Senior Director, Information Technology

Location: Remote, with flexibility to work in an office environment

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer

Direct Reports: Technology team leads, infrastructure managers, security lead, systems administrators, and other technology staff as organizationally determined

About Creative Destruction Lab (CDL)

Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is a nonprofit organization that delivers an objectives-based program for massively scalable, seed-stage, science- and technology-based companies around the world. Our mission is to enhance the commercialization of science for the betterment of humankind.

CDL operates across a global network of sites, programs, and partners. Founded at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, the program has expanded and now has 17 sites across ten countries: Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Halifax, Paris, Madison, Seattle, Estonia, Berlin, Melbourne, College Station, Milan, London, San Sebastian, Doha, and Cleveland.

Key Responsibilities

• Technology Requirements & Strategy:
  • Establish comprehensive technology requirements for newly formed entities and develop appropriate commercial terms and delivery mechanisms; directly oversee implementation and integration of core platforms including Google Suite, Salesforce, and Airtable
• Hands-On Infrastructure Development:
  • Design, implement, and actively manage robust technology infrastructure supporting multi-institutional operations across universities globally; ensure scalability, reliability, and security through direct oversight of infrastructure configuration and deployment
• Direct responsibility for architecture, configuration, and optimization of Google Cloud, Salesforce instances, and Airtable systems across the organization
• Manage system integrations, data flows, and API connections between platforms
• Oversee user access management, security configurations, and compliance settings
• Direct optimization of systems for organizational efficiency and user adoption
• Technology Team Leadership:
  • Lead, coach, mentor, and directly develop core technology team members with hands-on involvement in:
    • Infrastructure operations and platform administration
    • Google, Salesforce, and Airtable administration and optimization
    • Cybersecurity implementation and incident response
    • Data management, integration, and analytics capabilities
    • Emerging technology adoption and implementation
    • Continuous professional development and succession planning
• Develop and implement comprehensive data strategy aligned with organizational objectives
• Create and execute data implementation plans with clear timelines, deliverables, and direct oversight
• Establish governance processes that optimize data value for decision-making
• Actively collaborate with academic leads and R&D teams to leverage data as a strategic asset
• Ensure data quality, accessibility, compliance, and security across all organizational systems

Cybersecurity & IT Risk Management

• Own and manage comprehensive IT risk across the global organization with direct responsibility for:
  • Conducting regular risk assessments across all technology systems, infrastructure, and platforms
  • Identifying, analyzing, and prioritizing risks based on organizational impact and likelihood
  • Developing and implementing risk mitigation strategies and remediation plans
  • Monitoring risk exposure and reporting to executive leadership and governance bodies
  • Managing vendor risk and third-party technology partner security assessments
• Security Policy & Standards:
  • Develop, implement, and enforce organization-wide security policies, procedures, and standards ensuring compliance with industry best practices and regulatory requirements; conduct regular security audits and compliance reviews
• Enterprise Cybersecurity Strategy:
  • Design and maintain effective enterprise-wide information security strategy and programs including:<