Director, Application Services (Colleague ERP exp)

About Ellucian

Ellucian is a global market leader in education technology. We power innovation for higher education, partnering with more than 2,900 customers across 50 countries and serving over 20 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, from 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 provide best practices leading to greater institutional success and achieving better student outcomes.

Values Rooted in Purpose

We embrace the power to lead, the courage to innovate, and the determination to grow. At our core, we believe in humanizing our approach, recognizing that our people are our greatest strength. With a shared vision of transformation, we endeavor to shape a brighter future for higher education.

About The Opportunity

• Open to Relocation - Will pay for Relocation Assistance*
  
  

Ellucian is seeking to hire a Director of Applications Services to work onsite at Victor Valley College (VVC) in Victorville, California. The Director of Applications Services is responsible for overseeing the management, optimization, and strategic implementation of SaaS and on premise applications within the organization, specifically focusing on the Colleague SaaS ERP system to ensure efficient operations, data integrity, and user experience across various departments, including managing upgrades, integrations, user access, and collaborating with stakeholders to identify and address business needs through the Colleague platform.

The Director of Applications Services main objective is to drive college success and student enrollment by the daily support and ongoing evolution and optimization of the Ellucian Colleague ERP system (technical and functional) and other enterprise application systems at the college. The ideal candidate must be able to manage staff and deal effectively with staff leadership and support, including meeting regularly to discuss the progress of work, resolve problems, and ensure that standards for quality and quantity of work are met. Services are delivered by the on-site staff.

Where you will make an impact

SaaS Application Governance:

• Maintain an inventory of all Colleague SaaS applications, tracking licenses, usage, and costs to identify potential redundancies and optimize spending.
• Develop and enforce standards for application adoption, including evaluation criteria, approval processes, and integration guidelines.
• Monitor compliance with data privacy and security regulations related to SaaS applications.
  
  

Implementation and Upgrade Management:

• Lead the planning and execution of Colleague SaaS application upgrades, including testing, change management, and user training.
• Collaborate with IT teams to ensure smooth integration of new SaaS applications with existing systems.
• Identify and address potential issues during implementation and provide timely solutions.
  
  

User Support and Training:

• Provide ongoing user support for Colleague SaaS applications, including troubleshooting technical issues and answering user queries.
• Develop comprehensive training materials and deliver training sessions to optimize user adoption and proficiency.
• Gather feedback from users to identify areas for improvement and enhance the user experience.
  
  

Business Analysis and Requirements Gathering:

• Work closely with departmental stakeholders to understand their specific business needs and translate them into functional requirements for Colleague SaaS applications.
• Analyze usage data and identify opportunities to optimize workflows and improve efficiency within the Colleague platform.
  
  

Vendor Management:

• Build and maintain relationships with SaaS vendors, negotiate contracts, ensuring timely delivery of updates, and addressing any service-related issues.
• Evaluate new features and functionalities offered by vendors to identify potential value additions to the Colleague system.
  
  

What You Will Bring

• Deep understanding of the Colleague ERP system, its functionalities, and configuration options.
• Exposure to Colleague in the SaaS environment is a plus.
• Expertise in SaaS application management, including licensing, provisioning, and user access controls.
• Proven experience in project management, including planning, execution, and stakeholder communication.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret data and identify trends for informed decision-making.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with diverse stakeholders across the organization.
• Familiarity with change management methodologies to facilitate smooth transitions during application updates.
  
  

What makes #Ellucianlife

• 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:
• Education Assistance Program
• Professional development opportunities