Villanova University seeks a collaborative leader with experience helping institutions implement and optimize the foundational technology platforms that enable academic and administrative operations. Reporting to the Chief Information Officer, the Assistant Vice President (AVP) for Enterprise Systems and Data Solutions (ESDS) is responsible for a team within University Technology Services focused on creating, maintaining, and enhancing an enterprise application and systems environment that supports the university’s strategic goals and technology priorities. As a member of the University Technology Services leadership team, the AVP leads the development, delivery and support of enterprise applications and platforms that support Villanova’s ability to deliver services and experiences to its students, faculty, staff, alumni and families.

The AVP will be a part of the senior leadership team (SLT) for University Technology Services (UTS), presently organized into eight divisions: Enterprise Technology Services, University Information Systems, Customer Experience Support, Instructional Technology, Security, University Card Services, Project Management and Finance/Business Operations. UTS has approximately 125 employees and contractors, an annual operating budget of $24 million, and the University’s technology capital budget to support a diverse portfolio of services and solutions including Ellucian Banner ERP, Salesforce, Slate, TeamDynamix and Adobe Experience Manager and a migration to D2L as a new learning management system.

About Villanova University

Villanova University, a co-educational Roman Catholic institution, was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842. A premier institution of higher education, Villanova provides a comprehensive education rooted in the liberal arts; a shared commitment to the Augustinian values of veritas, unitas and caritas; and a community dedicated to service to others. 

Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are nearly 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges – the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation's top universities, Villanova supports its students' intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them.

Villanova is in an exciting time of strategic change and growth. In 2024, Villanova assumed responsibility for the campus and physical assets of nearby Cabrini University. The integration adds approximately 110 acres and nearly 1M square feet of space, enabling Villanova to increase student enrollment in the years ahead. Last fall, Villanova announced the public phase of its $1.25B campaign, Espiritus Nova, geared to advance its Rooted. Restless. Strategic plan. The campaign focuses on three major areas of investment: financial aid, research and faculty support, and capital programming and campus investment. Earlier this year, Villanova announced an agreement to merge with nearby Rosemont College beginning in 2027.

Leadership Agenda

The Assistant Vice President leads the technology strategy, in collaboration with campus functional leaders, for Enterprise Resource Planning systems (ERPs), student information systems, constituent relationship management, software development, integration services to connect disparate systems, database administration, data warehousing, business intelligence (reporting and analytics), and other enterprise-wide applications (both on-premise and cloud based). The AVP contributes to the continual improvement of the University IT Strategic Plan and manages the enterprise and data solutions teams to achieve goals, objectives and key results. The AVP will work collaboratively to implement strategies to modernize the University ERP and data platforms, support student engagement, and guide ethical and appropriate uses of AI. An engaged and visible leader on campus, the AVP will possess a deep appreciation for the mission, history, and achievements of Villanova, as well as the University’s Augustinian values and academic programs. Key components of the AVP leadership agenda will be to:

• Facilitate the adoption of Villanova’s Augustinian values and UTS’ RESTLESS vision and values in the ESDS team and support the development of its staff.
• Build strong and collaborative partnerships with key stakeholders across the University, actively participating in University activities and initiatives.
• Create an enterprise applications roadmap that leverages modern design principles and technologies and aligns technology with strategic university priorities, ensuring realistic timelines, clear accountability, and measurable outcomes.
• Address legacy technical debt, modernize integrations, standardize processes, and minimize unnecessary customizations to ensure long-term sustainability and cost-efficiency of applications.
• Lead strategic planning for new or enhanced enterprise application services, including requirements gathering, user-centered design, implementation, assessment, and retirement of services and systems.
• Foster deep partnerships across campus, actively engaging stakeholders to advance data strategies to improve access to quality data and reporting and support the integration of data from multiple on-premises and cloud solutions.
• Lead the evaluation of enterprise application technologies that meet short and long-term goals, and develop business cases, return on investment (ROI) assessments, total cost of ownership (TCO) calculations, and other analyses to help guide their selection.
• Develop capabilities to partner with administrative units to support digital process transformation and improvements to the constituent experience, and thoughtfully evaluate and implement innovative technologies (such as AI, automation, and cloud solutions) to enhance operational effectiveness

Additional Responsibilities

The AVP will lead a team composed of Business Intelligence and Analytics, Web Services and Technology and University Information Systems and will work collaboratively with University partners and key stakeholders to understand their needs and deliver an enterprise ecosystem that is user-centered, seamless, and connected; develop a deep technical understanding of the entire enterprise systems and solutions environment; and ensure high availability, reliability, and security of the enterprise application and data ecosystem. Key responsibilities include:

• Adopt modern and forward-looking technology and service strategies structured around common technology layers and consistent service delivery through standard processes.
• Manage operating and capital budgets for the Enterprise Systems and Data Solutions team.
• Direct the day-to-day operations for the ESDS team, including creating and managing strategies, plans, policies, procedures, and budgets.
• Foster high-performing and agile teams dedicated to technical excellence and exceptional customer service, and fluid customer experiences.
• Embrace effective communication within the team, across IT and across the University. 
• Train, coach, and mentor employees under their supervision. Plan and conduct performance appraisals of employees under their supervision. 
• Participate in or lead hiring processes, as needed.
• Cultivate, negotiate, and formalize vendor relationships and external partnerships that support or enhance IT/campus partner digital initiatives.
• Develop a strong network of peers at comparable institutions and represent Villanova at local, statewide, and national meetings and conferences, as appropriate.
• Maintain current knowledge of, and advise the CIO on, best practices and future trends in all areas related to enterprise applications.

Qualifications and Leadership Experience

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required. Additional job-related experience may substitute for the required education on a year-for-year basis.
• Ten years of relevant experience in enterprise application management/support, enterprise architecture, data warehousing, and/or business analysis.
• Possess a track record of success directing large and complex IT development and operations teams.
• Experience in a senior management role, with proven leadership skills and demonstrated ability to manage high-performing teams, operations, and budgets.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically about the application of technology to solve business problems, assess technologies and standards to determine best fit, and develop user/functional/business-driven technology strategies and plans.
• Commitment to continuous assessment and improvement with experience identifying, establishing, and reporting on key performance metrics.
• Experience leading organizational and/or technology change initiatives with a strong emphasis on relationship-building, collaboration, and shared stewardship.
• Commitment to advancing Augustinian values and to creating a culture welcoming of diversity and fostering equity and inclusion.
• Strong written and oral communication skills (including ability to present ideas in user-friendly, business-friendly and technical language) and interpersonal skills with a focus on rapport-building, listening and questioning skills.
• Ability to build effective relationships and strong commitment to working collegially and collaboratively with constituents at all levels in a diverse and distributed environment.

Desired Qualifications

• Master’s degree preferred.
• Understanding of software lifecycle and application development processes.
• Experience with business process analysis, including process mapping and re-engineering.
• Experience in a large and complex IT environment in higher education. 
• Familiarity with enterprise application support, database management, application development, data warehousing, and/or application integration. 
• Understanding of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and/or robotics process automation (RPA) as they apply to enterprise application systems and services.
• Possess a visionary mindset to see technology possibilities that others may not. 
• Demonstrated conflict resolution, influence, and/or consensus-building abilities.
• Familiarity with shared governance models. 

Applications and Nominations

Villanova University has retained Next Generation Leadership Partners to support this search. Candidates may submit, in confidence, resumes and cover letters through the Next Gen portal. For full consideration, applicants should submit their materials to Next Generation by June 13th. Inquiries and nominations should be directed to Mary Beth Baker at marybeth@nextgenpartnersllc.com.

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.