Director of IT Operations & Technology Strategy

Crane Talent Group is running this search for 10,000 Degrees

Director of IT Operations & Technology Strategy

SF Bay Area

Hybrid (on-site + remote)

Chief Finance & Operations Officer (CFOO)

Full-time, Exempt

10,000 Degrees is unlocking student success at scale by giving more students equitable opportunities for a quality college education and career success. The most efficient and effective college success non-profit in the U.S., 10,000 Degrees’ mission is to achieve educational equity and to support students from low-income backgrounds to and through college to realize their full potential and positively impact their communities and the world.

We envision a world where all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background, will have the full range of educational opportunities, support, and resources to realize their potential. Accepting a role at 10,000 Degrees implies a personal commitment to this mission.

The Director of Technology Strategy is the driving force behind the organization’s technological vision, aligning our IT function with our Strategic Plan goals. This role is a critical resource to the organization’s success, managing both strategic initiatives and the entirety of IT operations. This position requires a proactive and strategic problem-solver who can handle day-to-day IT needs while independently directing the long-term technology roadmap.

This is an individual contributor role focused on the implementation and administration of systems; this role currently has no direct reports.

• Develop, maintain, and execute a technology roadmap that aligns with the organizational Strategic Plan, including identifying needed new technologies or upgrades, budget, development, cost-benefit analysis, and implementation timelines for the current 5‑year outlook.
• Create a detailed inventory of all current technology and propose management strategies for each.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive training plan for existing and new technology, ensuring execution across the organization.
• Oversee AI initiatives across the organization; identify, construct, implement, and manage appropriate tools and ensure staff receive necessary training.
• Lead the development of the organization’s cyber security policy and system and monitor vendor security policies.
• Conduct regular risk assessments of internal and external threats, including creating a monitoring plan with KPIs, and developing a comprehensive disaster recovery and business continuity plan.

• Oversee and manage the daily operations and policies for the organization’s IT function, including providing day‑to‑day helpdesk services.
• Proactively monitor and administer the network, security systems, backups, servers, and workstation operating systems, proposing and implementing adjustments as needed.
• Manage the full IT lifecycle for employees, including onboarding and offboarding from all systems.
• Maintain a current inventory of all company devices and applications.
• Actively manage deadlines for all IT objectives and tasks, consistently utilizing available internal or external resources to ensure timely completion with the required quality and specifications.
• Assist in the development of the annual IT budget, including the schedule for equipment replacement.

• Serve as the primary technology liaison, providing consistent status updates and transparent communication on open tickets and projects to the Executive Team.
• Demonstrate strong written and verbal communication skills to effectively translate complex technical issues and plans to non‑technical stakeholders.
• Consistently demonstrate strong problem‑solving and active listening skills to determine the actual underlying technology need, which may differ from the literal request.
• Manage all communications with vendors and other third parties, ensuring Executive oversight on all key communications.
• Other duties as assigned.
• This position requires some in‑person presence and/or travel within the regions served.

• Bachelor’s Degree in…