Associate Chief Information Officer

The Associate Chief Information Officer (Associate CIO) serves as the senior technology leader within the IT Department, acting as the primary deputy to the CIO and exercising full leadership authority in the CIO's absence. This role bridges strategic vision and operational execution, translating enterprise technology direction into disciplined, outcome-oriented delivery across complex, concurrent initiatives spanning cloud platforms, enterprise systems, cybersecurity, data governance, and organizational change. The Associate CIO serves as a primary organizational point of accountability for technology partnerships and vendor performance, ensuring external providers deliver against contractual commitments and organizational expectations. This position requires an individual who combines deep technical expertise with strategic acumen, sound leadership judgment, and the ability to guide a cross-functional IT team through both periods of significant transformation and steady-state operations.

Responsibilities:

• Lead in the CIO's Absence: Exercise full IT Department leadership authority when the CIO is unavailable. Represent the IT function in executive, cross-functional, and external settings. Maintain continuity of strategic direction, team performance, stakeholder relationships, and organizational communication.


• Execute Technology Strategy: Translate the CIO's strategic technology direction into actionable plans, accountable milestones, and measurable outcomes. Manage concurrent technology initiatives from initiation through completion, maintaining schedule, quality, and alignment with organizational priorities.


• Manage Technology Vendor and Partner Relationships: Serve as a primary organizational point of accountability for technology vendor performance. Monitor delivery against contractual commitments and quality standards. Identify and escalate performance risks. Ensure external partners build toward organizational self-sufficiency and knowledge transfer in accordance with contract obligations.


• Provide Technical Leadership and Architecture Oversight: Evaluate technology designs, vendor proposals, and implementation approaches for alignment with enterprise architecture standards, security requirements, regulatory obligations, and long-term organizational scalability. Provide authoritative technical guidance to IT staff and serve as a credible technical voice in vendor, leadership, and cross-functional discussions.


• Oversight and Develop the IT Team: Assist with day-to-day oversight, coaching, and professional development support to IT staff across all functional areas of the department. Assist with build a collaborative, accountable, and high-performing team culture. Support workforce planning, performance management, and organizational development as the IT function evolves.


• Support IT Governance and Operating Model: Contribute to the design and continuous improvement of the IT operating model, governance structures, and service delivery practices. Provide input on team organization, capability requirements, and resource alignment as organizational and technology needs mature.


• Manage Risk and Ensure Compliance: Identify, assess, and communicate technology-related risks across security, operations, regulatory, and vendor dimensions. Support the CIO in maintaining compliance with applicable cybersecurity frameworks, federal regulatory requirements, and contractual obligations. Escalate material risks with recommended mitigation strategies


• Prepare and deliver clear, audience-appropriate technology updates for leadership, operational, and program stakeholders as required. Translate technical complexity into accessible language for non-technical audiences. Support the CIO in board-level and executive reporting as needed.

Qualifications:

• A bachelors degree in computer science, Information Systems or a related field is required, a masters degree is preferred.


• 5 or more years of experience is required.


• Project Management Professional Certification is preferred.


• Certified Information Systems security Professional (CISSP) is preferred.


• Experience working with federal government contracts is preferred.