Information Technology Director - Cincinnati - 3CDC

Description

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Organizational Overview:

The Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt, private, non-profit corporation. The organization's mission and strategic focus is to strengthen the core assets of downtown by revitalizing and connecting the Central Business District and Over-the-Rhine (OTR). 3CDC works in close collaboration with the Cincinnati corporate community and City of Cincinnati to carry out its mission. With an annual operating budget of $31 million, the organization has a team of approximately 140 full-time staff and 180 part-time staff engaged in real estate development, real estate management, civic space management and programming, and business district management.

• Real Estate Development - To date, 3CDC has played a direct role in over $2.0 billion in development projects in downtown Cincinnati and the adjacent neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine. In completing over 100 development projects, 3CDC has reimagined key civic spaces, added market-rate and affordable housing to the urban core and created density through mixed‑use residential and office projects that support local small businesses.
• Real Estate Management - 3CDC leases and manages nearly 700,000 square feet of commercial space, almost 200 mixed income apartment units, and over 5,900 parking spaces with annual operating revenues exceeding $51 million.
• Civic Space Management & Programming - 3CDC manages and programs seven civic spaces - Fountain Square, Elm Street Plaza, Court Street Plaza, Washington Park, Ziegler Park, Memorial Hall, and Imagination Alley. 3CDC hosts nearly 1,600 free family‑friendly events each year at these spaces.
• Business District Management - The organization manages two special improvement districts - the Downtown Cincinnati Improvement District and Over‑the‑Rhine South Special Improvement District - providing clean and safe services, homeless outreach, beautification efforts and marketing support to both districts.

Job Summary:

The IT Director leads the governance and optimization of 3CDC's technology environment, ensuring systems are used effectively, securely, and in alignment with organizational needs. The role oversees Managed Service Providers (MSPs), supports operational and frontline‑based technologies as the technical lead, manages software and hardware lifecycles, and drives efforts to improve data consistency and integration across platforms. This position ensures technology reliably supports the work of teams across the organization.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute an IT roadmap aligned with organizational goals and operational needs.
• Establish and maintain IT governance structures focused on security, usability, and long‑term scalability.
• Lead organizational change and user adoption efforts for new or improved technologies to ensure smooth rollout, clear communication, and effective use across departments.
• Reduce organizational and vendor single points of failure by strengthening documentation, cross‑training, and shared ownership of critical systems.
• Support departments and senior leadership by centralizing tech ownership, improving documentation, and ensuring technology decisions support day‑to‑day effectiveness.
• Help prioritize technology investments by assessing business value, risk, and operational impact.
• Manage IT budgeting, financial planning, and cost‑effectiveness of tools, vendors, and systems.

Managed Service Provider Oversight

• Serve as primary point of contact with the MSPs, ensuring adherence to contract and service‑level expectations.
• Monitor performance across help desk operations, endpoint management, network support, identity and access management, backups, and security baselines.
• Ensure MSP documentation, asset inventories, and configuration standards remain accurate and up to date.

Cybersecurity & Compliance

• Support business continuity and disaster recovery planning for critical operational technologies, including backup strategies and recovery procedures in coordination with MSPs and system vendors.
• Lead cybersecurity strategy and ensure consistent implementation of security baselines, MFA, conditional access, and endpoint protection.
• Maintain compliance with data retention, public records obligations, and industry best practices.
• Monitor and mitigate risks associated with third‑party systems and data flows.
• Oversee architecture, configuration, security, and lifecycle of all Microsoft 365 services.
• Partner with MSP to manage MFA, conditional access, licensing, retention policies, and compliance requirements.
• Strengthen SharePoint/Teams information architecture following the migration from on‑prem systems.
• Ensure consistent standards around file management, access permissions, and data retention.

Systems Integration & Operational Technology

• Provide oversight and support for all technologies used across 3CDC's operational areas, ensuring systems are reliable, secure, and effectively integrated. This includes being the technical owner of major field‑based platforms such as parking revenue control equipment (PARCS) and Safety Operations Center technologies.
• Coordinate with the MSP, internal staff, and vendors to troubleshoot issues, ensure system uptime, and maintain consistent standards for documentation and configuration.
• Identify opportunities to improve cross‑system compatibility, streamline workflows, and strengthen data consistency across operational tools.
• Support integrations and data flows that connect operational systems to reporting, analytics, and organizational processes.

Hardware, Software & Contract Management

• Manage all hardware and software procurement, including lifecycle standards and replacement planning.
• Maintain a full inventory of devices and technology assets across the organization.
• Oversee software license management, renewals, and vendor contracts.
• Evaluate and select new applications or systems in partnership with internal stakeholders.

Business Intelligence & Data Strategy

• Lead organizational data architecture planning, including the development of a centralized data lake.
• Support business units in defining data needs and establishing trusted, clean data sources.
• Oversee initiatives that enable self‑service dashboards and enterprise business intelligence.
• Partner with future BI staff or consultants to build long‑term analytics capabilities.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Information Systems, or related field; or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of progressive IT experience, with at least 3 years in a leadership or management role.
• Experience overseeing an MSP or technical support function.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft 365 administration and governance.
• Experience with software procurement, contract negotiation, and vendor management.
• Understanding of identity management, cloud security, conditional access, and endpoint protection.
• Strong communication and problem‑solving skills; able to translate technical issues for non‑technical audiences.

Preferred

• Experience supporting operational or field‑based systems (e.g., parking, security, access control).
• Experience with data architecture, analytics environments, or dashboard development.
• ITIL, PMP, or similar certifications (helpful but not required).
• Strategic systems thinking
• Vendor and contract management
• Clear communication with non‑technical users
• Effective prioritization and organization
• Problem solving and root‑cause analysis
• High integrity and sound judgment
• Collaborative and service‑oriented mindset
• This is an in‑office position, Monday through Friday, with consistent onsite presence required to support operational systems, vendor coordination, and cross‑department collaboration.
• Occasional evening or weekend work may be necessary for system upgrades or urgent issues.