IT Director

Position Overview

While titled as a Director within the University of Kansas structure, this role carries the scope and responsibility of a senior technology executive, comparable to a Vice President-level leader in industry. The Director will provide strategic and operational leadership for a comprehensive, cloud-based assessment platform, overseeing product development, engineering, platform operations, and security.

The Assessment & Technology Services team supports the Kite platform and Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) assessments, which annually serve hundreds of thousands of students across multiple states. These include high-stakes assessments designed for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, as well as general education populations. The platform plays a critical role in enabling equitable and accessible assessment experiences at a national scale.

This position is responsible for guiding the continued evolution of a mature, mission-driven technology platform, ensuring reliability, scalability, and innovation in support of state partners and educational outcomes.

The successful candidate will bring a balance of strategic vision and operational execution, with a collaborative leadership style suited to an established and high-performing team. This individual will be motivated by both the technical challenges of operating a national-scale platform and the meaningful impact of supporting educational access and equity.

Role Distinction This leadership role combines the scope of a large-scale SaaS technology organization with the mission and stability of a public research university. The Director will lead a highly experienced, cross-functional team spanning engineering, architecture, quality assurance, Dev Ops, data, and operations.

This position offers the opportunity to shape a long-term technology and product vision, including platform modernization, cloud-native optimization, and the thoughtful integration of emerging technologies such as AI/ML into the assessment lifecycle.

About the Achievement & Assessment Institute (AAI) The Achievement & Assessment Institute is a nationally recognized leader in large-scale assessment and educational and well-being research. Its work supports state education agencies across the country and contributes to improving outcomes for student populations.

The University of Kansas offers a collaborative environment, a strong institutional mission, and a comprehensive benefits structure, including retirement, health, and professional development opportunities. Lawrence, Kansas, is consistently ranked among the top college communities in the United States.

35% - Technology Strategy, Platform Leadership & Operations

• Develop and execute a multi-year product and technology strategy for the Kite platform.
• Lead cross-functional teams responsible for software development, cloud infrastructure, platform operations, security, and technology delivery.
• Ensure platform reliability, scalability, performance, availability, and security within a cloud-native AWS environment.
• Establish operational priorities and oversee day‑to‑day technology operations.
• Drive continuous improvement of technology services, delivery practices, and operational processes.

25% - Stakeholder Engagement, Product Alignment & Strategic Planning

• Partner with state agencies, researchers, institutional stakeholders, and executive leadership to align technology solutions with educational and assessment needs.
• Communicate product roadmaps, implementation priorities, timelines, and strategic initiatives to internal and external stakeholders.
• Support long‑term strategic planning and platform sustainability efforts.
• Collaborate with organizational leadership to align technology initiatives with institutional goals and operational objectives.

20% - System Modernization & Innovation

• Oversee system modernization initiatives, including re‑platforming and cloud optimization efforts.
• Lead and support AI/ML integration opportunities and process automation initiatives.
• Guide architecture improvements that enhance scalability, resiliency, efficiency, and user experience.
• Evaluate emerging technologies…