IT Governance Manager - Portfolio Management

UAE Nationals are encouraged to apply. 

New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) seeks to appoint an IT Governance Manager, reporting to the Associate Director of Program Management.

The IT Governance Manager is a critical role in the oversight and governance of NYUAD’s Information Technology portfolio supporting governance related to vendor management, contract management, budget management and compliance management.

The incumbent will ensure the strategic alignment of IT projects with institutional goals and provides valuable insights into IT governance, compliance, and financial management. This position is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the IT governance framework, ensuring compliance with internal and regulatory requirements, and enhancing transparency and accountability in IT operations. Additionally, the role involves identifying IT risks, managing the IT risk register, and integrating risk management strategies into IT project planning. The manager will also review, refine, and assist in the implementation of IT policies and procedures, ensuring their effective communication across the institution.

Financially, the role entails managing the IT portfolio's financial aspects, including budgeting, forecasting, and analysis, while working closely with the Finance Department to align budgets with strategic IT projects. The manager also supports the development of the annual IT budget, addressing departmental initiatives, hardware upgrades, software licenses, and maintenance costs, ensuring financial oversight and compliance with organizational financial protocols.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assume primary responsibility for managing the financial aspects of the IT portfolio, encompassing budgeting, forecasting, and in-depth financial analysis
• Maintain a proactive partnership with the Finance Department, under the guidance of the Portfolio Management leadership, to ensure budgets are aligned with strategic IT projects and organizational goals
• Comparing invoices to actual expenditures, investigating and resolving any discrepancies
• Maintain precise expense and reimbursement records, and oversee financial records to monitor budget versus actual spend
• Compile and deliver comprehensive financial reports, including monthly and quarterly projections, ensuring all financial oversight activities are in strict alignment with budget office requirements and organizational financial protocols
• Work in close collaboration with the Portfolio Management leadership to ensure all IT projects and initiatives are strategically aligned with the institution's goals, serving as an advisor and assistant in the decision-making process to prioritize IT initiatives that deliver the most value
• Actively contribute to the strategic planning sessions and provide insights on IT governance, compliance, and financial management to support institutional objectives
• Oversee the implementation and adherence of IT governance framework to align with internal policies and regulatory requirements
• Facilitate audits, assessments, and compliance reporting, ensuring these activities are conducted as planned
• Ensure monitoring and reporting on the effectiveness of governance practices, enhancing transparency and accountability in IT operations
• Ensure global alignment with NYU IT governance (IT Code of Conduct and global policies) and NYU Risk and Compliance Offices
• Under the direction of the IT Leadership, review, refine and assist in the implementation of IT policies and procedures to enhance operational efficiency, compliance, and strategic impact across the institution
• Include the effective communication and dissemination of these guidelines within the IT department and across other institutional constituents
• Ensure that all stakeholders are fully informed of new and updated policies and procedures through clear, concise communication channels and training sessions as necessary
• Facilitate open dialogues and feedback mechanisms to encourage compliance and adaptability, ensuring that IT practices are transparent, understood, and integrated into daily operations
• Assist in developing the annual IT budget estimation for departmental initiatives, hardware upgrade needs and maintenance costs, software license purchases and renewals
• Identify and evaluate IT risks, embedding risk management strategies within IT project planning and execution processes to safeguard institutional assets and data
• Manage and maintain the IT risk register, ensuring it is current, accurate, and reflective of the evolving risk landscape
• Regularly update and refine the risk register to capture new risks and changes in existing risk profiles, in collaboration with IT functions
• Work with project teams and stakeholders to integrate risk mitigation plans into project lifecycles, ensuring that risks are effectively communicated and addressed
• Serve as the primary contact point for all technology-related contracts within IT, ensuring oversight of contract invoices against deliverables, renewal dates to ensure continuous service and collaborate closely with vendors for regular account reviews. This involves coordinating with the Supply Chain department for contract negotiations and renewals, while also liaising with Finance to ensure accurate tracking and reporting of expenditures related to contracts

Required Education: 

• Bachelors Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field
• Relevant certifications in IT Governance, Accounting, or Project Management

Required Experience:

• 5+ Years of experience in IT governance, risk management, or a related area, with proven leadership experience 
• Excellent analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact at all levels of the organization
• Proficiency in productivity applications (e.g. - Microsoft Suite, Google Suite, spreadsheets, word processing, presentations, etc.)
• Proficiency in budgeting and financial management
• Ability to maintain confidential and sensitive information and documents with utmost care
• Ability to multi-task effectively while prioritizing and handling multiple projects on tight deadlines

Preferred Education:

• Masters Degree in Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field
• IT Governance Frameworks (e.g. - ITIL, COBIT)
• Project management (e.g. - PMP, CAPM, Agile)

Preferred Experience:

• Enhanced knowledge of IT governance, risk management, and compliance frameworks beyond the basics
• In-depth understanding of advanced IT and business processes, and how governance practices can be applied for improvement
• Advanced leadership and strategic planning skills, with the ability to guide IT governance policies at a higher organizational level
• Exceptional negotiation skills and the ability to manage complex vendor and contract management scenarios with strategic importance
• Must be well versed in quality data collection to ensure adequacy, accuracy and legitimacy of data in NYU systems
• Be able to strictly follow data privacy and security procedures for data handling and analysis to ensure adherence to legal and institutional standards

NYU Abu Dhabi is a degree-granting research university with a fully integrated liberal arts and science undergraduate program in the Arts, Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Engineering. NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU New York, and NYU Shanghai, form the backbone of NYU’s global network university, an interconnected network of portal campuses and academic centers across six continents that enable seamless international mobility of students and faculty in their pursuit of academic and scholarly activity. This global university represents a transformative shift in higher education, one in which the intellectual and creative endeavors of academia are shaped and examined through an international and multicultural perspective. As a major intellectual hub at the crossroads of the Arab world, NYUAD serves as a center for scholarly thought, advanced research, knowledge creation, and sharing, through its academic, research, and creative activities.