Assistant Director of Client Services

Job Requisition:

JR101981 Assistant Director of Client Services (Open)

Job Posting Title:

Assistant Director of Client Services

Department:

CC00880 VIMS1 | Office of ITNS

Job Family:

Staff - IT Project Management & Business Analysis

Worker Sub-Type:

Regular (benefited)

Job Requisition Primary Location:

Davis Hall

Primary Job Posting Location:

Posting Location - VIMS Gloucester

Job Description Summary:

School Mission State
The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) has a three-part mission of research, education, and advisory service. Our over-arching goals are to:
• Make seminal advances in understanding marine systems through research and discovery.
• Translate research findings into practical solutions to complex issues of societal importance.
• Provide new generations of researchers, educators, problem solvers, and managers with a coastal and marine sciences education of unsurpassed quality.

Unit Mission Statement
VIMS Information Technology equips the Institute's research, education, and advisory mission with secure, innovative, and sustainable technology. We empower faculty, staff, and students by delivering reliable infrastructure, modern data and collaboration tools, and responsive support. Through proactive partnership and continuous improvement, we transform technology into a strategic asset that accelerates discovery, learning, and institutional resilience.

Job Description:

Position Summary

The Assistant Director of Client Services is responsible for the design, delivery, performance, and continuous improvement of end-user IT services across VIMS. This role ensures that faculty, staff, and students receive reliable, well-coordinated, and supportable technology services that enable teaching, research, and administrative work.

 

These services include classroom and audiovisual support, end-user computing, hardware and software support, and support of institutional training. The Assistant Director is accountable for the end-to-end delivery of these services, including service desk operations, endpoint lifecycle management, field support, service catalog and request fulfillment design, training program development, vendor quoting and contract coordination for end-user technology, and measurable improvements to the overall service experience.

 

This position provides leadership for service operations by establishing clear service definitions, measurable performance expectations, and a consistent approach to continuous improvement. The Assistant Director works closely with faculty, staff, students, and IT partners to strengthen reliability, reduce recurring issues, and increase adoption of standard platforms. The role ensures that service operations align with William & Mary IT enterprise solutions and institutional security and compliance requirements while making service performance visible and actionable through the regular use of key performance indicators (KPIs) and service reporting.

 

Core responsibilities include:

• Serve as the senior escalation point for complex, high-impact, or cross-functional service issues, providing coordination, clear communication, and timely resolution.
• Lead the ongoing development and maturation of operational practices, including service desk workflows, request and intake models, service catalog design, training course design, knowledge base management, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Provide leadership for endpoint lifecycle practices across standard faculty and staff devices and specialized environments.
• Coordinate vendor quoting, contract activities, and procurement workflows for hardware, software, and related support services.

 

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Business, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

 

Experience

• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in IT client services, end-user computing, or a related IT service domain.
• Experience supervising or leading technical or service-oriented staff, with responsibility for setting priorities and coordinating work.
• Hands-on knowledge of endpoint lifecycle management practices for Windows and macOS environments, including provisioning, patching, device standards, and lifecycle planning.

 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to communicate effectively with technical and nontechnical stakeholders, translating technical concepts into clear, actionable guidance.
• Ability to coordinate work across teams, balance competing priorities, and deliver outcomes within established time and resource constraints.
• Ability to define, document, and maintain service standards, operational processes, and measurable performance expectations.

 

Preferred Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Information Systems, or a related technical field.

 

Experience

• Experience working in higher education, research-adjacent, or public sector environments with diverse user needs and compliance considerations.

 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Familiarity with IT service management practices and frameworks such as ITIL.
• Ability to lead service improvement initiatives using metrics, trend analysis, and operational data.
• Ability to apply standardization and lifecycle thinking to improve service scalability and supportability.

