Director, Desktop and Site Support Services

Preferred Location Requirement
The ideal candidate should reside within San Diego County to support onsite operational needs and occasional travel between campuses. Preferred locations include, but are not limited to: San Diego, Chula Vista, National City, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Oceanside, Carlsbad, El Cajon, Lakeside, Poway, Kearny Mesa, Santee, Ocean Beach, Spring Valley, and San Carlos.

Position Summary

The Director, Desktop & Site Support Services manages the IT Desktop Support team, Site Support team, and NEST Operations team. They oversee the delivery of support services for desktops, laptops, printers, and audio‑visual systems across on‑site and remote environments. The Director serves as a Project Leader and Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the Information Technology Desktop Support function, with responsibility for hardware and end‑user software.  They research, assess, and establish standards for assigned equipment and end-user software.  They work closely with senior leadership to manage site relationships and ensure all National University sites remain fully operational in support of students, staff, and faculty.  They directly manage a team of Managers and oversee the activities of remote site support personnel, identifies and implements cost-effective solutions for hardware delivery to remote employees, and facilitates vendor product delivery and installation of computer equipment.  The Director collaborates with AVP, Infrastructure Services to develop plans for new equipment, department standards, and security procedures for staff and affiliate student populations.  They work closely with the Infrastructure Services Manager on device management, Intune configuration, and end-user support.

Essential Functions 

• Leads the work of the functional and strategic needs of the desktop support, site support and computer operations team. 
• Applies business and operational knowledge to effectively communicate and execute strategic direction set by executive leadership.
• Collaborates cross functionally with all IT business units and interdepartmental stakeholders. 
• Provides day-to-day leadership to staff including but not limited to recruiting, performance management, mentoring, coaching, and salary administration, in addition to developing personal growth opportunities. 
• Analyzes user request data, produces, and monitors operational metrics, identifies trends, and holds his team managers and entire team accountable for key performance measures. 
• Serves as a technical escalation point for team members as needed.
• Ensures accurate and detailed hardware inventory management, including regular communication with department leadership.
• Ensures computer hardware is properly prepared and shipped to remote employees to support a successful first day of work.
• Contributes to the development and maintenance of IT Support Services and System Administration policies, procedures, and processes.
• Ensures technical operational readiness of remote locations.  
• Manages remote sites, events, and audio visual.
• Partners with center directors to support and maintain all sites within the National University inventory.
• Maintains and reports on departmental service level agreements (SLAs).
• Supervises the development, implementation, acquisition and upkeep of computer hardware, software, laptops/notebooks, and related peripheral equipment in a TCP/IP network environment.  
• Manages vendor relationships regarding quotes, schedules, resources, purchases, and deliveries at NU locations.  
• Manages vendor relationships with network and carrier technology vendors. 
• Works closely with Facilities on construction projects, site updates and changes, and closures.
• Ensures proper and adequate disposal of computer related technologies including donations and recycling hardware, according to FERPA and HIPAA regulations.  
• Performs other duties as assigned 

Supervisory Responsibilities:  Responsible for hiring, training, and developing 10–30 staff members, including direct management of one or more managers overseeing business units. This role provides overall leadership, performance management, and development support for a team of up to 25 staff, ensuring appropriate staffing, growth, and capability building across the function.

Requirements: 

Education & Experience: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field, required.
• Eight (8) to Ten (10) years relevant experience within a desktop computing environment or a Master’s Degree, plus 5 years’ experience in a Senior, Lead, supervisory or managerial role.   
• Experience in higher education preferred.
• Experience working in a technology-driven enterprise preferred.

 Competencies/Technical/Functional Skills:  

• Acts as a role model by anticipating and planning for change, communicating vision clearly, and leading, directing, and influencing others to achieve results through creativity, judgment, and adaptability. Demonstrates working knowledge of building and sustaining effective teams.
• Actively builds, influences, and sustains strong relationships with peers, functional partners, and external stakeholders to achieve shared business objectives and organizational alignment.
• Accepts personal accountability; proactively addresses challenges and limitations; and demonstrates honesty, integrity, and respect toward colleagues, the organization, and oneself.
• Actively manages and sources multiple vendors to support audio/visual, printer, and construction‑related needs, ensuring service quality, availability, and cost effectiveness.
• Ability to develop new insights into complex situations; challenges conventional approaches; encourages innovation; and designs or implements creative and effective programs, processes, or solutions.
• Experience with multimedia systems, educational technology, and networking environments is preferred.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Active Directory, and Exchange, with IT project management experience preferred.
• Experience with ManageEngine Endpoint Central is a plus.
• Experience with Microsoft Intune and Autopilot is a plus.
• Demonstrates strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders and constituents.
• Communicates clearly and effectively both verbally and in writing, with the ability to translate technical concepts for non‑technical audiences, train end users, and present to varied groups.
• Demonstrates advanced knowledge of network topologies, carrier network design, and network functionality.
• Understands site‑to‑site datacenter operations and maintenance.
• Works independently while fostering a cooperative, inclusive team environment in fast‑paced settings with multiple deadlines and shifting priorities.

Location: Onsite – Spectrum Center, San Diego

Travel: Some travel between campuses may be required, possibly up to 15% of the time.