PRESS RELEASES
St. Olaf College Seeks Chief Information Officer, Partners with Brettschneider Executive Search
St. Olaf seeks a values-forward, innovative Chief Information Officer (CIO). The next CIO of St. Olaf College will serve as a trusted advisor to the provost, president, and president’s leadership team on the role of information and library resources in institutional and academic strategy, enrollment, and student success. Overseeing a team of 55 talented staff and reporting to the provost Dr. Tarshia L. Stanley—a committed leader and partner—the CIO will manage both enterprise IT strategy and academic library leadership, supported by nine direct reports spanning the two areas. Information technology and libraries share a single charge at St. Olaf: to steward the information infrastructure on which teaching, learning and research depend.
The new leader will advance cybersecurity and data governance after evaluating institutional risks and establishing practical priorities for emergency preparedness and data protection so that St. Olaf is a leading model for secure, responsible, and resilient technology practices. The new leader should also be comfortable working in a faculty governance environment while developing information and technology strategies that advance St. Olaf’s mission to “challenge students to excel in the liberal arts, examine faith and values, and explore meaningful vocation in an inclusive, globally engaged community nourished by Lutheran tradition.
St. Olaf College is a nationally ranked private liberal arts institution located in Northfield, Minnesota, just 45 minutes from the Twin Cities. Founded in 1874, St. Olaf is a member of the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities (NECU), the association of colleges affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Consistently named one of the top liberal arts institutions in the country, as well as one of the most beautiful college campuses, St. Olaf enrolls over 3,000 students each year, with over 95% living on campus. St. Olaf College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), one of six accrediting organizations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
This is a rare opportunity to shape how a highly selective liberal arts college integrates information resources, digital scholarship, instructional technology, and enterprise IT in service of the college’s unique academic mission.
Alongside enterprise IT, the CIO leads a seasoned and highly experienced academic library department whose collections, spaces, and instruction sit at the center of how St. Olaf students learn to find, evaluate, and use information. At St. Olaf, the libraries are woven into the academic life of the college and reflect a deeply collaborative culture in which faculty, staff, and students work closely across disciplines.
The successful candidate will bring their vision to how information technology and college libraries together support teaching, learning, research, and the operational life of the college, while managing the division’s budget, staff, and long-range planning, including the strategy set forth in Solution Seekers, St. Olaf’s 2024-2030 strategic plan.
The new CIO will also work closely with counterparts at Carleton College, St. Olaf’s neighboring liberal arts college, with whom the college shares academic resources and operational functions such as information technology services and library and collection sharing. This is a model and distinctive partnership between two highly regarded, mission-driven neighbor institutions that extends their collective reach and impact.
St. Olaf has engaged Brettschneider Executive Search to lead a national search process for this important leadership position.
The salary range is $160,000 to $180,000, and includes a comprehensive benefits package with health and dental coverage, retirement contributions, and tuition benefits.
Please submit all applications, nominations and inquiries to Brettschneider Executive Search.
