Director, Enterprise Systems & Digital Solutions (MUST have Higher Education Experience) - Hybrid Rider University, NJ.

Ellucian powers innovation for higher education, partnering with approximately 3,000 customers across 50 countries, serving more than 21 million students. Ellucian's AI-powered platform, trained on the richest dataset available in higher education, drives efficiency, personalized experiences, and strengthened engagement for all students, faculty and staff. Fueled by decades of experience with a singular focus on the unique needs of learning institutions, the Ellucian platform features best-in-class SaaS capabilities and delivers insights needed now and into the future. These solutions and services span the entire student lifecycle, including data-rich tools for student recruitment, enrollment, and retention to workforce analytics, fundraising, and alumni engagement. Ellucian's innovative solutions, vast ecosystem of partners and user community of more than 45,000 provides best practices leading to greater institutional success and achieving better student outcomes.

The Director, Enterprise Systems & Digital Solutions serves as a strategic leader responsible for advancing Rider University’s enterprise applications ecosystem, with a primary focus on the Ellucian Student ERP. This role goes beyond traditional system support to drive digital transformation, optimize cross-functional business processes, and deliver technology-enabled solutions that enhance student success, operational efficiency, and institutional effectiveness.

This is a high-impact role that blends technical expertise, strategic thinking, team management, and strong stakeholder engagement to modernize enterprise systems and enable a connected, data-informed, and increasingly intelligent digital campus.

This is a hybrid role with opportunity for regular work from home. The interpersonal relationships critical to success in this role require some days on campus at Rider’s Lawrenceville, New Jersey location.

Where You Will Make an Impact

Enterprise Ownership & Digital Transformation

• • Own the end-to-end enterprise applications ecosystem, with primary accountability for Ellucian Student and related administrative systems.
  • Define and execute a multi-year enterprise systems roadmap aligned to institutional priorities such as enrollment growth, student success, and operational excellence.
  • Lead the transition to Ellucian Student SaaS and cloud-based services, ensuring scalability, resilience, and long-term sustainability.
  • Advance the institution’s use of emerging technologies, including AI and intelligent automation, to enhance decision-making, streamline operations, and improve the student and staff experience.
  • Shift the organization from system support to solution delivery, driving innovation and measurable campus impact.

Strategic Stakeholder Engagement

• • Serve as a trusted advisor to academic and administrative leadership, translating institutional goals into technology-enabled solutions.
  • Build strong partnerships with key functional areas including Admissions, Registrar, Finance, Bursar, Student Success, Advancement, Athletics, and Human Resources.
  • Lead governance structures that ensure clear prioritization, stakeholder alignment, and transparency in decision-making.
  • Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to improve processes and maximize system value.

Platform Optimization & Integration

• • Oversee continuous improvement of Ellucian Student and related enterprise systems, enhancing usability, performance, and user experience.
  • Lead enterprise integration strategy, enabling seamless data flow across systems and supporting a connected digital ecosystem.
  • Identify and implement automation and AI-enabled solutions to reduce manual processes, improve efficiency, and enable more proactive, data-informed operations.
  • Partner with data and functional teams to enable AI-driven insights, predictive analytics, and intelligent workflows across enterprise systems.
  • Leverage data and analytics to drive informed decision-making and service improvements.

SaaS Strategy & Application Governance

• • Develop and implement an enterprise SaaS and application governance model, including lifecycle management, cost optimization, and vendor alignment.
  • Rationalize the application portfolio to eliminate redundancy and maximize institutional value.
  • Ensure systems meet security, privacy, and regulatory compliance requirements while maintaining high availability and performance.
  • Evaluate and govern the responsible use of AI-enabled tools and platforms, ensuring alignment with institutional policies, data privacy, and ethical standards.

Implementation, Change Leadership & Adoption

• • Lead major system implementations, upgrades, and Ellucian Student SaaS migration initiatives.
  • Drive organizational change management efforts to support adoption of new systems, processes, and ways of working.
  • Establish training, documentation, and support strategies that empower end users and improve system utilization.
  • Champion a culture of continuous improvement across people, process, and technology.

Vendor & Partner Management

• • Build and maintain strategic relationships with key vendors, including Ellucian.
  • Influence product direction and service delivery to align with institutional needs.
  • Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends to continuously evolve the enterprise systems landscape.

Innovation & Emerging Technology

• • Identify and pilot emerging capabilities, including AI, automation, and digital workflow tools, to continuously improve institutional effectiveness.
  • Collaborate with stakeholders to translate innovation opportunities into scalable, value-driven solutions.
  • Promote a culture of experimentation and continuous learning within the enterprise systems function.

What You Will Bring

• • Strong experience in enterprise applications, ERP systems (Ellucian Student preferred), and higher education environments.
  • Clear experience managing teams and projects with team members and project staff on-prem, fully remote, and off-shore.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead digital transformation initiatives and drive organizational change.
  • Understanding of enterprise system integration, SaaS platforms, and cloud-based architectures.
  • Experience partnering with functional leaders to deliver technology solutions aligned to business outcomes.
  • Experience establishing governance frameworks, prioritization models, and cross-functional collaboration structures.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate data into actionable insights.
  • Familiarity with emerging technologies such as AI, automation, and advanced analytics, and their application within enterprise systems environments.
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with a focus on building trust and alignment.

• Comprehensive health coverage: medical, dental, and vision  
• Flexible time off  
• Thrive Flex Lifestyle Account (LSA) that allows you to contribute towards your health, financial or learning interests
• 401k w/ match & BrightPlan - to help you save for the future
• Parental Leave
• 5 charitable days to support the community that supports us
• Telemedicine
• Wellness
  
  • Headspace Care (mental health)
  • Wellbeats (virtual fitness classes)
• RethinkCare & Wellthy– caregiver support
• Diversity and inclusion programs which provide access to internal employee resource groups  
• Employee referral bonuses to encourage the addition of great new people to the team
• We Foster a learning culture with:
  o Education Assistance Program
  o Professional development opportunities
  o LinkedIn Learning

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