IT Director
Position Overview
While titled as a Director within the University of Kansas structure, this role carries the scope and responsibility of a senior technology executive, comparable to a Vice President–level leader in industry. The Director will provide strategic and operational leadership for a comprehensive, cloud-based assessment platform, overseeing product development, engineering, platform operations, and security.
The Assessment & Technology Services team supports the Kite® platform and Dynamic Learning Maps® (DLM®) assessments, which annually serve hundreds of thousands of students across multiple states. These include high-stakes assessments designed for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, as well as general education populations. The platform plays a critical role in enabling equitable and accessible assessment experiences at a national scale.
This position is responsible for guiding the continued evolution of a mature, mission-driven technology platform, ensuring reliability, scalability, and innovation in support of state partners and educational outcomes.
The successful candidate will bring a balance of strategic vision and operational execution, with a collaborative leadership style suited to an established and high-performing team. This individual will be motivated by both the technical challenges of operating a national-scale platform and the meaningful impact of supporting educational access and equity.
Role Distinction
This leadership role combines the scope of a large-scale SaaS technology organization with the mission and stability of a public research university. The Director will lead a highly experienced, cross-functional team spanning engineering, architecture, quality assurance, DevOps, data, and operations.
The position offers the opportunity to shape a long-term technology and product vision, including platform modernization, cloud-native optimization, and the thoughtful integration of emerging technologies such as AI/ML into the assessment lifecycle.
About the Achievement & Assessment Institute (AAI)
The Achievement & Assessment Institute is a nationally recognized leader in large-scale assessment and educational and well-being research. Its work supports state education agencies across the country and contributes to improving outcomes for student populations.
The University of Kansas offers a collaborative environment, a strong institutional mission, and a comprehensive benefits structure, including retirement, health, and professional development opportunities. Lawrence, Kansas, is consistently ranked among the top college communities in the United States.
The Assessment & Technology Services team supports the Kite® platform and Dynamic Learning Maps® (DLM®) assessments, which annually serve hundreds of thousands of students across multiple states. These include high-stakes assessments designed for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, as well as general education populations. The platform plays a critical role in enabling equitable and accessible assessment experiences at a national scale.
This position is responsible for guiding the continued evolution of a mature, mission-driven technology platform, ensuring reliability, scalability, and innovation in support of state partners and educational outcomes.
The successful candidate will bring a balance of strategic vision and operational execution, with a collaborative leadership style suited to an established and high-performing team. This individual will be motivated by both the technical challenges of operating a national-scale platform and the meaningful impact of supporting educational access and equity.
Role Distinction
This leadership role combines the scope of a large-scale SaaS technology organization with the mission and stability of a public research university. The Director will lead a highly experienced, cross-functional team spanning engineering, architecture, quality assurance, DevOps, data, and operations.
The position offers the opportunity to shape a long-term technology and product vision, including platform modernization, cloud-native optimization, and the thoughtful integration of emerging technologies such as AI/ML into the assessment lifecycle.
About the Achievement & Assessment Institute (AAI)
The Achievement & Assessment Institute is a nationally recognized leader in large-scale assessment and educational and well-being research. Its work supports state education agencies across the country and contributes to improving outcomes for student populations.
The University of Kansas offers a collaborative environment, a strong institutional mission, and a comprehensive benefits structure, including retirement, health, and professional development opportunities. Lawrence, Kansas, is consistently ranked among the top college communities in the United States.
Job Description
35% — Technology Strategy, Platform Leadership & Operations
- Develop and execute a multi-year product and technology strategy for the Kite platform.
- Lead cross-functional teams responsible for software development, cloud infrastructure, platform operations, security, and technology delivery.
- Ensure platform reliability, scalability, performance, availability, and security within a cloud-native AWS environment.
- Establish operational priorities and oversee day-to-day technology operations.
- Drive continuous improvement of technology services, delivery practices, and operational processes.
- Partner with state agencies, researchers, institutional stakeholders, and executive leadership to align technology solutions with educational and assessment needs.
- Communicate product roadmaps, implementation priorities, timelines, and strategic initiatives to internal and external stakeholders.
- Support long-term strategic planning and platform sustainability efforts.
- Collaborate with organizational leadership to align technology initiatives with institutional goals and operational objectives.
- Oversee system modernization initiatives, including re-platforming and cloud optimization efforts.
- Lead and support AI/ML integration opportunities and process automation initiatives.
- Guide architecture improvements that enhance scalability, resiliency, efficiency, and user experience.
- Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend innovative solutions to support organizational growth and operational effectiveness.
- Foster a strong organizational culture focused on collaboration, innovation, accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
- Provide leadership support, mentorship, staffing oversight, and employee development opportunities.
- Manage vendor relationships, consulting partnerships, and contract administration activities.
- Oversee budget planning, financial stewardship, and resource allocation to support strategic and operational goals.
- Perform other related duties and strategic initiatives as assigned in support of the mission and operational needs of the Achievement and Assessment Institute.
Position Requirements
This is a hybrid position which requires 2-3 days on-site in our Lawrence, Kansas office.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field
- Seven (7) years of progressive experience in software development, technology, or product management roles
- Five (5) years of leadership experience managing large, cross-functional teams (engineering, product, QA, and operations), at a senior director, VP, or equivalent level
- Demonstrated success owning and operating enterprise SaaS platforms end-to-end, from concept through deployment and ongoing operations as evidenced by application materials
- Five (5) years of experience working with cloud-native architectures, with a strong preference for AWS environments
- Proven expertise in agile delivery and DevOps practices at scale, including CI/CD and high-availability system management as evidenced by application materials
- Three (3) years of experience integrating AI/ML capabilities into products, platforms, or operational workflows, with an emphasis on responsible and secure implementation
- Strong track record of building stakeholder trust and aligning technology strategy with organizational and client needs as evidenced by application materials
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
- Ten (10) years of experience leading product or technology organizations in complex, regulated, or high-availability environments
- Experience supporting high-volume, mission-critical platforms, ideally in education, assessment, or similarly regulated domains as evidenced by application materials
- Familiarity with K-12 education systems, large-scale assessment programs, or EdTech ecosystems as evidenced by application materials
- Relevant certifications (e.g., PMP, PgMP, Agile/Scrum)
Additional Candidate Instructions
A complete application consists of:
Application review begins Friday, September 11th and will continue until a qualified pool of applicants is identified.
- The University of Kansas online application
- A cover letter that describes how you meet the required and preferred qualifications
- A Resume or CV
- Contact information for three (3) professional references
Application review begins Friday, September 11th and will continue until a qualified pool of applicants is identified.
Contact Information to Applicants
AAI HR
aaihr@ku.edu
aaihr@ku.edu
Advertised Salary Range
$175,000 minimum, commensurate with experience
Application Review Begins
Friday September 11, 2026
Anticipated Start Date
Sunday October 11, 2026