Deputy Vice Chancellor - Data & Information Technology

Role Purpose

The Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC) -- Data & Information Technology is responsible for defining leading and governing the full digital data technology cybersecurity and innovation landscape across the Institution. This executive role provides institution-wide leadership for digital transformation data strategy AI adoption cloud and infrastructure cybersecurity IT governance educational technology higher & early education technology operations and enterprise systems.

The DVC ensures that technology functions as a strategic enabler of academic excellence childcare quality institutional resilience and operational efficiency. The role establishes and enforces governance frameworks oversees secure and reliable digital infrastructure ensures regulatory and data compliance enables analytics-driven decision-making and leads innovation initiatives aligned with global and national digital priorities. The position carries significant institutional scope supporting all functions of the Academy including its expanding network of government nurseries and overseeing enterprise-wide data cybersecurity and digital service delivery across the entire organization.

The DVC provides visionary digital leadership ensures executive alignment drives adoption of emerging technologies and cultivates a high-performance culture across all IT divisions.

Roles and Responsibilities include:

• Provide strategic leadership for the digital data cybersecurity and technology landscape across the Institution including its higher-education divisions and government nurseries network.
  
• Define execute and continuously refine a unified digital transformation strategy aligned with the Institutions vision national digital policy accreditation requirements and global technology standards.
  
• Establish and enforce robust digital governance frameworks (COBIT ISO NIST GDPR) that ensure secure compliant and accountable technology operations.
  
• Lead enterprise data governance to ensure data integrity accessibility quality and privacy across all systems including ERP SIS LMS HRMS and childcare platforms.
  
• Oversee cybersecurity programs including Zero-Trust architecture SOC operations threat prevention incident response and cyber awareness to safeguard academic and childcare environments.
  
• Direct the design optimization and resilience of hybrid cloud and on-premise infrastructure ensuring stability scalability redundancy and disaster recovery across all campuses and nursery sites.
  
• Ensure high-performance IT service delivery using ITIL-aligned practices SLAs/OLAs and user-centered support models that enhance operational excellence across academic and nursery settings.
  
• Lead the advancement of educational technology ensuring learning platforms AI-enabled tools and digital classroom environments support academic excellence and early childhood learning.
  
• Oversee technology operations for all sites ensuring safe age-appropriate digital environments secure communication systems and compliant safeguarding technologies.
  
• Drive innovation AI adoption intelligent automation and user-experience improvements to deliver measurable value and strengthen digital capabilities.
  
• Develop and monitor IT performance frameworks using KPIs dashboards maturity assessments and audits to drive operational excellence and informed decision-making.
  
• Lead technology budgeting procurement contract management and vendor partnerships to ensure cost-effective investments and full lifecycle stewardship of digital assets.
  
• Build and empower a high-performing IT leadership team promoting capability development upskilling workforce planning and a culture of accountability and innovation.
  
• Strengthen collaboration with academic leaders nursery leadership teams internal departments regulators and national digital entities to ensure alignment and digital readiness.
  
• Provide strategic recommendations and executive reporting to the Institutions leadership on digital performance cybersecurity posture innovation opportunities risks and technology priorities.
  

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

• Masters degree in Information Technology Computer Science Data Science Cybersecurity Engineering or related field with a PhD strongly preferred.
  
• Professional certifications are a significant advantage (e.g. Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO) PMP -- Project Management Professional Executive Program in Digital Transformation / AI Leadership Certificate in Leadership / Strategy).
  

Experience Requirements:

• Minimum 15 years in IT leadership digital transformation or enterprise technology.
  
• At least 710 years in senior executive or CTO/CIO-level roles.
  
• Proven experience leading multi-entity multi-site technology operations.
  
• Demonstrated success in cybersecurity cloud transformation data governance EdTech and IT service management.
  
• Experience working in higher education government childcare or regulated sectors is an advantage.
  

Competencies:

• Strategic leadership and people management
  
• Enterprise technology governance
  
• Information technology frameworks and service delivery
  
• Cybersecurity and data protection
  
• AI automation and digital transformation
  
• Cloud and infrastructure management
  
• Executive communication and stakeholder influence
  
• Systems integration and architecture
  
• Data-driven decision-making
  
• Project management
  
• High integrity accountability and confidentiality
  

Bilingual proficiency in English and Arabic is mandatory

Benefits

Competitive Compensation Package and the unique opportunity to take on a high-level impactful role within a leading educational institution in the region.

Required Skills:

Leadership Strategy Governance Cybersecurity Transformation Innovation Data AI Cloud Infrastructure Compliance Architecture Integration Operations Service Budgeting Procurement Management Communication Collaboration Bilingual

Required Education:

Masters Degree