Director of Information Systems at EPFL — EPFL

Role overview

Background The Vice-President for Operations manages all activities that make EPFL campuses live on a daily basis, including restoration, information systems, security and operation, and plans the development of its infrastructure.

Its management is looking for its future director of EPFL's information systems field.

Mission The Director of Information Systems provides strategic leadership of EPFL's digital ecosystem and central IT infrastructure, in close collaboration with the academic community.

He/she federates core resources to ensure the Institute's digital resilience and operational excellence.

At the head of the estate, he/she oversees a team of 160 FTEs and an annual budget of MCHF 50.

Main tasks and responsibilities Vision and federative governance

• Co-defining a visionary, ambitious and coherent digital strategy for EPFL and central IT services
• Federate teams, internal and external partners, including CEPF partners, to deploy this strategy
• Act as conductor at the Faculty level to harmonize decentralized SIs while respecting their specific agility Central IT infrastructure management
• Piloting the operation, maintenance and evolution of critical infrastructures (Datacenters, networks, storage, hybrid cloud) to ensure high availability and industrial performance
• Deploy sovereign computing capabilities (HPC) and AI environments, providing users with state-of-the-art tools under strict institutional control Digital resilience
• Ensuring the integrity of the scientific and administrative heritage through an exemplary cybersecurity policy
• Ensure that SIs are maintained that meet legal requirements and standards Academic partnership
• Act as a technology partner for laboratories by providing data management services and agile infrastructure, while respecting the single strategy framework
• Modernise teaching and learning experience by maintaining up-to-date academic ERPs of rapidly changing needs and supporting innovative digital pedagogies Responsible Transformation
• Piloting the digital sustainability path (Green IT) of the domain
• Ensuring exemplary management of human and financial resources in a spirit of innovation, performance and equity Profile Profile of "Architect-Bâtisseur" with a strong leadership influence:
• Master or PhD in computer science, engineering or equivalent; MBA or further training in business management/governance major asset
• Min.

15 years of professional experience, including at least 10 years in a large SI leadership role (CIO/CTO) in complex organisations

• Experience demonstrated in leading major digital programs, with strong change direction
• Political capacity to bring decentralized interests together while ensuring overall institutional coherence
• Synthesis and excellent communication skills
• Culture of service oriented towards academic excellence
• Proven mastery of cybersecurity, data governance and business continuity issues in exposed environments
• Languages: French-English bilingual
• German an asset We offer
• A quality multicultural and academic working environment
• Opportunities for continuing training
• An involvement at the heart of EPFL's Information System Information Effective date: September 1, 2026 or to be agreed Occupancy rate: 100% Type of contract: CDI Reference: 2249 Deadline for application: 14 June 2026 Note: An extract of the criminal record will be requested when the offer is made