Position Announcement

West Virginia University seeks a strategic, forward-looking, and action-oriented leader to serve as its next Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer. Reporting to the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, the CIO will serve as the University’s senior technology leader and a key partner to institutional leadership in shaping how technology advances the University’s academic, research, student, and administrative priorities.

This is not simply an operational IT role. WVU is looking for a CIO who can think strategically, act decisively, build trust across the institution, and help position the University for what is next. The successful candidate will bring the judgment to manage risk, the courage to challenge legacy assumptions, and the leadership to move a complex organization forward.

The CIO will be expected to strengthen the University’s cybersecurity posture, elevate customer service for deans, campus presidents, and campus partners, build high-value strategic partnerships, develop a practical and responsible institutional strategy for artificial intelligence, and position WVU at the forefront of modern IT architecture and digital access infrastructure. This leader must be able to move comfortably between strategy and execution and bring a style that is collaborative, responsive, confident, and grounded.

Reporting Relationship
This position reports to the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of an enterprise technology strategy that aligns with the University’s mission, strategic priorities, and financial realities.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, President, Provost, deans, campus presidents, and other University leaders on technology strategy, institutional risk, digital opportunity, and operational effectiveness.
• Lead the University’s central information technology organization, including enterprise applications, infrastructure, networks, cybersecurity, cloud services, end-user support, and related core technology functions.
• Build a strong culture of customer service, responsiveness, accountability, and partnership across the IT organization, with particular emphasis on service to deans, campus presidents, academic units, and other University partners.
• Strengthen the University’s cybersecurity strategy, operations, resilience, business continuity, and disaster recovery capabilities.
• Position WVU at the forefront of modern IT architecture and digital access infrastructure by advancing secure, scalable, resilient, and user-centered technology platforms that support the University’s long-term ambitions.
• Lead the development of a clear, practical, and responsible institutional strategy for artificial intelligence, including governance, adoption, use cases, training, procurement, and risk management.
• Identify, cultivate, and manage strategic external partnerships that create long-term value for the University, including with major technology firms, cloud providers, cybersecurity partners, and other innovators.
• Provide strong leadership around major enterprise systems and platforms, including ERP and related administrative technologies, with a focus on institutional alignment, usability, reliability, and business value.
• Establish effective IT governance, standards, and portfolio management processes that promote transparency, prioritization, accountability, and sound institutional decision-making.
• Promote an integrated approach to data, analytics, and decision support in partnership with academic, administrative, and functional leaders.
• Build and sustain effective working relationships with WVU Medicine to ensure strong coordination where technology priorities, service delivery, cybersecurity, data, and innovation intersect.
• Lead technology budgeting, investment planning, and resource stewardship in a way that reflects both institutional priorities and financial discipline.
• Oversee major vendor relationships, sourcing strategies, and technology procurements to ensure value, performance, flexibility, and accountability.
• Recruit, develop, and retain strong leaders and staff while building a culture that is high-performing, service-oriented, innovative, and team-focused.
• Break down silos, reduce duplication, and encourage stronger collaboration across technology functions and campus stakeholders.
• Stay ahead of emerging trends and recommend bold but thoughtful strategies that keep WVU competitive, relevant, and well positioned for the future.

Leadership Profile
The successful candidate will bring many of the following qualities:

• A strategic mindset and the ability to view technology as an institutional asset, not merely an operational utility.
• A willingness to take thoughtful risks, challenge stale assumptions, and lead meaningful change.
• A strong service orientation and a clear commitment to meeting the needs of deans, faculty, staff, students, and campus partners.
• The ability to build trust and credibility across academic, administrative, and operational environments.
• Strong political judgment, low ego, and the maturity to lead effectively in a large and complex institution.
• The presence and communication skills to translate complex technology issues into practical institutional decisions.
• A track record of building strong teams, developing talent, and creating cultures of accountability and execution.
• The ability to build productive external partnerships that extend the University’s capacity and strategic reach.
• An appreciation for the mission of higher education and the role a flagship public University plays in the life of the state.
• A leadership style that is collaborative, responsive, grounded, and aligned with a culture that values partnership and getting things done.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Significant progressive leadership experience in information technology, including experience in senior leadership roles.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated success leading technology strategy and operations in a large, complex organization.
• Experience overseeing multiple core IT functions, such as enterprise applications, infrastructure, cybersecurity, networks, support services, and vendor management.
• Demonstrated success aligning technology priorities and investments with broader organizational strategy and business needs.
• Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional initiatives and deliver results through others.
• Demonstrated success building credibility and strong working relationships with senior leaders and key stakeholders.
• Strong communication, judgment, and leadership skills.
• Advanced degree.
• Experience leading or supporting a major ERP implementation, modernization, or optimization effort.
• Experience developing and advancing an organizational approach to artificial intelligence strategy, governance, and adoption.
• Experience building and managing strategic technology partnerships at the enterprise level.
• Experience leading significant cybersecurity, enterprise risk, or resilience initiatives.
• Higher education experience is preferred, but not required; however, candidates should demonstrate a clear appreciation for the mission, culture, and complexity of higher education.

Personal Characteristics
The ideal candidate will be:

• Strategic but practical.
• Innovative but grounded.
• Confident but not territorial.
• Responsive and service-minded.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and willing to make hard decisions.
• Energetic, visible, and engaged.
• Able to move easily between big-picture thinking and day-to-day execution.