 

Salary: $100,000 - $105,000, commensurate with experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

Client Service Operations Oversight and Improvement — 40%

• Provide leadership and accountability for service operations, including service desk strategy, intake pathways, escalation design, and measurable service outcomes.
• Directly supervise, manage, and coordinate the functions of the Client Support Team staff members.
• Assign tasks, set priorities, and monitor progress to ensure alignment with institutional goals, service expectations, and operational needs.
• Manage day-to-day operational execution by directing work across service desk, field support, and endpoint services, adjusting priorities and workloads as conditions change.
• Coordinate operational readiness for new technologies and upgrades, including communications, rollout planning, and post-deployment stabilization.
• Define and maintain service operations using KPIs such as time to resolution, first contact resolution, backlog health, customer satisfaction, and repeat incident rates.
• Communicate service performance through regular reporting and discussion of KPIs and service metrics with IT leadership.
• Ensure projects and purchases include appropriate documentation, knowledge transfer, and support readiness.
• Develop and manage knowledge base standards with staff to ensure documentation objectives are met.
• Ensure operational readiness for new services and changes, including communications, support models, documentation, and post-deployment stabilization.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive training portfolio and rolling training roadmap.
• Enable training staff to create and deliver training content and provide training support as needed.

 

Endpoint Lifecycle Management — 25%

• Lead end-user device and peripheral lifecycle practices that balance user needs, security posture, and operational sustainability.
• Define standard endpoint configurations and support models for administrative, faculty, student, and specialized environments.
• Oversee provisioning, onboarding, patching, configuration standards, and retirement practices in partnership with security and infrastructure teams.
• Lead refresh planning and lifecycle forecasting, including device schedules, inventory posture, and budget projections.
• Establish and maintain standards for peripherals and accessories.
• Coordinate with research, instructional, and administrative units to evaluate exceptions and ensure specialized devices remain supportable and secure.

 

Technology Procurement and Vendor Management — 20%

• Lead the commercial execution for end-user technology to ensure value, compliance, and supportability.
• Manage quoting strategy for end-user hardware, software, warranties, and support services.
• Coordinate vendor selection and renewals for client services-related contracts and service agreements in collaboration with procurement and leadership.
• Maintain procurement workflows that reduce cycle time while ensuring alignment with institutional standards, security requirements, and lifecycle planning.
• Support software licensing and contract compliance for end-user-focused agreements.
• Promote transparent decision-making by documenting total cost considerations, support impacts, and standardization benefits.

 

Performance Management — 10%

• Lead the Client Support Team through coaching, clarity, and operational discipline.
• Ensure expectations are clearly communicated and aligned with departmental goals and objectives.
• Provide staff with frequent, constructive feedback, including interim evaluations as appropriate.
• Ensure staff possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to accomplish assigned goals.
• Complete performance planning and evaluations by established deadlines with appropriate documentation.
• Address and document performance issues as they occur.
• Review and communicate safety issues to maintain a safe and healthy workplace.

 

Other Responsibilities — 5%

• Participate in special projects as assigned.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Additional Job Description:

Directs, through subordinate supervisors, all program, operations, and staff in assigned areas.
Performs managerial and technical work ranging from moderate to considerable difficulty.
Responsibilities include planning, implementing, and/or improving systems and services.
Knows and applies concepts, practices, and procedures of supervision and leadership.
Contacts include interactions with customers to identify, plan, and perform actions to meet customer needs.
Contacts also include interactions with subordinates to provide leadership and guidance in managing the area.

Job Profile:

JP0441 - IT Project Leader - Exempt - Salary - S14

Qualifications:

Compensation Grade:

S14

Recruiting Start Date:

2026-07-31

Position Restrictions:

Continuing E&G funded position and not term-limited

EEO is the Law.  Applicants can learn more about William & Mary’s status as an equal opportunity employer by viewing the "Know Your Rights" poster published by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. https://www.eeoc.gov/know-your-rights-workplace-discrimination-illegal

 

Background Check: William & Mary is committed to providing a safe campus community. W&M conducts background investigations for applicants being considered for employment. Background investigations include reference checks, a criminal history record check, and when appropriate, a financial (credit) report or driving history check. 

 

Remote Work Disclaimer: Remote work eligibility is not guaranteed and is subject to approval. Employee eligibility depends on the likelihood of the employee succeeding in a remote work arrangement and the supervisor’s ability to manage remote workers. Departments and/or Human Resources may amend, alter, change, delete, or modify eligibility.