Vice President of Information Technology

Festival Hydro is a local distribution company serving 20,000 customers in the municipalities of Stratford, St. Marys, Seaforth, Hensall, Zurich, Dashwood and Brussels. We are a progressive utility looking for an incumbent that supports our ongoing commitment to customer and operational excellence.  

Currently seeking a Vice President of Information Technology. This is a key Senior Management role, reporting to the CEO. Your operations and system maintenance experience, along with a strong business acumen, will continue to move the organization forward. You will supervise IT Operations and Infrastructure employees, and work hands on with the team to eliminate security risks, increase end-user satisfaction and lead company-wide initiatives. 

About the Role

The Vice President of Information Technology will oversee the development, implementation, and use of technology throughout Festival Hydro. This role also includes responsibilities within Rhyzome Networks, a data infrastructure affiliate company of Festival Hydro, operating a 70km gigabit fibre optic grid and city wide 802.11N Wi-Fi wireless zones throughout Stratford and six other communities in southwestern Ontario. This position works closely with Senior and Departmental Managers to assess and address user and company needs. Areas of responsibility include the full range of information systems and infrastructure activities. 

Responsibilities:

• As a member of the Senior Management team, participate in strategic and operational processes of the organization;
• Manage the deployment, monitoring, maintenance, development, upgrade, and support of all IT systems, including servers, PCs, operating systems, telephones, and software applications;
• Provide expertise and support during systems upgrades, installations, conversions and file maintenance;
• Oversee systems development, enhancement and the integration of new systems with existing systems;
• Develop strategies and plans to enhance end-user services, improve user effectiveness, and foster innovation;
• Manage IT staff, including hiring, training, evaluation, and guidance;
• Develop the IT staff to meet the changing needs of users, new projects and technologies;
• Keep current with the latest technologies and determine what new technology solutions and implementations will meet current and future business and system requirements;
• Manage financial aspects of the IT Department, including purchasing, resourcing, budgeting, and budget review;
• Develop and implement all IT policies and procedures, including those for security, disaster recovery, standards, purchasing, and service provision;
• Manage servers, security solutions, network hardware and equipment;
• Negotiate and administer vendor, outsource, and service agreements; 
• Oversee any possible future development, as well as maintenance of the fibre optic and wireless networks, and hosted systems;
• Involvement with strategic planning to continue to highlight Stratford as a digital technology centre and an internationally recognized intelligent community;
• Oversee administration of software platforms (Linux/Windows/Other) and layered traffic (TCP/IP, VLANs, tunnels, Layers 1-7);
• Review monitoring and troubleshooting of significant network events, as well as providing recommendations for changes to our core infrastructure. 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in the field of computer science, information systems, or business administration. Equivalent education and experience will also be considered;
• Advanced technical or managerial credentials, such as MBA, PMP, considered an asset;
• Previous Internet Service Provider experience also an asset;
• Ten or more years of progressive IT experience, including managing and/or directing an IT department;
• Demonstrated ability to lead a team of technical staff, to work with the Executive Management of an organization, and to manage multiple concurrent projects;
• Experience in strategic planning and execution;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to present ideas in business-friendly and user-friendly language;
• Ability to meet deadlines, to conduct and direct research into IT issues and products, and to take initiative in the development and completion of projects;
• Strong project management, organizational and time management skills;
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical and evaluative skills;
• Experience with systems design and development from business requirements analysis through to day-to-day management;
• Strong understanding of planning and implementing large networks, including fibre optic. 

Ready to join our team? 

Interested candidates may apply by emailing their resume and cover letter to hr@festivalhydro.com by April 2, 2017. Please reference “Vice President of Information Technology” in the subject line. 

We thank all applicants for their interest but advise only those selected for an interview will be contacted.  

Accommodations are available during all aspects of the recruitment process. Applicants contacted by Human Resources for an interview are asked to make their needs known in advance.

March 8, 2017