Director, Client Technology Services

SAIT • Calgary • 2d ago

SAIT’s Information Technology Services department handles all software and hardware needs, as well as technological and networking issues for both employees and students who rely heavily on computer systems across our campuses. Technical support — which includes help with computer hardware and software technical problems, email, audio-visual needs and more — is available to everyone at SAIT, whether the problem occurs at home or on-campus.

The Opportunity

The Director, Client Technology Services is a visible campus-wide leader who builds cross-functional relationships, translates technical complexity into business value, and continually innovates to keep the SAIT’s client technology landscape responsive, secure, and student centered.

This individual will provide strategic, operational, and people leadership for all end-user computing, academic technology, and frontline IT support services across SAIT. Reporting to the Associate Vice-President & Chief Information Officer (CIO), the Director delivers an exceptional technology experience for students, faculty, staff, and external partners by:

• Setting direction and driving change

• Leading three service portfolios

• Championing ITSM best practice

• Modernizing the client environment

• Stewarding resources and partnerships

• Fostering an inclusive, high-performance culture

The Role

Strategic Leadership & Service Governance
Set multi-year vision, service catalogue, KPIs, and funding models; align with ITS Technology Roadmap and academic mission.
Publish roadmap that ladders to the ITS Technology Roadmap and annual budget cycle.
Set and review annual KPIs (e.g., first-contact-resolution, device-refresh compliance, classroom-uptime).
Operational Excellence & Incident Management
Own IT processes, and continuous-improvement programs for service desk, technology standards, endpoint management, learning management system, classroom technology, campus audio visual, and academic facing software provisioning.
Maintain and mature processes in ServiceNow (incident, request, problem, change, knowledge).
Ensure Priority outages are coordinated through technical leads, executive situation reports are drafted, and post-incident reviews are completed.
Sponsor technology standards (e.g. Windows, macOS, Client Hardware, Audio Visual) and oversee lifecycle management for ~7,000 endpoints, audio visual for staff, faculty and 650 teaching spaces.
People Leadership & Talent Development
Coach three managers and ~75 indirect staff across multiple bargaining units and campuses.
Implement succession and workforce-planning framework; identify high-potential staff and create stretch assignments.
Champion inclusive workplace initiatives, equitable hiring practices and track engagement-survey action plans.
Manage performance management cycle, merit recommendations, and professional-development budgets.
Client & Vendor Engagement
Cultivate partnerships with deans, research units, teaching & learning, and key vendors.
Act as primary liaison to deans and teaching & learning for curriculum-driven technology needs; including annual Learning Space upgrade plan.
Lead RFPs and contract negotiations for software and for computer & audio-visual hardware partners.
Represent the institution in provincial higher-ed discussions and national user groups; share best practices and pursue collaborative procurements.
Track ~$7M OPEX budget, monitor variance, and oversee quarterly forecasts and business cases.

Qualifications & Experience

Bachelor's degree in Business, Information Systems, or related field.
3-5 years Progressive IT leadership with at least 3 years managing in a higher-education or similarly complex public-sector setting.
3-5 years in a supervisory role and in a senior leadership role

Required Skills and Capabilities

Core Leadership & Strategic Capabilities
Proven higher-education (or comparably complex public-sector) leadership: successfully directs multi-site, client-facing IT services supporting thousands of end-users.
Strategic planning & change leadership: crafts multi-year roadmaps, builds cross-functional coalitions, and guides staff through large-scale service or organizational transformations.
Inclusive, people-centric management style: creates psychologically safe teams, mentors managers, and drives retention and engagement across diverse employee groups and student staff.
Service-Delivery & Technical Oversight
ITSM/ITIL champion (foundation-to-intermediate level): recognizes the value of incident, problem, change, and knowledge processes and can mobilize specialists or vendors to implement and mature them.
Campus-scale endpoint & learning space modernization: has led or sponsored initiatives such as Windows 11 + Intune migration, macOS fleet refresh, or multi-room AV/classroom-technology upgrades.
Learning management system oversight: worked with Brightspace, or equivalent to align vendor roadmaps, integrations, and support models with teaching and learning needs.
Data-driven service improvement: uses analytics to prioritize enhancements and demonstrate value to executive and academic Clients.
Financial & Vendor Management
Budget stewardship of = $7M OPEX: including forecasting, variance reporting, and funding proposals.
Enterprise procurement & vendor-relationship skills: negotiates complex software, hardware, and AV contracts, balancing cost, risk, and service quality.
Communication & Relationship Building
Executive level communicator: translates technical risk or opportunity into clear business terms for VPs, Deans, and external partners.
Client diplomacy: gains cooperation and consensus across academic, administrative, and unionized environments; adept at resolving competing priorities.
Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills: produces crisp briefing notes, business cases, and incident updates suitable for board-level review.

Job classification: M1105 - Director

Salary range: $120,000 - $185,000.00

Paid Leave: 4 Weeks Vacation / 14 Flex Days per year

of positions: 1

Hours Per Week: 37.5

Posting closing date: August 8, 2025

About SAIT

SAIT is a global leader in applied education. Named one of Alberta’s Top Employers [https://canadastop100.com/alberta/], we offer the chance to work with a purpose — preparing the next generation of industry leaders, entrepreneurs, advocates and explorers.

Building on our 100+ year history, we’re looking for innovative, bold and collaborative employees who embrace change and deliver world-class customer experiences. Your future starts now at SAIT.

Community and Belonging is essential to achieving SAIT’s vision to be a global leader in applied education. It creates the conditions for a healthy campus where everyone feels welcome, respected and empowered to succeed. SAIT values fairness, shared accountability and the importance of representation. The institution expects a commitment from its students and employees to continuously develop an equitable and inclusive mindset that celebrates diverse experiences and perspectives. Learn more about Community and Belonging at SAIT [https://www.sait.ca/equity-diversity-and-inclusion].

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