Interim Executive Director

DPP is seeking an Interim Executive Director for an opportunity with our client in Columbia, SC.


Work location : Fully onsite in Columbia, SC
Duration : 9 months, with possibility of extension
Terms: W2 position
Candidate location : Must be a current resident of SC or willing to relocate to SC prior to starting role


Position summary:

• The Interim Executive Director will be an experienced executive leader to provide immediate organizational stabilization and transformational leadership during a period of significant departmental change.
• This interim assignment is intended to serve as a transformational leadership role focused on establishing accountability, rebuilding organizational culture, improving operational effectiveness, aligning resources with institutional priorities, and implementing sustainable management practices.
• The successful candidate will be empowered to make difficult organizational decisions necessary to position the department for long-term success and ensure a smooth transition to permanent leadership.

Responsibilities:

• Provide executive leadership for all departmental operations.
• Supervise managers, supervisors, and professional staff.
• Establish performance expectations and monitor organizational outcomes.
• Make timely personnel, operational, and resource allocation decisions.
• Lead organizational change initiatives and culture transformation efforts.
• Address employee relations issues in partnership with Human Resources.
• Evaluate organizational effectiveness and recommend structural improvements.
• Develop and monitor departmental priorities and performance metrics.
• Collaborate with division leadership, administration, and stakeholders.
• Manage departmental budgets and strategic resource allocation.
• Ensure compliance with policies, security standards, audit requirements, and regulatory obligations.
• Remove organizational obstacles that inhibit productivity, innovation, and collaboration.
• Provide executive-level reports and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Develop succession planning and transition documentation for permanent leadership.

About the comprehensive organizational transformation initiative that the Interim Executive Director will lead:

• Utilize results from a comprehensive assessment of organizational structure, staffing, leadership effectiveness, operational processes, and service delivery in planning and enacting organizational changes.
• Using comprehensive assessment, further identify organizational barriers, cultural issues, and operational inefficiencies impacting performance, and execute an organizational transformation and culture improvement plan.
• Restructure reporting relationships, staffing models, and operational responsibilities as necessary.
• Address performance management issues through coaching, corrective action, reassignment, or separation, when appropriate and in accordance with policies.
• Restore accountability, professionalism, customer service expectations, and operational discipline throughout the department.
• Improve collaboration with partners and stakeholders.
• Establish governance, communication, and decision-making processes that support long-term success.
• Stabilize departmental operations while maintaining continuity of critical IT services.
• Document organizational recommendations, operational procedures, strategic priorities, and transition plans for the incoming permanent Executive Director.
• Recruit, mentor, and prepare internal leadership where appropriate to support long-term organizational success.

Required experience:

• 3+ years of experience with Executive organizational transformation and change management
• 3+ years of experience leading organizational restructuring and culture change
• 3+ years of experience with Executive leadership of large, complex technology organizations
• 3+ years of experience with personnel management, coaching, and performance accountability

Required education:

• A Bachelor's degree and 8 or more years of experience, which may be substituted by an equivalent combination of certification, training, education, and/or experience.

Preferred skills:

• Experience leading organizational turnaround initiatives
• Experience rebuilding organizational culture following periods of instability
• Experience implementing governance and operational maturity frameworks
• Experience managing organizational changes in higher education
• Enterprise IT strategy development
• Experience working with executive leadership, governing boards, and cabinet- level administration
• Knowledge of network operations, project management, change management, and enterprise network architecture and engineering
• Experience supporting audit remediation and risk management initiatives

Authorized US Worker - US Citizens and those authorized to work in the US are encouraged to apply. We are unable to sponsor at this time.


Interested? Learn more:
Click the apply button to learn more about this position (#26-00934).


DP Professionals (DPP) offers a range of compensation and benefits packages to our employees and their eligible dependents. DPP is a certified Woman-owned Small Business Enterprise (WBE and WOSB) with more than 25 years in the staffing industry. EOE/AA/V/D