Vice President Of Information Technology

The Summit Federal Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative headquartered in Rochester, New York. Established in 1941, The Summit has grown to become one of the largest credit unions in the region, serving over 90,000 members across 15 branch locations throughout Western, Central, and Finger Lakes regions of New York, including Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Seneca Falls, and Cortland.   With assets approaching $1.5 billion, The Summit offers a full suite of financial services including checking and savings accounts, loans, mortgages, investment services, and digital banking solutions. Its mission—rooted in nearly 80 years of service—is to help members improve their lives through accessible, personalized financial support. The credit union is known for its commitment to community engagement and inclusivity, regularly partnering with local nonprofits and supporting initiatives that uplift the diverse communities it serves. Its tagline, “Elevating the Ordinary™,” reflects a dedication to exceptional service for both members and employees.  The Summit’s main office is located at 100 Marina Drive, Rochester, NY 14626, and it continues to expand its reach and impact while maintaining a strong local presence and member-first philosophy.

Working in Rochester, New York offers a unique blend of professional opportunity, affordability, and quality of life. It also offers a rich blend of history, culture, and nature making Rochester a standout city in upstate New York.

The Summit Federal Credit Union is seeking a tech savvy leader to join the organization as their next Vice President of Information Technology.

The VP of IT is responsible for leading the credit union’s core technology infrastructure and systems to ensure secure, reliable, and scalable operations. Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Information Technology & Project Management, this role directs and develops the Information Systems and Programming/Applications teams in several critical functional areas including network design and performance, Core programming (Symitar) and third-party integrations, enterprise applications, server and cloud environments, electronic communication systems, electronic document storage/management, and credentials management.

This is a hands-on leadership role: the Vice President is expected to maintain deep technical expertise and actively participate in architecture design, system configuration, and complex troubleshooting alongside the team, while partnering with business leaders to align technology solutions with organizational objectives.

This role is also responsible for implementing and maintaining the technical information security controls that safeguard the credit union’s systems, data, and operations. While Information Security Governance (policy, risk, and audit oversight) reports separately, the Vice President of Information Technology ensures the effective execution of security technologies, continuous monitoring, and risk-mitigation activities, including oversight of the credit union’s contracted third-party service provider for 24/7/365 security monitoring.

Essential Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the Information Technology functions of the credit union to ensure systems, programming, and infrastructure effectively support organizational goals and objectives.
• Develop, train, and coach direct reports to ensure strong technical expertise and leadership succession within the technology department.
• Provide leadership for critical IT functions including, but not limited to:

• • Network Design, Installation, and Maintenance
  • Server & Cloud Infrastructure
  • Symitar Programming and Integrations
  • Electronic Communication Systems
  • Electronic Document Storage Systems
  • Credentials & Identity Management
  • Enterprise Applications Management

• Establish and maintain IT operational standards, policies, and procedures in compliance with regulatory and industry best practice requirements.
• Lead by example in technical best practices, reviewing architecture proposals, validating system changes, and ensuring that engineering decisions align with security and performance standards.
• Maintain active involvement in the design, configuration, and implementation of network, server, cloud, and core application solutions, providing technical leadership and direct support during complex projects and critical incidents.
• Serve as a senior technical resource for escalated issues, performing advanced troubleshooting and guiding the team through root-cause analysis and permanent remediation.
• Oversee the administration, security, and lifecycle management of the Microsoft 365 environment, including Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, and the Microsoft Office desktop suite, ensuring availability, compliance, and alignment with the credit union’s collaboration and security standards.
• Manage the operation, configuration, and strategic evolution of the Symitar core processing platform and all integrated third-party applications, ensuring system stability, scalability, and compliance. Provide leadership for upgrades, patch management, vendor coordination, and the evaluation of new integrations to support credit union needs.
• Partner with the Vendor Management and Information Security Governance teams to oversee due diligence on technology and security vendors, ensuring risk assessments and contractual controls meet regulatory and credit union standards, while maintaining productive, cost-effective relationships by evaluating, negotiating, selecting, and monitoring vendors within areas of responsibility.
• Manage and enforce the Technology Change Management process, including planning, review, approval, and post-implementation validation of system and infrastructure changes to ensure stability, minimize risk, and maintain regulatory compliance.
• Maintain an effective on-hours and after-hours IT support structure, including on-call rotations, escalation procedures, and clear service-level expectations, to ensure reliable support 24/7/365.
• Drive automation and continuous improvement of IT operations to increase efficiency and reduce manual effort.
• Monitor performance, service levels, and infrastructure health; implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and resilience.
• Lead the planning, execution, and testing of disaster recovery and business continuity strategies.
• Participate in the development of the credit union’s Technology Road Map and overall Strategic Plan. Support the strategic steps necessary to carry out these plans.
• Provide executive oversight of all IT projects, following the Project Management process, to ensure initiatives are properly planned, resourced, and completed on time, within scope & budget, and in alignment with credit union objectives.
• Prepare and manage budgets for technology functions to ensure optimal utilization of credit union resources.

Information Security Responsibilities

• Partner with the Information Security Governance team to ensure audit readiness, risk mitigation, and incident response preparedness, while serving as the primary IT contact for internal and external auditors, examiners, and regulators to provide timely responses and documentation during audits and NCUA examinations.
• Lead the execution of information security processes and practices in a manner that supports the credit unions overall risk management appetite of low for information security risk.
• Implement, manage, and monitor security technologies (firewalls, IDS/IPS, endpoint protection, SIEM, MFA, vulnerability scanners, etc.).
• Ensure patch management, system hardening, and access controls are executed consistently and documented.
• Oversee the monitoring of logs, alerts, and vulnerabilities to ensure documentation and timely remediation.
• Manage the credit union’s contracted Third-Party Service Provider (TSP) for 24/7/365 security monitoring and incident response, ensuring alignment with internal security policies and timely escalation of incidents.
• When assigned, act as incident response technical lead for major technology outages or cybersecurity events, coordinating with Information Security Governance and business leaders to mitigate impact and restore operations.

Other Responsibilities

• Stay current with technology trends, regulatory requirements, and best practices within areas of responsibility.
• Participate in credit union committees, initiatives, and special assignments as requested.
• Represent the technology team in internal and external meetings, acting as a liaison between technical staff and business stakeholders.
• Establish and maintain professional networks within the industry and the communities served by the credit union to enhance knowledge and reputation.
• Collaborate with the Senior Vice President of Information Technology & Project Management and other business leaders to evaluate, pilot, and operationalize artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning solutions, including governance, risk controls, and secure integrations, supporting the credit union’s Technology Road Map and member/employee experience initiatives.
• Attend Board Meetings and other credit union events as requested by the SVP, CFO, or CEO.

Qualifications and Skills

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, computer science, or related field required.
• 7–10 years of progressive IT experience, with at least 5 years of leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated ability to architect and troubleshoot complex network, server, and application environments.
• Experience managing enterprise infrastructure, networks, systems integration, and technical information security controls.
• Financial services or credit union technology experience preferred but not required.
• Proven success in vendor management, contract negotiations, and risk oversight.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities (including Technical & Systems/Equipment Proficiencies)

• Strong leadership, mentoring, and team development skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and collaboration abilities.
• Deep knowledge of enterprise IT infrastructure, Symitar or other core banking systems, and system integrations.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and collaboration tools.
• Knowledge of regulatory and compliance standards related to IT operations and information security.

Salary Range $180,000 – $210,000