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What is an executive director, information technology and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Matthew Liotine Ph.D.

The executive director of information technology is in charge of all of a company's IT operations. They supervise the entire IT department, delegate tasks, and make sure that staff are following established procedures. The executive director evaluates staff and system performance, pointing out areas of improvement. They're responsible for the overall vision of how an IT department functions within their company and develop strategic plans to bring in new technology that will improve efficiency.

They also handle the administrative tasks that come with running an IT department, such as managing the budget, developing in-house policies, and procuring new equipment. Not only do executive directors of Information Technology need to know a lot about technology, they also need to be familiar with regulatory standards for their industry and have excellent interpersonal skills in order to lead others.

Most IT executive directors have a master's degree in business or computer science, although just as many succeed with only a bachelor's degree. They also need many years of professional experience working in management positions in the IT sector. As senior staff members, executive directors of Information Technology earn an average salary of $138,308 a year.

What general advice would you give to an executive director, information technology?

Matthew Liotine Ph.D.Matthew Liotine Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Clinical Professor and Director of Master of Science in Supply Chain and Operations Management, University of Illinois at Chicago

Most employers tell me that soft skills are equally, if not more important, than technical skills or domain knowledge. This translates into external/internal customer-facing skills, such as communication, team collaboration, writing, presentation, problem-solving, and being resourceful. (Many graduates overlook writing as a vital skill, but they fail to realize that in the course of their jobs, they will likely be required to write lots of memos and tons of emails.) The need to perfect these skills within the confines of a virtual world has become even more challenging and amplified with COVID. I teach in the information systems discipline, and when you view student resumes, many people look the same on paper. The soft skills will make a candidate stand out head and shoulders above the rest. That's why the candidate should pay attention to the screening interviews that they will undergo during the hiring process since employers will use these interviews to vet these skills.
ScoreExecutive Director, Information TechnologyUS Average
Salary
9.8

Avg. Salary $183,646

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.6

Growth rate 16%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.6
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.21%

Asian 16.72%

Black or African American 6.41%

Hispanic or Latino 9.62%

Unknown 5.17%

White 61.87%

Gender

female 20.86%

male 79.14%

Age - 47
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47
Stress level
8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Executive director, information technology career paths

Key steps to become an executive director, information technology

  1. Explore executive director, information technology education requirements

    Most common executive director, information technology degrees

    Bachelor's

    64.7 %

    Master's

    18.9 %

    Associate

    9.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific executive director, information technology skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Project Management8.49%
    Governance5.60%
    Cloud5.09%
    Service Delivery4.82%
    Network Infrastructure4.79%
  3. Complete relevant executive director, information technology training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New executive directors, information technology learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an executive director, information technology based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real executive director, information technology resumes.
  4. Research executive director, information technology duties and responsibilities

    • Manage full SDLC for product development, and also manage outsourcing arrangements.
    • Manage SOX policy development and reporting activities.
    • Lead application selection process in conjunction with customer and translate business requirements into application architecture and delivery of system functionality.
    • Experience with regulatory standards such as SAS70, SOX404 and ITIL.
  5. Get executive director, information technology experience

    Generally, it takes 6-8 years to become an executive director, information technology. The most common roles before becoming an executive director, information technology include information technology director, vice president of information technology team lead and chief information officer.
  6. Prepare your executive director, information technology resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your executive director, information technology resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an executive director, information technology resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable executive director, information technology resume templates

    Build a professional executive director, information technology resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your executive director, information technology resume.
    Executive Director, Information Technology Resume
    Executive Director, Information Technology Resume
    Executive Director, Information Technology Resume
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    Executive Director, Information Technology Resume
    Executive Director, Information Technology Resume
    Executive Director, Information Technology Resume
    Executive Director, Information Technology Resume
    Executive Director, Information Technology Resume
  7. Apply for executive director, information technology jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an executive director, information technology job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first executive director, information technology job

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Average executive director, information technology salary

The average executive director, information technology salary in the United States is $183,646 per year or $88 per hour. Executive director, information technology salaries range between $119,000 and $281,000 per year.

Average executive director, information technology salary
$183,646 Yearly
$88.29 hourly

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Executive director, information technology reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Pros

Lot's of things to implement, improve, new ways to work.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2023
Pros

Staying abreast of technology and helping an organization define Technology strategy.

Cons

Work Life Balance can be difficult based on size of team and infrastructure.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022
Pros

It provides me an opportunity to actively employ my passion for a leadership, while taking ideas from other people, above my position and developing leaders that work in my group. I have taught many classes in Customer Service, Communications Skills, Leadership and many others, for the State of NH, Federal Government and colleges and universities, including Entrepreneurship, for SNHU.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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