Description

The Information Technologies is currently seeking a Full-time Limited Term Associate Director, Software Asset Procurement and Management for approximately 24 months.

The University of Calgary is Canada's leading next-generation university ¿a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation's most enterprising city, the university is making tremendous progress on its Ahead of Tomorrow strategy grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads.

As an integral function within the institutional service portfolio, Information Technologies (IT) provides enterprise technology services that support learning, teaching, research, and administration. Technology plays a dual role in the academy: it must be reliable, secure, and cost effective, while also enabling innovation, discovery, and academic excellence. For more information, visit https://it.ucalgary.ca/

Reporting to the Director, Customer Technology Services, the Associate Director, Software Asset Procurement and Management (SAPM) provides university wide leadership for the strategic oversight of enterprise software assets. The role ensures that software investments are optimized, compliant, and aligned with institutional priorities across academic, research, and administrative environments. This position reports to the Director of Customer Technology, and works closely with leaders from across IT, Finance, Procurement, Legal, Research Services, and the Faculties and Academic focused units.

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

Strategic Leadership

• Lead the Software Acquisition Process (SAP) functions for the institution, including:
  • Ensure appropriate process design.
  • Align Customer, Architecture, Risk, Procurement, and Implementation touchpoints.
  • Manage priorities and making judgements on priorities and exceptions.
  • Assist in defining and enforcing decision rubrics.
  • Work with decision makers to redirect, defer, or deny software requests based on risk, duplication, or architectural fit.
• Establish and lead the Software Asset Management (SAM) functions for the institution, including governance, licensing and entitlement practices, and performance metrics:
• Own the university's enterprise software asset portfolio across academic, research, and administrative domains.
• Develop and execute software cost optimization strategies, including renewals, audits, vendor consolidation, and contract negotiations in collaboration with portfolio owners.
• Translate institutional priorities into multi year software investment and rationalization plans.
• Mentor and develop managers and analysts within the software management function, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Chair or co chair software review, governance, or architecture forums as appropriate.
• Demonstrate a strong focus on customer service and on meeting the needs of customers in line with their expectations for services.
• Demonstrate an ability to lead and mentor staff ensuring their continuing growth and development.
• Ensure that a learning environment exists within the unit that can adapt to change.
• Ensure that incidents that are outside of the expected service levels of the customers are effectively escalated and managed to ensure that customers and management are informed of status and comfortable that appropriate steps to resolution are being taken.
• Demonstrate the ability to actively participate in an Incident Review after the fact to ensure that learnings for future service improvements are extracted.
• Responsible for performance management of team members.

Maintenance

• Takes action to ensure that:
  • All incidents and requests are logged in the tracking systems and are dealt with in accordance with service level expectations.
  • Define and maintain KPIs for the Software Acquisition Process.
  • Oversee the production of timely reports on performance that are provided to leadership.
  • Ensure service procedures are documented for staff and users.
  • Demonstrates leadership in researching and recommending improvements to software management.
  • Ensure software workflow evolution within the IT service delivery platform.

Communications/Relationships

• This role will be the primary coordination point across integrated service delivery areas, including supporting adoption, guiding stakeholders through process change and reinforcing standardized pathways and expectations.
• Works closely with other teams to ensure best in class customer service that meets the needs of University of Calgary partners.
• Works continuously towards the Information Technology team's vision to develop and promote a campus wide integrated service delivery.
• Actively markets and promotes the services of Information Technologies.
• Demonstrates strong leadership in showing professional, complete customer service and support.
• Expresses a high level of understanding of the software requirements of the University community and makes recommendations to the strategic direction.
• Expresses a high level of understanding of the requirements of administrative staff, academic staff, researchers, and students.
• Establishes rapport with clients and counterparts internal and external to Information Technologies and the University.
• The position develops ongoing processes to ensure improvements to the practices and procedures.
• Work closely with support groups and the process managers (Incident, Problem and Change) to ensure that the software management processes and activities integrate with their responsibilities.
• Maintain excellent working relationships with other University units.

Qualifications / Requirements:

Required / Preferred:

• Undergraduate degree in Information Systems, Business, Computer Science, or a related discipline; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Significant experience (10 - 15 years) in software asset management, IT financial management, or enterprise application management, preferably in a post secondary or complex public-sector environment.
• Experience managing complex software licensing agreements spanning multiple business units and usage models (academic, research, administrative).
• Experience translating policy and governance into operational decision logic, leading process design and service design.
• Demonstrated experience partnering with Procurement, Finance, Legal, and senior business or academic leaders.
• Experience leading and mentoring managers and/or senior analysts.
• Experience with process metrics, operational KPI's and performance management.

Assets:

• Experience with major enterprise publishers (e.g., Microsoft, Adobe, SAS, MATLAB).
• Familiarity with Software Asset Management (SAM), IT Asset Management (ITAM), or ITIL practices and tools.
• Experience preparing executive level reporting and decision materials.

Application Deadline: June 11, 2026

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

This position is classified in the Management Career Band, Level 3 of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework.

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website.

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy ii' taa'poh'to'p committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

The university's commitment to the Indigenous Strategy is evident through the oversight of 18 Elders serving on the Circle of Advisors and the many unit-based circles working towards implementation of the strategy including the Faculty Advisory Circle and teams such as the Office of Indigenous Engagement, the Writing Symbols Lodge, and the Indigenous Research Support Team. Many Indigenous-based events and processes are impacting curriculum, programming and polices at the University of Calgary.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments (oic@ucalgary.ca) and requests for accommodations can be sent to People & Culture (hrhire@ucalgary.ca).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.