Career Center

Vice President, Information Technology

As Vice President of Information Technology for the National Apartment Association (NAA), you will plan and drive the enterprise-wide information technology (IT) strategy – bringing together people, information technology, and business processes in a smooth and integrated manner. You will have the support and resources you need to do this job well, including support from leadership and internal and external resources. The IT roadmap is defined, along with our IT project priorities, and you will be executing on these projects to further our strategic initiatives to create stable platforms that drive productivity and support growth initiatives.

Reporting to NAA’s Chief Operating Officer, you will lead our Information Technology Information Solutions Division with a $2.5 million department budget, 2 direct reports, and a total team of 9 staff across Operations & Infrastructure and Data & Applications Management. As a trusted partner, valued connector, and powerful advocate for multifamily housing owners, managers, developers, and suppliers, we serve over 143 affiliates, 82 thousand members, and 10 million rental housing units globally. We are upgrading and implementing solutions for our products that support our partners, members, and customers.

You will work closely with senior stakeholders, executive leadership, and other business leaders to define the role of IT operations in enabling important organization-wide objectives to support NAA’s business. The key to your success in this role will be your ability to manage multiple IT projects, with scopes of up to $1 million, and ensure thorough and complete implementations while keeping all teams informed on progress. The current project list includes enhancements to customer portals, improvements to data and file management systems, document management software upgrades, a website redesign, and more.

The National Apartment Association is the leading voice for quality rental housing in every community. Finding a secure, affordable home has always been the American dream. But in a quest to achieve financial security, many Americans have turned away from homeownership. Demand for apartments is at a multi-decade high with more than four in ten Americans now renting.

Responsibilities

• Create a vision for and drive the enterprise-wide information technology strategy. Lead the company’s IT strategy execution including coordination and oversight of cross-functional teams that deliver digital projects. Work with the CEO, executive team, and staff to develop and implement a culture of exceptional member/customer service around technology and digital offerings.
• In partnership with senior leadership and IT product owners, identify opportunities and risks for delivering NAA’s products and services digitally, including identification of competitive services, opportunities for innovation, and assessment of marketplace obstacles and technical hurdles to business success.
• Coordinate with IT product owners to develop user experience and research plans and build both short- and long-term product roadmaps for NAA’s IT products to address the evolving needs of our constituents.
• Build and maintain a customer information management strategy by establishing a data governance plan and CRM platform standards. Ensure that NAA has actionable customer data by coordinating with data providers, including NAA’s affiliate network and industry partners.
• Share knowledge, mentor, and educate the organization’s volunteer leaders, members, and staff as to NAA’s technological and IT vision/strategy, opportunities, and challenges.
• Define and communicate standards for acquiring or developing IT systems, equipment, or software within the organization. Participate/oversee vendor contract negotiations for all system purchases and relationships with outside vendors for the organization.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of technology standards, industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of the network infrastructure for local and wide-area connectivity and remote access.
• Be responsible for the overall technology security posture of the organization. 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or technology from a 4-year college or university, or a combination of education and experience which demonstrates the necessary skills and abilities required for the position.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing organization-wide IT strategies aligned with an organization's mission and focused on user experience.
• Ten years of experience with direct oversight of association management systems, web content management systems, infrastructure, and ancillary support systems.
• Experience working with IT budgets and outsourced vendors.
• Knowledge and understanding of industry trends, current practices, new developments, and applicable technologies regarding the use of technology in associations.
• Ability to travel up to 20 percent.

