Job Description

ABOUT OUR DISTRICT:

The Syracuse City School District is undergoing a new phase of innovation and transformation with the goal of ensuring that all students graduate high school with the skills needed to be ready for college and career. For Syracuse, all means all. The School Board and Syracuse community have charged the Superintendent with improving student achievement, and she is seeking a dedicated and diverse team of educators to partner with her in moving the district toward its goals.

The Syracuse City School District represents 35 schools and programs, including 6 high schools, 6 middle schools, 6 K-8 schools, 13 elementary schools, and 4 alternative education programs, serving approximately 19,000 students Pre-K–12. Of these students, 82.3% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, 20.1% are served by the Office of Special Education, and 83% are students of color.

The Director of Technology reports directly to the Executive Director of Technology and is responsible for overseeing the information systems department and staff. This includes the planning, development, organization, governance structures and management of application systems. The Director of Technology will assist in developing District procedures and polices ensuring the effective use, security, and alignment of all technology resources to support district operations and instructional goals.

This role provides leadership in establishing technology standards, managing enterprise systems, and ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and district policies. The Director works collaboratively with the Director of Client Services and the Director of Infrastructure Services to ensure coordinated delivery of technology services across the district.

REPORTS TO: Executive Director of Technology

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Director of Technology will:

• Colaborate with District leadership to develop and communicate processes for implementation, and management of the district’s information technology systems, including hardware, software, networks, and enterprise applications.
• Establish and maintain technology governance, standards, and procedures, including policies for acceptable use, software approval, and technology lifecycle management.
• Provide leadership and oversight of Information Systems staff, including hiring, training, supervision, and evaluation of personnel.
• Oversee the procurement, allocation, and management of technology resources, ensuring cost-effective use of district technology investments.
• Direct the implementation and support of enterprise systems, ensuring reliability, scalability, and alignment with district priorities.
• Collaborate with district leadership and stakeholders to identify technological needs and implement solutions that improve efficiency and services.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and audit requirements related to technology systems and data privacy.
• Coordinate with vendors and external partners to negotiate contracts, manage service agreements, and oversee technology projects.
• Collaborate with District leaders to develop and maintain business continuity and disaster recovery plans for critical systems.
• Monitor system performance and usage data to identify opportunities for improvement, efficiency, and innovation.
• Research new technologies that will support the District needs and goals.
• Lead and coordinate confidential investigations involving technology systems or data access.
• Coordinate with District Leaderships, vendor and external agencies on cybersecurity incident response and investigations, including analysis, containment, recovery activities, and post-incident reporting.
• Work collaboratively with the Director of Client Services and the Director of Infrastructure Services to ensure alignment of support, infrastructure, and operational technology services across the district.
• City residents encouraged to apply!

FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGE SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

• Thorough knowledge of Information Technology systems and software including: computer servers, local and wide area networks, communication equipment for voice and data, centralized hosted services, web access, and information management.

• Thorough knowledge of computer technologies, network communications equipment, software, data management, industry standards and best practices.
• Ability to supervise staff, meet deadlines, establish priorities and mitigate support concerns.
• Self motivated and well organized.
• Familiar with project management procedures and methodology
• Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely with various groups.
• Ability to prepare comprehensive and detailed oral or written reports.
• Ability to prepare detailed documentation.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective and productive working relationships with customers and peers in area of responsibility.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Graduation from a regionally accredited college or university or one accredited by the New York State Board of Regents to grant degrees with a Baccalaureate degree in Computer Science, Information Systems Technology or a closely related field and four (4) years of professional level work experience or its part time equivalent in *Information Systems Technology two (2) years of which must have included direct supervision of technical staff; or,

• B. Graduation from a regionally accredited college or university or one accredited by the New York State Board of Regents to grant degrees with an Associates degree in Computer Science, Information Systems Technology or a closely related field and six (6) years of professional level work experience or its part time equivalent in *Information Systems technology three (3) years of which must have included direct supervision of technical staff; or,
• C. A High School diploma or equivalency and ten (10) years of professional level work experience, or its part time equivalent, in *Information Systems Technology eight (8) years of which must have included direct supervision of technical staff.
• The successful candidate will be required to pass a fingerprint-based background check, at the cost of $102.00 to the candidate.

*Note: Experience in Information Technology must include management or administrative level experience in directing and planning for a technology support department to include networking, computers, voice, servers, budget and staff.

SALARY/SALARY RANGE:

• Salary and benefits pursuant to the Unit 3A Benefits Handbook. The starting salary range for this position is $157,466 - $173,766 based on relevant experience. (2026-2027)

This position is a supervisory Superintendent’s appointment. As such, it is not a probationary appointment and may be terminated at any time. The selected candidate will knowingly waive rights under New York Education Law or Civil Service Law to a permanent appointment or to Section 75 rights under Civil Service Law. Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of the district’s hiring requirements, including fingerprinting clearances.