Technologies and Chief Information Officer, the Assistant Vice President (AVP) for Digital Strategy & IT
Governance provides strategic and operational leadership for enterprise digital strategy execution, IT governance, enterprise architecture
coordination, portfolio and program management, and institutional technology alignment.

This role serves as an enterprise integrator,
ensuring that strategic initiatives, governance processes, and operational priorities are aligned, coordinated, and executed effectively
across University Technology Services (UTS) and the broader University.

The AVP is responsible for designing and operationalizing
enterprise IT governance frameworks, overseeing the Project Management Office (PMO) and institutional technology portfolio, and ensuring
disciplined execution of strategic technology investments. The position strengthens collaboration across infrastructure, enterprise
applications, data & analytics, cybersecurity, and academic technology teams to reduce silos and drive measurable institutional
value.

Villanova is a Catholic university sponsored by the Augustinian Order. The University is an equal opportunity employer and
seeks candidates who understand, respect, and can contribute to the University’s mission and values.

Duties and
Responsibilities

Strategic Planning

• Partner with the CIO to define, implement, and monitor the
  University IT strategic plan.
• Design and evolve enterprise IT governance structures, standards, and decision-making
  frameworks.
• Align enterprise architecture and technology roadmaps with institutional priorities and long-term business
  capabilities.
• Guide strategic evaluation and prioritization of major enterprise systems, platforms, and digital investments.
• Assess emerging technologies (e.g., cloud, AI, data platforms) to inform long-range institutional planning.
• Support enterprise
  transformation initiatives, including ERP modernization and data strategy advancement.

Operational Excellence

• Oversee the Project Management Office (PMO) and enterprise portfolio management practices.
• Execute enterprise IT governance
  processes, including initiative intake, evaluation, sequencing, decision gates, and resource allocation cycles.
• Lead recurring
  portfolio review processes and ensure disciplined project lifecycle management.
• Establish and monitor enterprise performance
  metrics aligned to strategic plan execution and operational effectiveness.
• Provide executive oversight of program and project
  controls, including scope management, risk mitigation, financial stewardship, and cross-functional dependency coordination.
• Ensure
  compliance with institutional IT policies, standards, and regulatory requirements in collaboration with Information Security and other
  stakeholders.
• Provide transparent reporting and executive visibility into portfolio health, risks, and value realization.
• Oversee institutional technology acquisition workflows in collaboration with Procurement and Legal to ensure governance alignment and
  fiscal responsibility.
• Provide leadership in budgeting, capital planning, and responsible stewardship of enterprise initiative
  investments.
• Partner with IT leadership to strengthen operational maturity, service design, and continuous improvement
  practices.

Organizational Leadership

• Serve as a member of the IT senior leadership team, contributing to
  divisional planning and policy development.
• Partner with peer AVPs and senior leaders across University Technology Services to
  ensure coordinated execution of enterprise technology initiatives.
• Represent University Technology Services on institutional
  governance councils, executive committees, and cross-functional task forces.
• Lead and develop high-performing teams through hiring,
  mentoring, performance management, and succession planning.
• Foster strong cross-functional relationships across academic and
  administrative units to ensure alignment and effective collaboration.
• Promote transparent communication, shared accountability, and
  a culture of disciplined execution.
• Oversee digital strategy communications and institutional training initiatives to support
  stakeholder awareness and engagement.
• Cultivate strategic partnerships with peer institutions, industry partners, and technology
  vendors.
• Facilitate knowledge-sharing across IT teams to reduce silos and enhance enterprise coordination.
• Advance
  Villanova’s Augustinian values and UTS RESTLESS vision and values within governance and operational practices.

Additional
Responsibilities

• Participate in professional associations, conferences, and industry forums as appropriate to support
  ongoing professional development and institutional visibility.
• Perform other related duties and lead projects as assigned by the
  VP/CIO in support of divisional and institutional priorities.

Minimum Qualifications

Formal
Education

• A bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related
  field.

Work Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in the information technology
  field.
• At least 7 years of progressively responsible management experience within complex or decentralized organizations.
• Experience leading large-scale digital transformation initiatives (e.g., IT governance, PMO management, ERP, cloud modernization, AI and
  data strategy).
• Senior-level accountability for divisional budgets, capital planning, and financial stewardship within a complex
  organizational environment.
• Experience establishing and overseeing enterprise performance metrics aligned to strategic plan
  execution and institutional outcomes.

Work Skills

• Exceptional senior-level communication skills (written
  and verbal), with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear strategic messaging for executive, board-level, and
  non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated senior-level strategic thinking and enterprise decision-making capability.
• Proven
  ability to lead and develop high-performing teams while fostering accountability, agility, and operational discipline.
• Demonstrated
  ability to manage organizational change, influence stakeholders, build consensus, and drive cross-functional collaboration.
• Ability
  to analyze complex institutional challenges, leverage data to inform enterprise decision-making, and implement actionable solutions.
• Senior-level oversight and application of IT service management, project management, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Ability to evaluate and responsibly apply artificial intelligence technologies within enterprise workflows.

Specific
Job Knowledge

• Deep understanding of enterprise IT governance, enterprise architecture, strategic planning, and portfolio
  management principles.
• Knowledge of current and emerging trends in information technology, including cloud computing, data
  analytics, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation practices.
• Knowledge of institutional technology
  acquisition and procurement governance processes, including vendor management, contract review, proposal evaluation, negotiation strategies,
  and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Knowledge of financial planning principles, capital allocation models, and enterprise
  portfolio investment prioritization.
• Knowledge of IT service management frameworks (e.g., ITIL or comparable methodologies) in
  complex enterprise environments.

Other

• Commitment to Villanova University’s mission and values,
  including fostering an inclusive and service-oriented culture.
• Willingness to work outside standard business hours to support
  critical maintenance or system events as needed.
• AI Fluency: Demonstrated understanding of artificial intelligence (including
  generative AI) and its practical application in business operations. Ability to identify AI-enabled opportunities, evaluate risks, and
  incorporate AI tools into workflows responsibly and effectively.

Preferred Qualifications

Formal
Education

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field.

Work
Experience

• Experience with higher education administrative, academic, and research technology environments
• Experience with business process transformation and service design in a university or public sector context.

Specific
Job Knowledge

• Knowledge of high-performance computing or research computing environments.

Other

• Active engagement with professional communities such as Internet2, EDUCAUSE, or the Campus Research Computing
  Consortium.

Salary Posting Information

This position falls within salaried grade 21 and the range is
$180,000-215,000. The final salary will be determined with consideration of several factors including the selected candidate’s
qualifications, department budget availability, market data, and internal equity.

Salary Grade
21

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