Vice President, Information Technology

Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation is rooted in a legacy that began more than a century ago, when private citizens from all walks of life took action to establish and protect our national parks. The creation of the Foundation led to the immediate protection and enhancement of some of our most iconic and historic places. In recent years, the Centennial of the National Park Service in 2016 led to a period of significant growth at the Foundation with strategic investments in fundraising capacity and programmatic impact.  Strong alignment with NPS led to impact in signature programs and projects across the country including the restoration of landmark sites, the protection of key landscapes and wildlife corridors, broader and more inclusive storytelling, support for new national park sites, and a considerable push to make national parks relevant to all.  With the recent launch of NPF’s next fundraising campaign, our goals are clear.  By FY28, we wish to (i) raise a minimum of $1B towards key priorities of the National Park Service, (ii) elevate NPF’s capacity to become a $200 million per year organization, (iii) make national parks a philanthropic priority across the country and NPF a trusted national brand, and (iv) elevate the community of 400+ park partners’ capacity to deliver even greater impact to national parks. 

The VP of Information Technology is responsible for setting, implementing, and managing an IT vision and strategy that yields efficient use of technology applications in support of the Foundation’s mission, related goals, and campaign activities.  The role is responsible for the design, effective operation, and maintenance of NPF’s technology systems including networks, data security systems, technology assets, IT policies and procedures, select reporting systems, enterprise applications, user rights management, financial and programmatic system integrations and user support related activities. Under the direction of the Chief Financial Officer, this individual will work to ensure systems and applications are running optimally, mitigate risk, enhance the efficiency of the organization’s technology environment, ensure systems deliver outcomes that support the goals of the Foundation, ensure NPF’s systems and confidential records are secure and protected from intrusion, and lead a team in the management of these activities.  The individual in this role is responsible for setting and implementing a vision that will align the Foundation’s technology and operational strategies working collaboratively with teams managing respective departmental systems, establishing the technology team’s role as a business and innovation partner across the Foundation, helping to lead digital transformation activities, identifying viable technology solutions, helping departments visualize digital solutions for their most pressing needs and managing implementation projects to this end where needed.    

Essential Functions/Duties/Tasks:  

• Create, update, and maintain all IT-related operational policies and procedures that support networks, IT operations, security, disaster recovery, backups, integrations, etc.  
• Manage and administer on premises and cloud-based network environments.   
• Oversee and recommend selection of software in collaboration with select teams that is cost-effective and consistent with organizational strategy. 
• Work closely with leaders across the organization to identify, develop and implement digital solutions where appropriate.  
• Work closely with leaders to assess and solution for technology integrations between enterprise systems. 
• Lead project management of systems implementations and other strategic initiatives as needed or in partnership with other teams.  
• Provide senior management with key reporting, analysis of IT operations, enterprise systems, evolving industry trends, usage patterns, and ongoing technology investments needed to support the organization.  
• Ensure stability and availability of key infrastructure that support mission-critical operations and applications. 
• Consistently evaluate enterprise infrastructure portfolio and propose consolidation of redundant systems or migration to more efficient technologies. 
• Lead and develop IT team in the management of all facets of IT operations.   
• Manages NPF staff on-boarding /off-boarding activities.  
• Ensure data integrity and security of all company IT assets and intellectual property, including network, cloud computing infrastructure, communication systems, data repositories, and end-point computing for a hybrid workforce. 
• Manage IT vendor relationships effectively.  
• Manage end-user support and related vendor performance.  
• Oversee organizational cyber security, disaster recovery, and business continuity plans, including ongoing education of employees and assessment and mitigation of organizational risks. 
• Investigate, evaluate, and advocate technological solutions and systems that can improve constituent and staff experiences, operations, and overall mission delivery of the Foundation. 
• Advise departments on technological tools that can improve efficiency and effectiveness.  
• Manage IT operating and capex budgets efficiently.   
• Plan for and provide comprehensive organizational end-user training and assistance as needed.  

Required knowledge, skills, and abilities:  

• Minimum 10 years’ work experience in an IT management and leadership role. 
• Seasoned organizational technology leader with an ability to apply strong technical, operational, analytical, and managerial skills to solve day-to-day challenges and deliver on strategic initiatives. 
• Demonstrated ability to manage, lead, operate and manage a hybrid work environment. 
• Strong ability to lead both internal and outsourced staff resources. 
• Demonstrated expertise and depth of experience in IT systems, network infrastructure, enterprise applications, and cyber security architecture. 
• Experience managing cloud, IT infrastructure, and cyber-security. 
• Ability to manage vendors and budgets effectively. 
• Expert level IT project management skills. 
• Domain expertise in use of cloud, networks, and data technology in support of business strategy and growth in major public cloud platforms such as Azure and AWS. 
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with all levels of management, clients, and staff both in verbal and written form.  
• An ability to handle confidential sensitive matters effectively.   
• Must be able to prioritize, work well in a fast-paced environment, exercise good judgment, and problem-solving skills. 
• Able to manage, lead and develop a team effectively.  
• Ability and willingness to adapt processes, approaches, and strategies to continuously improve operations as needed, or based on evolving trends. 

Preferred education, certifications, and experience:  

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field, preferably information technology; CISSP preferred.   
• Experienced in organization digital transformation activities. 
• Expert level knowledge and experience in end-user support operations.  
• Operations experience; ITIL or related certifications highly desired.  
• Relevant experience managing a team of IT professionals. 
• Training in project management approaches preferred. 
• Strong knowledge and observer of industry trends and evolving technologies.   

Description of physical demands and work environment:  

 On average, the employee will spend 50%-70% of their time working at a desk in a typical office environment; 30%-50% of their time walking, standing and moving about office suite and conference rooms;  Repetitive movement of hands, arms for typing, writing and filing;  May need to lift objects between 1-15 lbs;  While performing the duties of this position, individual is frequently required to talk and listen;  Specific vision demands required for this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus.  Will be working in an office with moderate noise level and fluorescent lighting.   Must be flexible and willing to accommodate items of a critical or emergency nature during non-office hours. 

Compensation and Benefits: 

The National Park Foundation offers a competitive salary and benefits program. Compensation for this opportunity will be commensurate with the level of responsibility of the job and experience of the candidate.  The starting salary for this position grade is $155,000. 

Location 

Our national headquarters in Washington, DC operates in a hybrid work environment. Remote work will be considered for the role. 

The National Park Foundation is an EEO employer