Information Technology Manager

Department:

Civil Engineering

Effective Date:

October, 2008

Grade:

USG 12

35 hr/wk

Reports to:

Chair

General Accountability

The IT Manager is responsible for the strategic planning and development of information technology systems and services for all users within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The user base primarily consists of students, staff, and faculty whose activities include teaching, research, and administration. The IT Manager supervises the department’s IT Specialists and is responsible for directing their daily activities. This position reports to the Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Nature and Scope

The IT manger is expected to provide technical expertise and leadership not only to the IT Specialists, but to the entire department. While the IT manager is primarily responsible to the Department, he/she must also work with other departments on campus including the Faculty of Engineering’s and the campus’s central IT departments. He/she is expected to participate in several IT committees and projects outside our department.

The IT Manager is responsible for ensuring that IT support is appropriately delivered to all within the department. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering administers three undergraduate engineering programs, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Geological Engineering as well as a graduate studies program in Civil and Environmental Engineering. The IT support required by these clients ranges from delivering Limited User Account workstations for users to providing specialized consulting services for leading edge researchers.

The IT field and our department are continuously evolving and changing to keep pace with technology and institutional requirements. As a result, the nature and scope of this position must evolve in step with these changes. The IT Manager is expected to lead changes to our IT deployments and be flexibly responsive to the changing needs of the department’s teaching, research and administrative requirements. The clients within the department that require IT support include undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and technical, administrative and research support staff.

Members of the IT Support Group are consulted on both hardware and software issues. They also make recommendations on purchases and order computer hardware, software and network products. To perform effectively, members of the IT Support Group are expected to follow new developments in a rapidly evolving field of information technology. All members of the group must develop and maintain expertise with emerging, current, and evolving technologies, products, and implementation practices. The IT Manager and IT Specialists must understand and communicate how and where new technologies can be applied to fulfil the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering’s requirements in a cost-effective way. The knowledge areas span a wide range of specializations that currently include:

Personal computer hardware, installation, configuration and maintenance
Network hardware installation, configuration and maintenance
Advanced workstation hardware installation
Network hardware and system administration
Network security and evasive forecasting
Computing systems Software development
Desktop operational environment
Electronic Desktop and specific engineering applications
Procurement
Problem solving and analytical skills
Communication and organization development
Documentation of current infrastructure

Statistical Data

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering currently has 41 faculty, 31 staff, 700 undergraduates, and 200 graduate students. There are approximately 500 computers in the department.

Major funding sources include CFI (Canada Foundation for Innovation), CRC (Canada Research Chair), NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada), OIT (Ontario Innovation Trust), ORDCF (Ontario Research and Development Challenge Fund), PREA (The Premier's Research Excellence Awards Program), and numerous national and international companies. The Department has a significant amount of contract funding.

Specific Accountabilities

The specific accountabilities of this position will evolve over time. The principal current specifics include:

supervise department’s IT Specialists and direct their daily work activities including guidance and professional development
manage basic IT infrastructure systems including file services, data backup, archiving, electrical power backup, networking, and disaster recovery
deliver Internet and intranet network services including file, web, mail list, email, directory and software licensing
manage system and network security in a holistic fashion to ensure all users are protected
manage the Department’s undergraduate and graduate student computing facilities
manage the Departmental website
Research computing management. This includes: maintaining and upgrading specialized research equipment and related data collection devices and software.
manage IT procurements
ensure user standards are published for hardware, software, and procedures
ensure all systems and procedures are documented for use by IT staff
ensure systems are updated in a timely fashion to keep pace with new technology
participate in Faculty and campus projects and committees

Working Conditions

Working conditions are similar to any typical IT employee. The majority of time will be spent working at computers and peripherals located at desks, in server rooms, or in telecommunication closets. Due to our organizations small size, the IT Manager can occasionally expect to handle heavy servers and equipment. Working outside of normal hours might be occasionally required to deal with emergencies, maintenance, or upgrades.