Manager, IT Disaster Recovery Program (Finance)

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Rice University

Boasting a 300-acre, tree-lined campus in the heart of Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. We are more than a place of academic excellence and pioneering research-Rice is a vibrant and welcoming community where every faculty, staff, and student is valued and empowered to grow.

Rice is committing to unparalleled excellence as we work to become the premier university in the world for teaching and research. We won't do it like any other institution. We will do it with humanity for the good of humankind. We will do it on a personalized scale as only Rice can.

The Rice Experience is our excellence and our culture of care - the close interactions between faculty and students, the interdisciplinary connectedness of our fields of study, and the commitment and ownership to Rice and our community. Learn more about Rice University's newly launched ten-year strategic plan Momentous .

At Rice, we share a set of core values-Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence-that shape our culture and guide how we engage with one another and the world around us. These values define our commitment to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is embraced, creativity is nurtured, and personal and professional growth is supported.

Join us in building a community where every voice matters and every contribution is celebrated. Here, your work will have a meaningful impact, and you will be part of something extraordinary. Rice is seeking a dynamic, forward-thinking leader to join us as the Manager, IT Disaster Recovery Program.

Rice University Office of Information Technology (OIT)

OIT will provide excellent constituent service, acting as a strategic partner to advance Rice University's priorities and mission of "path breaking research, unsurpassed teaching, and contribution to the betterment of our world".

IT will fuel innovation at speed across the university by building a culture of trust, using an effective and service-focused operating model, driving seamless experiences, and providing core IT capabilities.

Platform Engineering & Infrastructure (Enterprise Infrastructure)

Platform Engineering & Infrastructure manages and modernizes platforms that improve OIT's operation and service delivery, including endpoint engineering, collaboration and email platforms, storage, cloud, and compute infrastructure.

Position Summary

As a member of the Office of Information Technology team, the Manager, IT Disaster Recovery Program is responsible for overseeing the development, implementation, and maintenance of the university's IT disaster recovery program. This role will focus on infrastructure resilience, plan development, and ongoing testing to ensure the continuity of critical IT services in the event of unforeseen disruptions. The Program Manager works collaboratively with other OIT professionals, OIT Partners, and the University community to assess and analyze the operational and business impacts and risks of potential IT disasters. The position is expected to evolve with shifts in technology paradigms. Operates as a thought leader, using expertise to strategically translate business operations recovery requirements into action-oriented plans, programs, data center infrastructures, and recovery testing strategies.

The ideal candidate for this position is a strategic and detail-oriented professional with a robust background in developing, implementing, and managing comprehensive IT disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity (BC) plans. This individual deeply understands the unique needs and challenges a research-intensive academic environment faces and is committed to ensuring the resilience and uninterrupted operation of critical IT infrastructure for the Rice campus community.

Why You'll Love Working Here:

At Rice University, we believe in the power of people. As the Manager, IT Disaster Recovery Program, you'll have the opportunity to shape a positive and thriving campus climate, influence institutional strategy, and leave a legacy of growth, belonging, and excellence. Join us as we continue to create a dynamic, diverse, and supportive community.

Workplace Requirements

This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. Per Rice policy 440 , work arrangements may be subject to change.

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position, and the salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. *Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.
• Five years of related experience in IT Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity plan development, maintenance, and administration, along with expertise in critical planning and decision-making for enterprise computing systems and infrastructure
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.
• Skills
  • Strong knowledge of IT infrastructure, systems, and applications
  • Experience in conducting and managing disaster recovery testing exercises
  • Ability to work collaboratively with a team of diverse IT professionals, clients, and partners, thereby establishing credibility and relationships with senior leadership, colleagues, and customers
  • Ability to assess functional requirements and provide appropriate technology solutions
  • Ability to use hands-on experience to support backup, recovery, storage systems, and IT security management
  • Understanding of how disasters impact functional systems, technical infrastructure, and campus constituents.
  • Ability to troubleshoot issues and identify solutions in complex and disparate systems environments
  • Strong interpersonal, analytical, presentation, and critical thinking skills
  • Strong customer service and communication skills
  • Self-motivated and actively shares knowledge and experience with colleagues
  • Vendor management skills
  • Familiarity with current computing, trends, and issues

OIT Competency Expectations

Trust Building and Stakeholder Engagement

• Foster trust across the campus by being transparent, reliable, consistent, and solution-oriented in communication and execution. Ensure clear, consistent, and timely communication with all constituents, maintaining a service-oriented mindset and addressing challenges with integrity.

Collaboration and Cross-functional Leadership

• Lead through collaboration, working across departments and with external partners to achieve shared goals. Cultivate strong, collaborative relationships with academic, research, and administrative units to develop and implement IT solutions that enhance institutional success. Establish intentional periodic check-ins to support active collaboration efforts.

Agility and Responsiveness

• Be adaptive and responsive to the dynamic needs of the university community, ensuring swift, effective service delivery. Anticipate challenges and pivot quickly to address issues, with a focus on creating seamless and user-friendly experiences.

Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement

• Maintain a culture of continuous improvement in all IT operations to ensure efficient and effective service delivery. Regularly assess and optimize processes, systems, and technologies to enhance performance, scalability, and user satisfaction.

Preferences

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, or a related field
• Experience
  • Familiarity with relevant regulations and compliance standards in the education sector.
  • Experience with cloud-based disaster recovery solutions.
  • Experience administering or integrating on-site, cloud, or other enterprise systems.
  • Experience recovering enterprise systems from real-life incidents
  • Familiarity with Project Management methodologies and experience as a project lead
  • Familiarity with the ITIL service delivery framework
  • Prior experience working in a Higher Education environment
• License / Certification
  • Cloud Platforms certifications (Azure, AWS, GCP)
  • Professional certifications in IT Disaster Recovery (EDRP, CISSP, CDBM CDRE)
  • Formal information technology infrastructure library (ITIL) training

Essential Functions

• Lead the development and documentation of comprehensive IT disaster recovery plans in collaboration with key stakeholders
• Ensure alignment of disaster recovery plans with overall business continuity strategies
• Evaluate and enhance the resilience of IT infrastructure to minimize the impact of potential disasters
• Develop and execute regular disaster recovery testing exercises to validate the effectiveness of recovery plans
• Analyze test results and make recommendations for improvements to enhance overall preparedness
• Work closely with incident response teams to integrate disaster recovery plans into broader emergency response procedures
• Conduct training sessions for relevant staff to ensure a high level of awareness and understanding of disaster recovery procedures
• Proactively identifies opportunities to leverage tools better, improve processes, or enhance services to be more efficient and effective
• Recruits, retains, manages, and mentors staff
• Ensures documentation of internal processes, standards, and procedures
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions

• Collaborate with infrastructure teams to implement redundant systems and data backup strategies
• Participate in incident response activities during actual disasters to ensure the effective implementation of recovery strategies
• Provide feedback and updates to support staff, project teams, and OIT Leadership
• Develops and maintains standard operating procedures, procedures, and related system infrastructure documentation
• Develop and maintain solutions to streamline routine administrative tasks using cloud-native tools
• Works with OIT staff and appropriate university customers to anticipate operational changes associated with information technology

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity at all levels and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and the full inclusion of all qualified persons in the workplace. This commitment includes providing reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities. For applicants with disabilities who require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University's Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.