Head of Service for IT Operations and Infrastructure

At the interface of cutting-edge research excellence, teaching, and major challenges such as the advent of AI or the management of sensitive data, the IT Operations and Infrastructure service (ITOP) of the Information Systems domain (DSI) at EPFL manages the operation, maintenance, and evolution of EPFL's critical transversal IT infrastructures. As the head of this service, you manage an average annual budget of around 8 MCHF and oversee a team of 60 FTEs.

Your teams cover the entire value chain related to the Institution's IT operations and infrastructures, from the service desk to the deepest infrastructure layers, including data centres. You lead the managers and ensure that the services provided are robust, resilient, and meet the needs of students, faculty, doctoral staff, and all personnel.

The position is as much strategic as operational. Under the direct supervision of the CIO, you contribute to defining and executing the School's IT strategy, collegially with other heads of service within the DSI, and in close collaboration with other Vice-Presidencies and Faculties. At the same time, you build and maintain a strong partnership with key stakeholders in the Swiss higher education ecosystem (Swiss Universities, Swiss Higher Education) and strategic suppliers.

• Manage the service in all its dimensions: project and service portfolio, human and financial resources, quality, governance, and reporting.
• Ensure robust, resilient, and high-performing operation of infrastructures: availability, performance and capacity analyses, hardware and software maintenance, resource optimisation.
• Ensure the security and continuity of the information system: reliability, data protection, continuity, contingency, and backup plans. In crisis situations, you lead alert processes and communication according to the criticality of events.
• Lead and develop teams with your unit managers effectively: recruitment, objectives, evaluation, skills development, and continuous alignment of the skills map with the evolution of the IS.
• Negotiate and manage supplier relationships: contracts, partnerships, internal service level agreements (OLA), and external service level agreements (SLA).
• Be the privileged interlocutor for the "businesses" — laboratories, institutes, faculties, central services — to align services with their current and future real needs.

• Master's or PhD in computer science, engineering, or an equivalent qualification; MBA or additional training in business management/governance is a major asset.
• At least 15 years of professional experience, including at least 10 years proven in team management, with managerial intermediaries, in the IT infrastructure domain.
• Language levels: French (minimum C1), English (minimum C1), German (an asset).
• Excellent synthesis and simplification skills, excellent writing level in English and French.
• Excellence in tendering processes, proven and essential knowledge of Swiss legal and contractual frameworks.
• Confirmed experience in budget establishment and management.
• Confirmed experience in leading and delivering complex IT projects.
• Political ability to converge decentralised interests while ensuring overall institutional coherence.
• Strong sensitivity to cybersecurity and data protection, as well as business continuity in exposed environments.

Personal and Social Skills:

• Solution- and client-oriented, strong service mindset, seeking dialogue while having and defending convictions, very good communication skills.
• Excellence in contractual negotiations, interpersonal skills, and building long-term relationships.
• Very comfortable with presentations, in English and French, whether in national or international contexts, as a principal or steering committee member, before peers or counterparts in other organisations.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure with a range of stakeholders.
• High stress resistance.
• Rigor, precision, proactivity.
• Autonomy and sense of responsibility, making decisions and owning them.
• Quality mentoring and coaching skills.

• The opportunity to join a dynamic and stimulating team
• A high-quality multicultural and academic working environment
• Opportunities for continuing education
• Involvement at the heart of EPFL's Information Systems

Notes:

• The employee may be required to work exceptionally in the evening or at weekends.
• The employee may be required to provide exceptional on-call service.

Start date: 1 December 2026, or to be agreed.

Work rate: 100%

Contract type: Permanent contract

Reference: 2424