| Posting Number: |
20260308S |
| Position Title: |
Executive Director, Enterprise Administrative Systems |
| Position Type: |
Staff |
| Location: |
Villanova, PA |
| Recruitment Type: |
Internal/External Applicants |
| Work Schedule: |
full-time/12-months |
| Avg Hours Week |
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| Department: |
721-UTS - UIS - Enterprise-Wide Systems |
| Position Summary: |
Why work at Villanova?
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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.
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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.
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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 Assistant Vice President for Enterprise Systems and Data Solutions (ESDS), the Executive Director for Enterprise Administrative Systems serves as a strategic and operational leader for the University’s enterprise administrative platforms and services. The role partners closely with academic, administrative, and senior leadership, including the Vice President for Information Technology and CIO, to ensure the effective delivery, continuous improvement, and long-term transformation of the University’s enterprise systems environment in support of the institution’s teaching, research, and administrative mission.
The Executive Director provides leadership for the day-to-day support, stability, performance, and operational excellence of the University’s enterprise administrative systems, including administrative, financial, human resources, and student platforms. The role ensures systems and services are reliable, secure, scalable, and responsive to the evolving needs of the University community while maintaining a strong focus on customer service, process improvement, and technical excellence.
The Executive Director will be responsible for building strong and productive relationships with University academic and administrative leaders and their staffs and for communicating with and advising departments across campus to deliver efficient, effective, and innovative digital solutions for the University. The role works collaboratively with stakeholders across the institution to establish policies, procedures, governance models, and strategies for the effective implementation, support, modernization, and management of enterprise applications and related technologies.
In addition, the Executive Director leads the development and execution of long-term ERP and enterprise systems strategy, modernization initiatives, and technology transformation efforts. The position is responsible for aligning enterprise applications and operational capabilities with institutional priorities through strategic planning, governance, investment recommendations, and cross-functional collaboration.
The role provides oversight and direction for enterprise application support, systems analysis, application development and integration, application lifecycle management, database administration, ERP governance, vendor partnerships, and operational service delivery. The Executive Director fosters a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement while advancing best practices in enterprise technology management, operational effectiveness, and service delivery.
This position requires an individual with demonstrated collaborative leadership, strategic planning, executive communication, organizational change management, resource management, technical operational excellence, and client engagement experience, along with the ability to lead complex enterprise initiatives in a dynamic higher education environment
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.
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| Duties and Responsibilities: |
Strategic Planning, ERP Leadership, and Technology Transformation
- Lead the development and execution of the University’s enterprise administrative systems and ERP strategy, ensuring alignment of institutional priorities while supporting operational excellence, scalability, modernization, and long-term sustainability.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the AVP, CIO, and senior University leadership on enterprise applications, ERP and Student Information Systems strategy, digital transformation initiatives, operational risk, investments, governance, and emerging technologies.
- Provide strategic leadership for the modernization, optimization, and lifecycle management of enterprise administrative platforms, including Student Information Systems (SIS), financial systems, HR/payroll systems, CRM platforms, workflow automation, and related cloud-based technologies.
- Lead strategic planning efforts related to ERP/SIS modernization, cloud adoption, technical debt reduction, process automation, interoperability, AI-enabled administrative capabilities, and continuous improvement initiatives designed to improve institutional effectiveness and user experience.
- Conduct feasibility studies, architectural reviews, and solution assessments for current and new technologies, integrations, and enterprise capabilities; develop business cases, implementation strategies, resource plans, cost models, and operational impact analyses.
- Evaluate emerging higher education technology trends, enterprise architecture practices, AI and automation opportunities, and vendor solutions to guide innovation, improve services, and strengthen operational resilience.
- Establish and maintain enterprise application governance frameworks, standards, and strategic roadmaps that promote secure, scalable, reliable, and sustainable enterprise platforms aligned with institutional goals.
- Collaborate closely with enterprise data, integration, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and academic technology teams to ensure enterprise applications support secure interoperability, data integrity, reporting, analytics, and institutional decision-making.
Organizational Leadership and Stakeholder Engagement
- Provide visionary leadership, direction, and management for enterprise application, ERP, and Student Systems teams responsible for the support, enhancement, integration, and administration of the University’s enterprise administrative platforms and services.
- Lead, mentor, and develop high-performing multidisciplinary teams, including application administrators, systems analysts, developers, ERP specialists, database professionals, and integration resources, by establishing clear priorities, accountability, service expectations, and measurable outcomes.
