Director of Research Computing & Cyberinfrastructure

Director of Research Computing & Cyberinfrastructure

Columbia, United States | Posted on 10/09/2026

Director of Research Computing & Cyberinfrastructure

Project Identifier

SC

Client

South Carolina

Agency

State of South Carolina

Location

Hybrid(3days Onsite)

Location:514 Main Street, Columbia, South Carolina, USA, 29208.

Candidatelocation: Candidate MUST be a SC, NC or GA resident and willing torelocate to SC prior to starting the role at their own expense.

Contract Duration

12 Months

Interview Type

Online

The candidate will have to be on an InnosoftW2.

At least 6 months of valid workauthorization

Tentative Start Date

11/02/2026

Deadline

10/14/2026

Project Overview

The Division of IT requires an experienced leaderto provide immediate organizational stabilization and transformationalleadership during a period of significant departmental change. The departmentis facing organizational, operational, and cultural challenges that requiredecisive leadership, objective assessment, and rapid implementation ofcorrective actions before recruiting a permanent Director. This 9–12-monthinterim assignment will focus on rebuilding organizational culture, aligningresources with institutional priorities, improving operational effectiveness,and establishing sustainable management practices. The Interim Director will beempowered to make organizational decisions necessary to position the departmentfor long-term success while maintaining continuity of critical IT services andcustomer engagement.

The Interim Director will conduct a comprehensiveassessment of research technology infrastructure, services, operationalprocedures, active and anticipated projects, and budget requirements.Responsibilities include aligning operational procedures with divisionalstandards, leveraging service desk ticketing systems for support requests,client communications, project tracking, and reporting analytics, andestablishing effective governance, communication, and decision-makingprocesses. The role also involves documenting organizational recommendations,strategic priorities, lifecycle budgets, professional development needs, andtransition plans for permanent leadership, while recruiting, mentoring, andpreparing team members for long-term success. Success will be measured byimprovements in organizational culture, employee accountability, operationalperformance, customer satisfaction, governance maturity, and departmentalreadiness for permanent executive leadership.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Provideleadership for all departmental operations, research technologyinfrastructure, and related services.
  
• Supervisemanagers, professional staff, and student staff.
  
• Establishperformance expectations and monitor organizational outcomes.
  
• Maketimely operational and resource allocation decisions.
  
• Leadorganizational change initiatives and culture transformation efforts.
  
• Evaluateorganizational effectiveness and recommend structural improvements.
  
• Developand monitor departmental priorities and performance metrics incollaboration with executive leadership.
  
• Coordinatedepartmental budgets and strategic resource allocation in collaborationwith executive leadership.
  
• Ensurecompliance with university policies, security standards, auditrequirements, and regulatory obligations.
  
• Removeorganizational obstacles that inhibit productivity, innovation, andcollaboration.
  
• Provideexecutive-level reports and recommendations to executive leadership.
  
• Developsuccession planning and transition documentation for permanent leadership.
  

Requirements

Education and Certifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree In ComputerScience or a closely related discipline
  
• Master’s degree in science, technology, or a related field.
  

Required Skills:

• 8+ yearsof experience leading organizational transformation, change management,and service delivery optimization
  
• 8+ yearsof experience leading large, complex technology projects
  
• 8+ yearsof experience with personnel management, coaching, and performance accountability
  

Preferred Skills:

• Experiencewith research cyberinfrastructure, high-performance computing, high-speedstorage, and networking technologies.
  
• Experienceimplementing governance and operational maturity frameworks.
  
• Experiencemanaging organizational change in higher education.
  
• Knowledgeof ITIL frameworks and IT service management best practices.
  
• Experiencewith cloud infrastructure and services, including AWS and Microsoft Azure.
  
• Familiaritywith AI infrastructure and cloud-based AI technologies across AWS,Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
  
• Experienceas a Carpentries Instructor, delivering technical training and supportingskill development.
  
• Trainingor hands-on experience with High-Performance Computing (HPC) technologies,including Slurm workload management and InfiniBand networking.
  

Standard Employee Benefits.

50% Health Insurance Paid by Innosoft, Paid Vacation, 401K Match, STD LTD and AD&D paid by Innosoft.