Director, IT Projects & Services

About the Open Space Institute

The Open Space Institute (OSI) is a national leader in land conservation and efforts to make parks and other protected land more welcoming for all. Since 1974, OSI has partnered in the protection of more than 2.5 million at-risk and environmentally sensitive acres in the eastern U.S. and Canada. OSI’s land protection promotes clean air and water, improves access to recreation, provides wildlife habitat, strengthens communities, and combats the devastating impacts of extreme weather.

Position Summary

The Open Space Institute (OSI) is seeking a Director, IT Projects & Services, based in New York City. This is a unique opportunity for an experienced IT professional to have a significant impact on a mission-driven, mid-sized nonprofit that is strengthening its technology foundation.

This is a new position that will join OSI’s technology team, which currently includes an IT Manager and two external partners: a managed service provider responsible for infrastructure, and a cybersecurity firm overseeing governance, risk, and compliance. This position will expand OSI’s internal IT capacity and lead high-impact projects that strengthen systems, streamline workflows, and enhance the overall staff experience.

This hands-on leadership role will oversee Microsoft 365 administration, the Azure portal environment, and the successful delivery of technology initiatives — including file organization and migration to SharePoint, a workflow automation project, and new system implementations that improve efficiency and collaboration through solutions applied consistently across the organization.

Responsibilities and Duties

Project Management & Implementation

• Lead the planning, coordination, and delivery of IT projects that enhance OSI’s infrastructure, security, and collaboration systems, including cloud migrations, workflow automation, and modernization initiatives.
• Manage project timelines, budgets, and deliverables, ensuring milestones are met and outcomes align with organizational goals.
• Evaluate new hardware and software solutions—both proactively and in response to emerging needs—to determine their fit with OSI’s systems and security standards, and, when adopted, oversee integration, deployment, and staff training.

• Track IT initiatives and provide clear, actionable reporting to leadership on project status, risks, and results.
• Coordinate with external partners on governance, risk, and compliance activities, including audits, training, and reporting.
• Collaborate with the Senior Director of Administration on vendor relationships, ensuring consultants and service providers are effectively managed and aligned with OSI’s project objectives.

IT Operations & Staff Support

• Supervise the IT Manager and oversee help desk operations to ensure responsive, high-quality user support, providing additional capacity when needed.
• Monitor ticket resolution, system uptime, and staff satisfaction with IT services.
• Support ongoing user adoption and training for Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and other collaboration tools to maintain consistent and effective use across the organization.

Training & Compliance

• Collaborate with the Senior Director of Administration to develop and distribute clear, user-friendly resources that reinforce IT security and acceptable-use policies.
• Coordinate with consultants and the IT Manager to ensure cybersecurity and compliance trainings are current, effectively delivered, and ensure that staff complete required trainings on time.

This job description is not intended to represent a complete, comprehensive list of all duties and responsibilities that may be required in this position. There may be unplanned activities and other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible IT experience, including substantial project management responsibility.
• Demonstrated success leading technology initiatives such as SharePoint migrations, server-to-cloud transitions, or workflow automation projects.
• Strong technical knowledge of Microsoft environments, including Microsoft 365 administration and Azure portal management.
• Experience supervising IT staff and help desk functions, with a focus on service quality and user experience.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills; able to prioritize and deliver multiple initiatives concurrently.
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to translate between technical and non-technical audiences and train staff effectively.

Physical Requirements

• Frequently sits for long periods of time
• Frequently speaks, reads, writes and uses a computer keyboard
• May require occasional standing, walking, lifting up to 20 lbs.

Please note: If you do not wholly meet the above qualifications but believe you are otherwise well-suited to meet the needs of this position, we encourage you to apply.

Application

Apply here! Attach a cover letter that includes where you learned of the job posting along with your resume. Applications without a cover letter are not likely to be considered.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through November 16, 2025, with earlier submissions receiving priority consideration. You will receive an acknowledgment once your application has been submitted, and we will contact you if we would like to schedule an interview.

This is a full-time position requiring 37.5 hours per week within regular business hours; typically 9am-5pm or 9:30am – 5:30pm. The role involves working onsite at our NYC office at least three days per week.

Pay for this position is $115,000-$125,000, commensurate with the candidate’s skill level and experience. The recruiting team is committed to sharing details regarding compensation based on the candidate's qualifications during the interview process.

OSI is an equal opportunity employer. We recognize that our conservation mission is best advanced by the contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, experiences, beliefs, and cultures. We are committed to cultivating and retaining a diverse and inclusive work environment that fosters belonging.

OSI offers accommodations for individuals with disabilities in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please email resumes@osiny.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.

Consistent with New York State law, OSI does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, height, weight, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.