- Foster a collaborative, customer-focused, innovative, and continuously improving culture that emphasizes operational excellence, technical leadership, service reliability, professional growth, and strong partnership with campus stakeholders.
- Build and maintain strong, productive relationships with academic and administrative leaders across the University to understand institutional needs, align technology capabilities with business priorities, and deliver effective digital solutions that enhance operational efficiency and user experience.
- Serve as a key liaison between technology and functional business units, facilitating communication, governance, prioritization, and decision-making for enterprise systems initiatives, enhancements, and operational support services.
- Provide leadership for organizational change management, communication planning, stakeholder engagement, and adoption strategies associated with ERP modernization, enterprise technology initiatives, and business process transformation efforts.
- Oversee workforce planning, succession planning, recruitment, organizational design, vendor partnerships, and professional development initiatives to ensure the organization maintains the technical and functional expertise necessary to support evolving enterprise technologies and institutional priorities.
- Promote transparent documentation, knowledge management, operational standards, and shared accountability across teams to ensure continuity, resiliency, and effective service delivery.
Operational Excellence, Service Delivery, and Enterprise Systems Management
- Provide oversight for the operational management, administration, support, enhancement, integration, security, and performance of the University’s enterprise administrative systems, including ERP, Student Information Systems, HR/payroll, finance, CRM, workflow, reporting, and related enterprise platforms.
- Ensure enterprise systems are reliable, secure, scalable, compliant, and aligned with institutional operational requirements through proactive monitoring, lifecycle management, incident response, disaster recovery planning, and continuous service improvement practices.
- Lead operational governance and oversight for enterprise applications, including application lifecycle management, release management, change control, testing, quality assurance, vendor coordination, configuration management, and secure development practices.
- Provide strategic and technical leadership for enterprise integrations and interoperability across administrative and academic systems, ensuring reliable, efficient, and sustainable data exchange between Banner, CRM, reporting, cloud platforms, and third-party applications.
- Guide and oversee enterprise application architecture, system analysis, configuration, process optimization, workflow automation, and implementation activities to improve operational effectiveness and service delivery.
- Apply structured project management, portfolio management, and organizational change management methodologies to successfully lead enterprise initiatives, upgrades, migrations, implementations, and continuous improvement efforts.
- Monitor system performance, operational metrics, service delivery effectiveness, and user experience indicators to identify opportunities for improvement, risk mitigation, and operational optimization.
- Ensure compliance with University policies, security standards, regulatory requirements, and data governance frameworks, including FERPA, HIPAA, GLBA, PCI, accessibility standards, and institutional cybersecurity requirements.
- Maintain comprehensive operational, technical, governance, audit, and compliance documentation to support transparency, continuity, reporting, and institutional accountability.
Other Responsiblities & Duties
- Support vendor management activities, technology evaluations, and institutional initiatives as assigned.
- Represent ESDS, UTS, and the University in internal and external meetings, committees, or professional activities, as appropriate.
- Participate in University initiatives, working groups, or cross-functional efforts outside the core scope of enterprise application systems.
- Engage in professional development, networking, and industry events to stay current with trends and best practices.
- Provide support for special projects or initiatives as needed.
- Perform other duties as needed to advance the mission of ESDS, University Technology Services, and the University.
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| Minimum Qualifications: |
Formal Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Work Experience
- Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible senior professional experience in enterprise applications, ERP administration, or related technology leadership roles including oversight of large-scale application deployments, modernization programs, and enterprise ERP integrations.
- Minimum of ten (10) years of progressive experience supporting, configuring, managing, and/or implementing enterprise administrative applications or large-scale business systems, including leading system modernization, replacement, and lifecycle management efforts.
- Minimum of five (5) years of experience supporting cloud-native or hybrid-cloud enterprise applications.
- Minimum of five (5) years of leadership experience overseeing enterprise applications, system delivery, or related IT functions.
- Demonstrated experience serving as a technical application expert on cross-functional projects, including requirements gathering, application analysis, functional design, and testing.
- Experience developing and reviewing functional/technical requirements, system specifications, process documentation, and application support models, while collaborating with reporting, data, and integration teams to define application requirements that support interoperability.
- Experience managing or evaluating technology vendors, solution alternatives, and system implementations, including participation in product selection, upgrade decisions, and system enhancement initiatives.
