Chief Information Officer

Information Technology is fundamental to Vancouver Island University’s teaching, learning, research, student experience, and administrative operations.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer & Vice-President, Administration, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) serves as Vancouver Island University’s senior technology leader and a trusted strategic advisor on enterprise-wide technology strategy, digital transformation, enterprise architecture, technology governance, cybersecurity and information security, data governance, and emerging technologies.

Working closely with the President, executive leadership, and senior academic and administrative leaders, the CIO provides strategic direction for the planning, implementation, operation, and continuous improvement of enterprise technology services. The CIO ensures that technology investments, systems, infrastructure, data, and digital services advance VIU’s strategic and academic priorities while remaining secure, reliable, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of students, faculty, and employees.

The CIO leads Information Technology Services (ITS), creating an integrated enterprise technology environment that supports institutional effectiveness, innovation, service excellence, and long-term sustainability.

• Serve as VIU’s senior technology advisor, providing strategic counsel to the COO, executive leadership, and institutional leaders on technology strategy, digital opportunities, emerging technologies, risks, and major investments.
• Lead the development and implementation of VIU’s enterprise technology roadmap, ensuring alignment with the university’s long-term strategic, academic, and operational priorities.
• Champion digital transformation initiatives that enhance teaching, learning, research, student services, and administrative operations.
• Provide strategic leadership for enterprise architecture, ensuring technology platforms, systems, infrastructure, and digital services are integrated, scalable, secure, sustainable, and responsive to evolving institutional requirements.
• Translate emerging institutional needs into technology priorities and enterprise solutions.
• Integrate enrolment-focused models and processes to optimize service delivery and student outcomes.

• Provide executive oversight of enterprise systems, technology infrastructure, cloud services, business applications, digital services, and related technology platforms.
• Ensure effective planning, implementation, operation, and support of technology serving finance, human resources, student services, advancement, faculty and staff, teaching and learning, distance education, and research, including applications and services connected with national research networks.
• Establish long-term infrastructure and service strategies that ensure technology services remain reliable, secure, responsive, scalable, and sustainable.
• Ensure enterprise platforms and services are designed and managed using an institution-wide approach that supports consistent and effective service delivery.
• Promote the continuous improvement of technology services and the effective adoption and use of institutional technology.

• Provide executive oversight of VIU’s technology investment portfolio, ensuring initiatives are evaluated, prioritized, and governed through transparent processes aligned with institutional strategy, risk, value, and available resources.
• Approve and prioritize major technology projects related to the selection, acquisition, development, and implementation of information systems, infrastructure, and digital platforms.
• Establish effective project and portfolio management practices that support clear accountability, timely communication, risk management, and delivery of initiatives on time and within budget.
• Lead technology budgeting, forecasting, procurement, vendor management, contract negotiations, and resource planning.
• Establish appropriate technology policies, standards, governance practices, and performance measures that promote…