Director of Digital Transformation

Job Summary

Provide strategic leadership for Mercy University’s digital and AI transformation initiatives. This role leads the development and execution of the university’s digital strategy and roadmap, advancing innovation, automation, and AI adoption across academic and administrative areas.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Develop and lead a comprehensive digital and AI transformation strategy and roadmap aligned with Mercy’s mission, academic priorities, and the Mercy 2030 Institutional Strategic Plan
• Drive institution-wide transformation initiatives that leverage emerging technologies, automation, and AI to improve agility, efficiency, and service delivery
• Develop a tactical plan for digital transformation and AI adoption within both academic and administrative areas, identifying opportunities for innovation, automation, and enhanced user experience
• Establish and lead a framework that drives digital innovation, shared learning, and operational excellence across the university, promoting governance, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Define and track success metrics to measure adoption, performance, and return on investment for digital and AI initiatives, in coordination with the Assistant Vice President of Innovation and Analytics at Mercy University
• Champion organizational change by building digital literacy and fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning
• Lead business process improvement and optimization initiatives to streamline workflows and increase efficiency across departments
• Partner with senior leadership to ensure technology investments deliver measurable results and advance institutional outcomes.
• Develop and oversee communication and training strategies that support digital and AI initiatives and ensure broad stakeholder engagement
• Leverage analytics and reporting to provide insights to executive leadership on project

performance and institutional impact

• Oversee the operational activities of the Project Management Office (PMO) ensuring that projects supporting the university’s transformation agenda are properly prioritized, governed, and executed on time and within scope, with clear measures of success defined and progress reported regularly to university leadership
• Serve as project lead for select high-impact or cross-divisional initiatives, providing direct management and coordination
• Stay current with higher education technology trends, particularly in digital strategy, transformation leadership, AI adoption, and organizational change

Education Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, or a related field required
• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Information Technology, or a related discipline strongly preferred

Experience and/or Skills Required

• Minimum 10 years of experience leading digital strategy, transformation, or enterprise change initiatives in higher education or similarly complex environments
• Minimum of five years of project or program management experience including direct management of complex institutional initiatives
• Proven success developing and implementing strategic digital roadmaps and governance structures
• Demonstrated leadership of large-scale transformation programs
• Extensive background in organizational effectiveness, change management, and business process optimization
• Proficient in using modern productivity and project management tools (e.g., Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, or equivalent)
• Strong analytical, planning, and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate data into actionable insights
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to engage senior leadership and diverse stakeholders
• Proficiency in developing and executing learning and training programs to support technology adoption
• Experience working collaboratively across IT, academic, and administrative areas
• Proven record of building cultures of innovation and digital literacy

Desired Skills

• Experience leading or contributing to digital strategy, AI adoption, or automation initiatives in higher education or enterprise environments
• Experience working within institutions of higher education
• Strong understanding of academic and administrative operations in universities
• Ability to communicate vision and inspire innovation across diverse teams
• Proficiency with project and portfolio management tools and data visualization platforms
• Knowledge of higher education accreditation, compliance, and strategic planning processes
• Experience using Smartsheet for project management and collaboration

Licenses/Certifications Required

• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification
• Certified Scrum Master (CSM) certification (preferred)
• Additional certifications such as ITIL, Prosci Change Management, PMI-PfMP, PMI-PgMP are a plus