- Comprehensive knowledge of software quality assurance practices, regulatory compliance requirements, cybersecurity principles, and data privacy standards, particularly within higher education or similarly regulated environments
Work Skills (e.g., written and verbal communication skills)
- Demonstrated cross-functional leadership and team-building skills, with the ability to mentor, motivate, and develop high-performing technical teams in alignment with UTS’s RESTLESS values.
- Excellent communication skills, including the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders and present recommendations clearly across the University.
- Strong collaboration and relationship-building abilities with the capacity to work effectively across departments, functional areas, and organizational levels.
- Exceptional organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced, matrix-managed, cross-functional teams and environments.
- Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills, including evaluating trade-offs, assessing solution alternatives, supporting informed technical decision-making, aligning technology strategy with organizational priorities, and translating institutional needs into scalable technology solutions.
- Highly organized, self-directed, and capable of managing multiple priorities in dynamic, fast-paced environments.
Specific Job Knowledge (e.g., knowledge of principles and procedures related to field and area)
- In-Depth Knowledge of enterprise application systems supporting finance, human resources, student, and administrative operations
- In-Depth Knowledge of ERP/SIS systems, including lifecycle management, configuration-based solutions, and modernization approaches
- Strong understanding of enterprise application design, configuration, and support practices, including workflow management and functional configuration.
- Knowledge of application lifecycle processes, documentation methods, testing practices, release management, and change control.
- Familiarity with resource planning concepts, administrative business processes, and the data structures that support them (student, HR, finance, academic operations).
- Understanding of integration and interoperability principles, including how applications exchange data across cloud, SaaS, and on-premise systems.
- Knowledge of relational databases, data models, and concepts used in enterprise applications and reporting.
- Understanding of security, governance, compliance, and accessibility considerations related to enterprise administrative systems.
- Familiarity with cloud-hosted application environments, vendor ecosystems, and architectural considerations relevant to modern enterprise applications.
- Experience managing, integrating, and support cloud and hybrid-cloud implementations of enterprise systems.
Other:
- Occasional work outside of normal business hours, including evenings and weekends, may be required to address critical enterprise system issues or support major system events.
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| Preferred Qualifications: |
Formal Education
- Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Technology Management, or a related field.
- Project Management Professional (PMP) or similar project management certification.
- Cloud certifications from key vendors such as Microsoft/Azure, Amazon/AWS, and Google/GCP as related to cloud and hybrid-cloud enterprise systems management.
Work Experience
- Experience working in a higher education technology environment strongly preferred, or experience in large, complex, decentralized environments.
- Experience leading modernization, digital transformation, or large-scale application redevelopment initiatives.
- Experience migrating systems from on-premise to cloud/SaaS
Work Skills (e.g., written and verbal communication skills)
- Experience contributing to or leading system selection processes, RFP evaluations, or vendor assessments.
Specific Job Knowledge (e.g., knowledge of principles and procedures related to field and area)
- Advanced knowledge of strategic planning, project management methodologies, quality assurance principles, and enterprise application lifecycle practices.
- Broad understanding of enterprise IT functions that support higher education, including administrative systems, data workflows, system architecture, and cloud-based application environments.
- Experience working with higher education ERP systems, including:
- Ellucian Banner (administrative modules, upgrades, configuration, workflows, or process improvements).
- Workday/Banner SaaS (HR, Finance, or Student) or similar cloud-based ERP platforms.
- Familiarity with CRM or student lifecycle platforms used in higher education (e.g., Slate, Salesforce).
- Experience with one or more relevant tools or platforms, such as:
- Document management systems (e.g., Softdocs, OnBase)
- Integration and workflow platforms (e.g., Boomi, MuleSoft, Azure Integration Services)
- Relational databases (e.g., Oracle, SQL Server)
- Cloud hosting or containerization technologies supporting enterprise administrative systems
- Active engagement with professional communities such as Internet2, EDUCAUSE, or the Campus Research Computing Consortium.
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| Physical Requirements and/or Unusual Work Hours: |
Tools, machinery and equipment used: N/A
Environmental conditions: (any unusual/adverse conditions such as exposure to chemicals, noise, illumination, air quality, weather exposure etc.). N/A
Physical requirements: (items such as lifting, pushing, pulling, standing or sitting for extended periods of time, manual dexterity, walking etc.) N/A
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| Special Message to Applicants: |
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| Posting Date: |
06/23/2026 |
| Closing Date (11:59pm ET): |
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| Salary Posting Information: |
This position falls within salaried grade 21 and the range is $178,200-198,000. 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 |
| Job Classification: |
exempt |