Attributes

• Communication and collaboration. You articulate ideas clearly and concisely, both in written and oral communications, keeping others informed and ensuring effective communication methods for appropriate stakeholders. You demonstrate active listening skills, attending to the conversation and asking clarifying questions. You add constructively to conversations, cultivating a healthy exchange of ideas and productively providing opinions. You establish and maintain effective work relationships and work cooperatively in group situations, addressing and resolving conflict effectively. You offer assistance, resources, and support to co-workers.
• Judgment/decision making. You make quality decisions in a timely manner, even under uncertain conditions, considering both short- and long-term implications/risks of decisions. You conduct a thorough search for information, evaluate alternatives, and choose the appropriate course of action based on objective data as much as possible. You exercise judgment and independent actions, within the limits of authority, while including appropriate people in the decision-making process. You support and explain the reasoning for decisions using data and analysis to make informed decisions.
• Ownership and initiative. You demonstrate the ability to take responsibility and hold yourself accountable for results. You can be depended on to follow up on work tasks and deliver as promised. You take the initiative to suggest improvements, seek additional responsibility, and solve problems, and you take responsibility for professional development and growth. You initiate discussions with the chain of command and co-workers to improve work processes, quality, interpersonal relations, and work outcomes. You present innovative ideas to improve the organization and work results and you produce quality work products that are complete, thorough, clear, and accurate. You demonstrate job knowledge and expertise.
• Planning and productivity. You manage time and prioritize effectively, using organizational skills to manage workload and follow through on assignments. You anticipate competing demands of multiple projects and establish a course to accomplish and meet deadlines, working with the COO as needed to re-prioritize and strategize. You plan proper assignments and utilize time and resources in the performance of duties. You strive to increase productivity and eliminate inefficient work habits and processes.
• Management. You develop and articulate goals and strategies. You plan work and allocate resources effectively and efficiently, including personnel planning and ensuring adequate coverage for customer/member service. You anticipate problems and develop alternative plans, adjusting for re-prioritization and unforeseen circumstances as needed. You improve area processes and efficiencies while recognizing the financial implication of management decisions. You demonstrate strong budgeting skills and effectively manage the department budget. You use successful techniques in negotiating contract terms and pricing.
• Leadership and staff engagement. You demonstrate strong performance management abilities, ensuring clear expectations and providing timely and direct feedback. You encourage staff ownership and initiative by seeking staff input on decisions, supporting staff ideas, delegating responsibility and decision-making as much as possible, and holding staff accountable for work results. You promote excitement and dedication through establishing and communicating a vision, communicating how individual jobs tie to the organization’s mission and strategic objectives, and celebrating successes. You help others realize their potential through development discussions and plans, mentoring, and coaching. You use staff mistakes and missteps as learning opportunities, creating a supportive environment that is aligned with the cultural focus and values of the organization. You communicate fully, establish trust, listen, promote learning, and remain positive and supportive through change. You address issues and challenges directly and productively, initiating frank and open discussions with staff members. You ensure effective recruiting, hiring, and onboarding of new staff.
• Strategic orientation. You focus on desired outcomes rather than the activity, taking a long-term focus while considering short-term objectives. You ensure area alignment to the strategic vision and goals of the organization. You understand how your area of responsibility fits into the overall organization.

What’s Attractive to the Right Candidate?

• You will be successful within your first few months of joining us by executing some of the key initiatives already defined in our IT strategy.
• You will have the support and resources you need.
• You will have the opportunity to actively implement solutions while also planning for how we can evolve our future. Your contributions will be noticed and appreciated.
• Like the industry we represent, we are poised for significant growth. NAA is a financially strong organization with ample reserves and our leadership team is forward-thinking and investing in smart solutions to expand our capabilities.
• We offer an excellent benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance; short-term and long-term disability coverage; 401(k) plan; a bonus plan for all employees; education benefits; professional memberships; condensed work-week options; and more.

To Apply

We encourage you to apply even if your experience is not a 100% match with the position description; we will consider people from a variety of backgrounds and career experiences.

Simply email your resume to Aileen Hedden at resumes@staffingadvisors.com with “NAA – VP, IT #2022-2707 ASAE” as the subject of the email.

Job responsibilities are similar to the following positions: VP of Information Technology Services, Senior Director of Information Technology, Director of Information Technology, Director of Information Technology Strategy, Head of Technology.

Please note: our practice is to not disclose the salary ranges our clients would consider. Any salary information included in this posting was estimated without our input.

Staffing Advisors is committed to reducing bias in every aspect of the hiring process. We have long recommended an evidence-based approach to hiring. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. This position may require pre-employment screening potentially including a criminal background check, verification of academic credentials, licenses, certifications, and/or verification of work history.