Director of IT Technical Services

Job Description

Join Hilo Benioff Medical Center and be part of a team that proudly cares for our friends, family, and neighbors across East Hawaii. 

Job Description

Hilo Benioff Medical Center is seeking an experienced Director of IT Technical Services to lead and oversee technology operations across the East Hawaii Region. This is a fully on-site position based in Hilo, Hawaii, responsible for ensuring reliable, secure, and high-performing information technology (IT) services that support clinical care, patient safety, and business operations. This position reports to the Regional Chief Information Officer and supports regional facilities including Ka’u Hospital, Honoka’a Hospital, East Hawaii Health Clinics and Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home, playing a critical role in advancing technology capabilities that directly impact patient care and operational excellence.

The Director of IT will also drive strategic initiatives, including infrastructure modernization, cybersecurity, and service excellence in a complex healthcare environment.

The East Hawaii Region recently transitioned to Epic as the organization’s electronic health record (EHR) system. This position works in collaboration with the EHR Director who owns Epic application strategy, build, optimization, training, and application support. The IT Director owns the technical platform and operational services that Epic depends on in addition to the technology services required for the facilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead region-wide IT operations, including team of 20+ Regional End User Support professionals
• Ensure high availability and performance of infrastructure including networks, servers, storage, and clinical systems.  
• Own IT operational policies and runbooks to include patching, vulnerability management, change windows, maintenance communications, disaster recovery, and business continuity.
• Develop and manage IT operating and capital budgets; prioritize investments that improve clinical reliability and reduce downtime risk.
• Manage vendor contracts, MSPs, telecom, device vendors, and support agreements with measurable SLAs.
• Coordinate tightly with the Epic Electronic Health Record (EHR) Director for Epic application support, enterprise interface maintenance, reporting, and device management.
• Oversee service desk and end-user support functions, delivering responsive, high-quality technical support across all facilities
• Manage endpoint and clinical device lifecycle, including standardization, patching, security, and asset management
• Direct IT change management, disaster recovery planning, and downtime readiness to support uninterrupted patient care
• Ensure strong cybersecurity practices, including enforcement of security controls, vulnerability management, and audit readiness
• Collaborate with EHR leadership, clinical teams, and executive stakeholders to align IT strategy with organizational goals and patient care priorities 

Education Required: Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (or a substitution for equivalent experience on a year-for-year basis) 
Experience Required: Minimum of ten (10) years of information technology experience, including:

• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive IT experience, demonstrating increasing scope and accountability across core IT functions (e.g., infrastructure, end-user computing, service management, security, or clinical systems support).
• Minimum of five (5) years of leadership experience managing medium to large scale IT operations teams of 15 or more employees in a 24/7, mission-critical environment, with responsibility for service delivery, incident escalation, staffing/on-call coverage, and operational performance. Prior leadership experience should be at the Director or Executive level, or equivalent.
• Healthcare experience strongly preferred, particularly in acute care settings; experience in other high-reliability environments may also be considered.

Technical Expertise: 

• Strong proficiency in network and wireless operations
• Experience with server/virtualization and storage systems
• Expertise in endpoint management, including imaging, patching, encryption, and EDR tools 

Certifications: 

• Relevant IT certifications (e.g., ITIL, Microsoft, Cisco, or security certifications) preferred but not required.
• Epic certification also strongly preferred. 

Company Description

As the Big Island’s leading providers of inpatient and outpatient care, the East Hawaii Region of Hawai`i Health Systems Corporation (HHSC), consisting of Hilo Benioff Medical Center, Honoka'a Hospital, Ka′u Hospital, Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home, East Hawaii Medical Group and East Hawaii Health Pharmacy, delivers a full range of services and programs. Our three hospitals include 290 beds and more than 1,900 employees. Our medical staff is comprised of 250 physicians, physician assistants and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, representing 33 specialties. East Hawaii Health is our network of clinics offering primary and specialty care. Hilo Benioff Medical Center functions as a Level III Trauma Center, which includes the second busiest emergency room in the state, providing 24-hour care and serving more than 50,000 patients annually. Honoka'a Hospital and Ka′u Hospital are designated as Critical Access Hospitals. To learn more about the East Hawaii Region, please watch our Video Yearbook or visit www.hbmc.org, www.honokaahospital.org or www.kauhospital.org.

Benefits

• 13 paid holidays each year (104 hours); 14 (112 hours) during election years*
• 21 paid vacation days (168 hours) per year*
• 21 paid sick days (168 hours) per year*
• Medical, dental, vision, and prescription plans
• Employee Assistance Program
• Participation in the State of Hawaii’s retirement system
• Potential eligibility for various student loan repayment & scholarship programs

* Rates listed for paid holidays, vacation and sick days are for 1.0 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) positions assigned to 8 hour shifts. Accruals for these benefits are otherwise prorated based on FTE.

About Hilo & The Big Island

Hilo is located on the east side of the island of Hawaii, and has a quaint, old-Hawaii, small town atmosphere. Our island offers amazing rainforests, waterfalls and beaches. The hospital staff is community-oriented and strive to provide competent and compassionate care to every patient that enters our doors. The area is home to the Hawaii Community College, University of Hawaii, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, excellent schools and convenient shopping.

Pre-Employment Assessments for External Candidates

As part of the recruiting process for this position, external applicants (job applicants NOTemployed by HHSC’s East Hawaii Region) are required to complete pre-employment assessments shortly after application submission. If you are not an employee of the East Hawaii Region of HHSC, you will receive an email containing assessment instructions. We ask that you complete the assessments within two days of receipt of the request. 

Pre-Employment Health Requirements

Offers of employment will be contingent on successfully passing a pre-employment examination, which includes a drug screen and other regulatory medical requirements such as, but not limited to, a tuberculosis (TB) screen.  The cost for drug screening and blood draw for QuantiFERON and Titers, shall be borne by the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The East Hawaii Region of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation is a drug free workplace and an Equal Opportunity Employer.