Director of Academic Technology & User Services; ATUS Position Profile

Director of Academic Technology & User Services (ATUS)

Director of Academic Technology & User Services (ATUS)

Apply for the position.

Western Washington University (WWU) invites applications for a Director of Academic Technology & User Services (ATUS) who is excited to help people do their best work, loves learning alongside others, and sees technology as a way to build connection, creativity, and possibility.

This is a role for a thoughtful leader who enjoys rolling up their sleeves, listening deeply, and helping an organization learn, grow, and re‑imagine itself. If you are energized by supporting students, faculty, and staff through times of change—and you believe leadership is as much about care and curiosity as it is about strategy—we would love to hear from you.

As Director of ATUS, you will guide a talented, people‑centered organization that sits at the heart of teaching, learning, and day‑to‑day life S teams support frontline technical services that touch nearly every member of the university community, including:

• Classroom Services
• Digital Media Center
• Video Services
• Student Technology Center
• Center for Instructional Innovation (CII)
• Help Desk, Desktop Support, and IT Service Management

Rather than inheriting a static organization, you will join ATUS at an important moment. Like many institutions, WWU has experienced enrollment and funding challenges post‑COVID and to put itself back on a sustainable path, the university has undergone an administrative reorganization that included the consolidation of distributed IT services into a centralized model. This role calls for someone who can lead the organization with clarity, compassion, and shared purpose.

You will build on the successes of your predecessor, honor the good work being done by the ATUS team, set direction, nurture culture, and help ATUS evolve in ways that are sustainable, inclusive, and aligned with the university’s mission. You will also have space to make the work joyful: celebrating creativity, supporting experimentation, and ensure that technology work remains human‑centered and meaningful.

In partnership with students, staff, faculty, and colleagues across campus, you will:

• Shape a clear, inspiring vision for academic and user‑facing technology services that supports learning, equity, and access.
• Lead and support managers and teams with empathy, transparency, and trust—fostering a culture of care, curiosity, accountability, and growth.
• Guide ATUS through ongoing organizational change, helping people feel heard, valued, and supported.
• Build strong and collaborative relationships across Information Technology Services (ITS) and the broader university.
• Steward public and student resources responsibly, balancing sustainability with innovation.
• Ensure that services such as service desks, classroom and event AV, instructional technologies, media production, and technology loan programs continue to deliver real value to the campus community.
• Support student learning not only through technology, but through meaningful student employment, mentorship, and professional development.
• Engage in thoughtful, inclusive conversations about emerging technologies—including generative and agentic AI—and their role in higher education.

We are less interested in a checklist of credentials and more interested in how you show up as a leader
. Successful candidates often bring many of the following qualities and experiences:

• A people‑first leadership style grounded in listening, empathy, and collaboration.
• Experience guiding teams through complexity, uncertainty, or significant organizational change.
• Curiosity, humility, and a willingness to learn—especially from those with lived experiences different from your own.
• The ability to influence through relationships rather than authority.

While experience in higher education is helpful, it’s…