Director of Technology

SUMMARY

Shanghai American School (SAS) stands as a premier English-language day school in Shanghai, serving expatriate families with a comprehensive American curriculum from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 across two full-program campuses in Pudong and Puxi. As one of Shanghai’s few independent, non-profit, coeducational institutions, SAS operates under the oversight of the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau and Education Commission, while being guided by a unique parent-led governance model.

With two campuses located on opposite sides of Shanghai’s Huangpu River—one in Pudong (the east side) and one in Puxi (the west side), SAS has established itself as China’s largest international school, home to around 3,000 students and 680 faculty and staff. The school’s facilities and resources reflect a long-term commitment to reinvesting in the program, and SAS continues to evolve its “one school, two campuses” model while advancing strategic priorities that emphasize innovative learning, modern infrastructure, and a future-ready student experience.

SAS is now seeking a director of technology to lead the school’s technology program during a period of continued institutional evolution. The next director will focus on technology operations leadership to ensure that ERP systems, help desk services, and hardware deployments are both meeting end-user needs and aligned with the school’s priorities around cybersecurity, data protection, and vendor management. The director will be empowered to partner closely with finance, procurement, and academic leaders, translating strategy into execution through well-run projects, visible service standards, and a technology roadmap that is sustainable in Shanghai’s regulatory and operating context.

Likewise, the director will be a key partner on strategic technology planning with both campus leaders and the academic technology team, which starting next school year will report to the head of educational programs.

This is an opportunity for a service-oriented, systems-minded leader to play a key role in a diverse educational community by delivering enterprise systems, IT infrastructure, and support services that are reliable and scalable across two large campuses. The director will join a school community that appreciates thoughtful and comprehensive technology planning that keeps pace with the needs of a complex international organization.

The director will report to the CFO and supervise a team of around two-dozen professionals spanning infrastructure, data and systems, engineering, and help desk support. SAS looks forward to welcoming its next director of technology to ideally begin before July 1, 2026, to allow for a graceful handoff with the outgoing director of eleven years.

12M & Ed Tech Recruiting is running the search on behalf of Shanghai American School. Applications received by January 31 will receive priority review. For application instructions and the full job opportunity statement, please visit:

Priority

Initial Client Review:
Week of February 9

Semifinal Round:
Week of March 9

On-site Final Round:
Week of March 23

Decision Announced:
April 10, 2026

Start Date:

Spring 2026

Reports To:

Chief Financial Officer

Classification:
Full-time

• Oversee the school’s core technology functions, including IT infrastructure, data and systems, cybersecurity, and client services, and ensure effective coordination across these operational units.
• Serve as the direct supervisor to the technology team and the SIS/data coordinator, and collaborate closely with the educational technology team to support the integration of technology in teaching and learning.
• Allocate time and resources toward sustaining a positive departmental culture, including goal setting, clear communication, and professional growth opportunities for all team members.
• Cultivate a proactive service culture with consistent visibility and support across both campuses.
• Maintain regular leadership presence on both campuses.
• Report directly to the chief financial officer and perform other duties as assigned.

• Lead a…