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We are committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcome applications from individuals from equity seeking groups such as women, racialized/visible minorities, Indigenous/Aboriginal peoples, persons with a disability, persons who identify in the LGBTQ+ community and others who reflect the diversity of Canadian society.
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Job Summary
Reporting to the Senior Director, Information Technology & Facilities, the Manager, Information Technology Systems and Development is responsible for managing technology services that support the academic programs and administrative operations of Smith Engineering (QSE). A key aspect of this role is providing operational leadership and information technology expertise to support academic departments and units within the Faculty; with responsibility for the secure and effective operation of all computer systems, related applications, hardware and software used within the Faculty. This role is critical to ensuring that the Faculty offers the most up to date options to meet the needs of stakeholders, and that there is strong operational compliance and prompt and appropriate response in standard and nonstandard situations.
As a member of the QSE IT & Facilities Management (QSE ITFM) team, the Manager, IT Systems and Development contributes to creating an effective plan for annual work priorities, projects and staff development
This position may require occasional evening and weekend work.
Job Description
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Responsible for the development, transition, operation, and maintenance of the Faculty’s data platform assets, solutions, and services.
- Provides operational and technical leadership and guidance on IT matters to partner departments; understands requirements to support the mission and reputation of the Faculty.
- Assesses and advises on the feasibility of projects and IT initiatives using knowledge of Faculty and department policies, procedures, and business operations, and the scope and capabilities of various systems.
- Establishes and implements the integration of computer systems, software packages, security systems, and operating systems for multiple platforms to align with the strategic goals and objectives of the Faculty.
- Manages the operation of all Faculty-wide systems and hosted departmental systems; continuously scans environment to maximize resources and minimize system disruptions.
- Conducts needs assessment for new systems, identifies ways of enhancing existing systems, defines operational parameters, develops viable solutions, and performs cost-benefit analyses of solutions.
- Leads the successful development of security controls to protect data in transit and at rest across multiple data centers, including Payment Card Industry (PCI) requirements and compliance, and processes in conjunction with the campus PCI group.
- Evaluates risk factors to protect the infrastructure, safeguard the integrity of data and intellectual property, and protect personal privacy in order to minimize business disruption and adverse legal and reputational impact.
- Provides technical advice to faculty researchers regarding most effective computer systems and best practices in security, storage, maintenance, and monitoring for research platforms.
- Collaborates with the other members of the IT and Facilities management team to create the annual work plan, project planning and staff planning requirements for the QSE IT department.
- Ensures that policy documents and technical and non-technical documentation for programs and systems are prepared and maintained.
- Leads the establishment of standards for server and system backup, upgrades and security patching and ensures backup and recovery policies are in place and followed.
- Works with campus Information Technology Services for use of the main data centre, and oversees the operation of a secondary Faculty data centre, working with HVAC and power vendors to ensure high reliability and uptime.
- Provides tertiary-level user support for end-user computers, servers, and software;
- Oversees the outsourcing of software projects.
- Engages with external agencies and University IT Services, leads and participates in working groups and committees, as needed.
- Plans, prioritizes and manages the work of employees, providing strategic and tactical advice, guidance and coaching.
- Identifies the need for staff resources, participates on staffing committees and makes recommendations regarding employee selection.
- Manages performance by establishing performance standards and conducting formal performance reviews on an ongoing basis.
- Assesses staff training and development needs, and ensures that employees receive training required to improve and sustain performance.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- University degree in computer science or a related field with relevant experience in systems and information security management.
- IT experience with network security, operating system security, Internet/web security, DLP, anti-malware, IDS/IPS, penetration & vulnerability testing, cyber security, and the ability to read and understand vulnerability bulletins, and security event data.
- Knowledge of common implementation technologies and protocols, for example, virtualization technologies, Unix scripting, containerization, modern authentication (Azure), databases, Active Directory and web stacks on Linux and Windows.
- Experience with multiple networking protocols and topologies, operating systems, Internet technologies (Domain Name Service, Email, Public Key Infrastructure)
- Experience in programming writing/scripting/automation is an asset.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills including experience in writing technical documentation.
- Experience leading a team, and working in a unionized environment.
- Strong communication (written and verbal) and project management skills.
- Consideration may be given to an equivalent combination of education and experience.
SPECIAL SKILLS:
- Maintain current knowledge of IT standards, tools and best practices.
- Ability to integrate technology into the workplace and academic programs in order to facilitate and advance the strategic mission of the Faculty.
- Ability to conceptualize plans and technical solutions for dealing with an array of information system issues e.g. database management strategies.
- Exceptional problem solving and analytical skills that enable the gathering of information from multiple sources, analysis, and interpretation.
- Ability to appropriately manage confidential files and data on networked computer systems, maintaining a high degree of confidentiality and professional integrity.
- Proven ability to manage large-scale operations and to provide leadership in a mission critical service.
- Experience in creating business recommendations using cost-benefit analysis, understanding user needs and strategic priorities
- Provide a client-centered perspective that is committed to continuous improvement
- Ability to coordinate workflow, delegate duties, develop employees to their fullest potential, and support strong employee engagement.
- Demonstrate commitment to fostering an environment that is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- Demonstrate good judgment, tact, and foresight in order to predict trends and problems and adapt processes to optimize outcome.
- Ability to adapt to change and to effectively influence partners to adapt without compromising the quality of products and services.
- Ability to work under pressure and time constraints and to handle/manage multiple tasks effectively.
DECISION MAKING:
- Determines priorities for Faculty IT Systems’ priorities and project work plans.
- Makes decisions into the recruitment, interview and selection of staff, to ensure the quality of services is both effective and aligned to planned work.
- Monitors project timelines, establishes priorities and determines resourcing input.
- Decides how to develop and lead the processes that will achieve an IT operational strategy that successfully supports the academic programs and administrative needs of the Faculty within available resources.
- Determines standards to be established for system backup, upgrades and security patching.
- Evaluates and selects appropriate action to take when a system fails to minimize disruption to the on-going operation of the department.
- Determines appropriate diagnostic procedures and decides how to best rectify the problem and also decide if a problem should be referred.
- Makes effective decisions on approaches to reducing and containing operational risk.
- Provides recommendations on appropriate cost recovery mechanisms for IT services and fee schedules and contributions into the annual IT operating budget.
- Manages and determines the nature of modifications to systems that affect users (students, faculty and staff) across the Faculty. Determines project guidelines, establishes timelines, allocates resources and establishes priorities in order to ensure project completion.
- Identifies and assigns work assignments based on the skills of the project team members.
- Specifies the content of technical documentation and training seminars in order to meet the needs of all users at various levels of technological familiarity.
Employment Equity and Accessibility Statement
The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Queen's is strongly committed to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace and encourages applications from Black, racialized persons, Indigenous people, women, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQI+ persons. In accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, priority will be given to those who are legally eligible to work in Canada.
The University provides support in its recruitment processes to all applicants who require accommodation due to a protected ground under the Ontario Human Rights Code, including those with disabilities. Candidates requiring accommodation during the recruitment process are asked to contact Human Resources at [email protected].
