Director of Technology

PURPOSE OF ROLE, SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES (INCLUDED BUT NOT LIMITED TO): 

The Director of Technology provides strategic thought and leadership to Alpha USA’s technology ecosystem, ensuring platforms are reliable, secure, scalable, and aligned to ministry impact. This role governs the organization’s technology portfolio—including Salesforce, Microsoft 365, and related systems—while empowering the technology team to execute well. Beyond stewarding what already exists, this role is expected to identify where emerging technology can create ministry or organizational capacity Alpha has not yet imagined and present these possibilities and solutions before they are needed. The Director bridges strategy, operations and oversight, translating ministry and organizational needs into trusted, adopted technology solutions—while also stretching the organization’s sense of what is possible. 

Essential Responsibilities and Functions: 

1. Technology Strategy & Leadership
2. 1. Own and execute the organization’s technology strategy in alignment with Alpha’s mission and operational priorities
   2. Serve as the primary leader for all technology platforms, systems, and integrations
   3. Lead, develop, and manage the IT & systems team with clear accountability and growth paths including emerging technologies
   4. Champion the IT Team’s work and reputation across the organization–proactively communicate impact, identify where the team adds value and ensure contributions are visible and understood
   5. Proactively scan the technology and ministry landscape for emerging capabilities—AI, automation, and beyond—and bring forward-looking options and recommendations to leadership before being asked 
3. Platform Governance & Strategy
4. 1. Provide strategic oversight for Salesforce as CRM and a key organizational platform, setting direction for governance, adoption, and long-term value
   2. Guide and empower the Salesforce team to ensure platform design and integrations support donor development, marketing & communications, ministry outcomes, and reporting & decision-making
   3. Establish platform governance: data standards, access, prioritization, and change management
   4. Partner cross-functionally to understand business needs and set clear priorities for the platform team to execute
   5. Set the platform roadmap direction and develop the Salesforce team members to drive adoption, training, and value realization across the organization
5. IT Operations & Infrastructure
6. 1. Ensure reliability, security, and performance of:
   2. 1. Microsoft 365 ecosystem
      2. Device management and security
   3. Core infrastructure and SaaS tools (including artificial intelligence)
   4. 1. Oversee vendor relationships, contracts, renewals, and budget stewardship
      2. Maintain clear processes for support, requests, and project intake 
7. Data, Reporting & Enablement
8. 1. Partner with Donor Development, Finance, Impact, Marketing, and Ministry to ensure data is accurate, trusted, and usable
   2. Champion responsible and effective use of AI and automation where appropriate
9. Cross-Functional Partnership
10. 1. Parter with team leaders (Directors and Senior Directors) to establish clear, documented processes for department-owned technology–defining decision rights for new tool adoption, vetting processes to enable team agility without compromising security or impacting existing structures, and shared ownership of integrations between functional platforms and the broader data stack.
    2. Bring clarity to ownership, timelines, and decision-making for technology initiatives
    3. Ensure technology work is aligned with organizational goals 

ROLE DIMENSIONS: 

• Budget Management: Technology 
• People Management: Salesforce Manager, IT Solutions Manager, Systems Manager
• Key Relationships – Internal: Department Directors, especially Marketing, People Operations, Impact, and Finance
• Key Relationships – External: Alpha International, Vendors and Contractors

ESSENTIAL SKILLS, EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems or a related field is preferred.
• Proven technology leader with experience governing and evolving a multi-platform technology environment in service of organizational mission.
• Familiarity with Salesforce as an organizational platform, with enough fluency to provide strategic direction, ask good questions, and support a team of practitioners.
• Ability to translate organizational strategy into clear technology roadmaps, priorities, and decisions—and equally, ability to originate strategic direction rather than only executing direction set by others.
• Strong people leadership experience, including developing teams and holding accountability and an ability to lead with conviction and clarity.
• Demonstrated success partnering cross-functionally with executive leaders and nontechnical stakeholders.
• Solid grounding in modern SaaS environments, IT operations, security, and vendor management.
• Experience leading complex, cross-departmental initiatives in ambiguous or changing environments.
• Effective communication and judgment with demonstrated ability to communicate technical decisions, processes, and challenges in plain language to executive and non-technical audiences.
• Proficient change-management skills.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in technology, systems, or IT leadership; nonprofit or mission-driven experience preferred.

DESIRABLE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Mission-driven and people centered, with a genuine desire to enable others through technology.
• Clear, steady leader who brings calm, structure, and focus in complex or ambiguous situations.
• High ownership mindset, taking responsibility from idea through execution and follow-through.
• A builder’s instinct—energized by imagining what Alpha’s technology could become, not only maintaining what it already is.
• Embodies Alpha culture (prayer, invitation, hospitality, generosity).
• Adheres to Alpha Staff Operating Values.
• Able to navigate tensions between agility and governance–able to create clear, simple pathways for teams adopting new tools, etc. Without compromising data or security. 

SUCCESS IN THIS ROLE LOOKS LIKE:

• Key platforms, including Salesforce, are trusted, well-governed, and consistently used across the organization.
• Teams understand how to use systems effectively and feel supported.
• Technology decisions are proactive, with at least 30% of technology work being proactively planned (roadmap-driven), major decisions include documented tradeoffs, and unplanned reactive work decreases quarter over quarter.
• At least one new capability, platform enhancement, or approach is introduced each year that expands what Alpha is able to do—not only what it does more efficiently.
• Broad organizational understanding and ability to articulate the value IT delivers.
• IT Team feels seen, developed, and positioned for growth and success.
• IT is considered a collaborative partner. New tool adoption requests are resolved through a clear, timely process. Technology implementations are adopted and delivered in ways that support the ministry and organizational goals.

COMPETENCIES & ATTRIBUTES 

• Embodies Alpha DNA (prayer, invitation, hospitality, etc.) 
• Adheres to Alpha Staff Operating Values (see attached) 
• Ability to oversee a growing network of churches and partnerships 
• Ability to Cast Vision in a Compelling Way 
• Motivational Leadership 
• Collaboration / Teamwork 
• Drive for Results (see Organizational Goals) 
• Problem Solving and Innovation