[Hiring] Director, IT Engineering @Vocate Education Solutions

Role Description

The Director, IT Engineering provides strategic and technical leadership for the design, implementation, and ongoing management of Vocate’s enterprise engineering capabilities. This role is responsible for building and leading high-performing engineering teams, establishing scalable and secure technology platforms, enabling enterprise shared services, and advancing cloud infrastructure, platform engineering, site reliability engineering, endpoint management, data platform infrastructure, automation, observability, and AI-enabling capabilities.

The Director partners closely with various departments to align engineering solutions with organizational objectives, regulatory requirements, enterprise initiatives, M&A activity, and long-term growth. The role is accountable for:

• Service reliability
• Engineering talent development
• Budget and vendor management
• Continuous improvement
• Delivery of secure, resilient, governed, scalable, and cost-effective technology services

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, computer science, engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Strategic IT Leadership: Ability to develop and execute technology strategies, roadmaps, operating plans, budgets, and performance measures that align with institutional goals.
• Engineering Leadership and Talent Development: Proven success leading, mentoring, developing, and retaining high-performing engineering and infrastructure teams.
• Cloud, Infrastructure, and Platform Engineering: Experience designing, implementing, and optimizing cloud and hybrid environments, infrastructure-as-code, automation frameworks, CI/CD pipelines, and scalable platform.
• IT Operations and Service Reliability: Strong knowledge of system administration, network infrastructure, monitoring, incident management, capacity planning, disaster recovery, business continuity, and service reliability.
• Enterprise Architecture and Solution Design: Ability to apply enterprise architecture principles, technical standards, and best practices to deliver scalable, secure, and sustainable technology.
• Cybersecurity, Risk, and Governance: Experience implementing security controls, identity and access management, vulnerability management, risk mitigation, and technology governance.
• Compliance and Data Protection: Working knowledge of FERPA, GLBA, accreditation requirements, privacy regulations, audit readiness, and data protection standards applicable to higher education.
• Budget, Vendor, and Financial Management: Experience managing operating and capital budgets, technology investments, software licensing, vendor relationships, contracts, and cost optimization.
• Data, Analytics, and Emerging Technologies: Understanding of infrastructure and platforms supporting analytics, business intelligence, data management, AI-enabled solutions, and enterprise applications.
• Project and Portfolio Management: Ability to prioritize, manage, and deliver multiple technology initiatives while balancing resources, timelines, risks, and organizational goals.
• Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence: Experience using operational metrics, stakeholder feedback, and performance data to improve services, processes, and team performance.
• Stakeholder Collaboration and Communication: Exceptional ability to partner with academic, administrative, finance, compliance, and business leaders while translating complex technical concepts into clear, actionable guidance.
• Ability to professionally communicate fluently in verbal and written English.
• Ability to contribute to a diverse and inclusive work environment.
• Computer literacy/basic computer skills to effectively navigate and utilize the technology required for the role.

Requirements

• Experience leading engineering capabilities in a multi-entity, regulated, higher education, financial services, healthcare, or similarly complex environment.
• Experience establishing enterprise shared services or centralized control-plane capabilities within a holding company, portfolio organization, or federated operating model.
• Direct experience supporting M&A due diligence, technology integration, divestiture, legal-entity restructuring, or technology separation.
• Hands-on experience with Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft 365, ServiceNow, Databricks, Terraform or comparable infrastructure-as-code tooling, and modern monitoring and observability platforms.
• Experience designing identity, productivity, collaboration, cloud, data, and security architectures that support multiple institutions, subsidiaries, domains, tenants, or SaaS organizations.
• Working knowledge of ITIL, SRE, DevSecOps, FinOps, NIST, CIS Controls, or comparable technology management and control frameworks.
• Relevant certifications such as Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Azure DevOps Engineer Expert, AWS Solutions Architect Professional, FinOps Certified Practitioner, ITIL, CISSP, or equivalent credentials.
• Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and other business tools such as Microsoft Teams.

Benefits

• Medical (including prescription), Dental, Vision (UMA subsidized)
• FSA/HSA (Depending on Medical Plan chosen)
• Basic Life Insurance (UMA paid) minimum $50,000 - maximum $250,000 (1x annual salary)
• Additional Voluntary Life Insurance (Team Member paid)
• Employee Assistance Program – EAP (UMA paid)
• Long Term Disability (UMA paid)
• Short Term Disability (Team Member paid)
• Supplemental Insurance such as Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital (Team Member Paid)
• Paid Time Off – 15 days accrued in year 1, 9 holidays, and 1 day of Volunteering Time Off
• 401k (eligible upon completion of 90 days of employment and must be at least 18 years of age)
• Pet Insurance
• Identity Theft Protection

Company Description

Vocate is a non-profit higher education and workforce solutions provider dedicated to closing the nation’s talent gaps in critical industries such as healthcare. Through its entities including Ultimate Medical Academy, American Institute, Nasium Training, and Global Education Group, Vocate serves more than 20,000 adult learners nationwide, primarily in under-resourced populations. Backed by more than 130 years of combined experience in higher learning across its institutions, Vocate delivers accessible, career-aligned programs enhanced by employer partnerships and comprehensive student support services.