Location:

Hybrid role based in Irvine, CA, with an expectation of 2-3 days per week onsite. Local candidates are strongly preferred, though relocation may be considered for candidates within reasonable proximity to Southern California. KORE1, a nationwide provider of staffing and recruiting solutions, has an immediate opening for a Senior Director, Enterprise Applications - User Experience, Application Strategy, AI Transformation & Project Leadership We are seeking a Senior Director of Technology, Applications to lead the strategy, implementation, and optimization of enterprise applications to support the university's rapid growth and enhance the student experience. This role will accelerate the university's technology roadmap, with a focus on establishing an integrated, scalable application platform. The position provides hands-on leadership across enterprise systems such as the Student Information System (SIS), Instructional Technology (LMS), Slate CRM, and related project management. The goal is to establish a premier IT organization that implements leading technology and provides innovative technology solutions to the organization. The Senior Director reports to the CFO and partners with academic and administrative leadership and outside vendors to deliver proactive, high-impact technology solutions aligned with institutional priorities. Applications Strategy and Delivery Own and execute the enterprise applications roadmap, aligned to institutional growth and student experience goals Lead implementation and enhancement of key platforms (e.g., academic/operational systems including SIS, LMS, Academic operations and CRM) Drive delivery of SaaS and custom-built applications to support scaling needs Leverage AI to accelerate business process automation and build a robust knowledge base Establish governance for application architecture, integrations, and lifecycle management Enhance the University's posture and awareness of Application Information Security Able to transform the development organization to new AI development paradigm Evaluate and recommend new technology solutions aligned with university needs Technology Acceleration and Execution Increase speed and quality of application implementations, addressing current resource and execution gaps Introduce agile, product-oriented delivery models where appropriate Ensure applications are positioned to support rapid institutional growth and scalability Provide strong project leadership and oversight across the applications roadmap and PMO, ensuring initiatives are effectively managed through execution Leadership and Team Development Provide strong, hands-on leadership across applications, instructional technology, systems solutions teams, and the PMO Build and scale the applications organization, including hiring critical roles and optimizing team structure Upskill existing leadership and staff by providing mentorship, development, and guidance Vendor and Partner Management Develop and manage strategic relationships with key application vendors and consulting partners Leverage external partners (e.g., Moodle consultants, offshore resources) to accelerate delivery Stakeholder Engagement Act as a visible and proactive technology leader across the university Partner with academic and administrative leadership to understand needs and translate them into solutions Build strong relationships across technical and non-technical teams, with the ability to listen to stakeholder and user needs and communicate effectively at all levels Improve IT's reputation as a strategic, solution-oriented partner rather than a reactive function Data and Business Intelligence Develop a formal data and analytics roadmap to improve data availability and reporting/analytics capabilities, including our evolution from reporting to predictive analytics Actively incorporate AI into our roadmap, pushing the organization to have focused and insightful analytics as opposed to dashboards and reporting All other duties as assigned. Job Requirements Bachelor's degree or higher required Experience in higher education or similarly complex environments with large, diverse user populations 10+ years of progressive IT leadership experience, with significant focus on enterprise applications Career foundation in hands-on enterprise applications, with progression into increasingly senior application and technology leadership roles Hands-on leadership style with the ability to drive execution, not just strategy Experience building and scaling high-performing technology teams Demonstrated ability to operate in fast-growth, transformation-oriented environments Strong executive communication, listening, relationship-building, and stakeholder management skills Proven track record leading large-scale application implementations and integrations Experience leading applications that support a large user base and have a significant impact on the end-user/customer experience Experience leveraging AI within an applications environment, with an understanding of how AI can transform application development, delivery, and business processes Strong project leadership and delivery experience, with the ability to oversee and lead the PMO; previous formal PMO leadership experience is not required Strong experience with vendor management and SaaS platforms Familiarity with Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as Moodle Preferred Experience balancing in-house development and commercial platforms Exposure to offshore or hybrid delivery models Compensation depends on experience but is typically $175-185K base / currently no bonus. However, we are willing to send qualified candidates over budget, and the client is trying to get a 10% bonus approved.

ABOUT KORE1

Specializing in professional and technical recruiting, KORE1 is committed to supporting top IT, engineering, creative, scientific, accounting and finance professionals in their career paths. We build deep relationships with our candidates and clients, allowing us to deliver an unmatched level of service and a true partnership. KORE1 is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Pay:

$150,000.00 - $185,000.00 per year

Work Location:

Hybrid remote in Irvine, CA 92614