Chief Information Officer

Talenza; Sydney; On-site; AUD 350,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

Talenza, a leading Australian insurer, seeks a CIO-level leader to own all run technology for the Australian business, spanning legacy and modern platforms. You will sit at the leadership table, reporting to the country CEO and partnering with APAC technology leadership.

This role offers genuine autonomy, a top-table seat with senior peers, and real investment behind transformation and technology to modernise and scale the tech estate while ensuring stability and cost-effectiveness.

Qualifications

• Financial services background essential; general insurance experience valued.
• Experience leading run/operate technology at scale.
• Ability to navigate matrixed APAC/global reporting structures.
• Proven track record of stability and disciplined execution.

Responsibilities

• Own and run all technology across legacy and modern platforms, ensuring stability and reliability.
• Partner with transformation to ensure built solutions are cost-effective to run.
• Bridge between local technology operations and APAC/global technology leadership.
• Lead and develop the day-to-day technology operations team.
• Provide data-driven options for budgeting and prioritisation.

Skills

CIO experience

Senior tech leader

Run/operate at scale

Financial services

Job description

• A globally recognised, formidable player in insurance
• Highly autonomous, decentralised Australian operation
• Backing a major multi-year transformation and technology investment program

About the role
This is a newly created seat, sitting at the leadership table of a market-leading insurer, responsible for owning all "run" technology across the Australian business - from long-standing core platforms through to newly delivered systems. You'll be the critical handshake between the build/transformation function and business-as-usual, making sure everything delivered is stable, supportable and cost-effective over time. Reporting into the country CEO, with a strong matrix into APAC technology leadership, this role plays a genuinely central part in how the business modernises and scales its technology estate.

• Genuine autonomy - operate almost like your own business, not a branch waiting on head office
• Earn a permanent seat at the top table, as a trusted peer to the country's senior leadership
• Real investment behind you - a business putting serious money into transformation and technology, not just talking about it
• A high-performance culture paired with humility - deep insurance and underwriting expertise at the top, and genuine respect for curiosity over swagger

Duties

• Own and run all built technology across legacy and modern platforms, ensuring stability, reliability and operational excellence
• Partner closely with the transformation function to ensure everything built is supportable and cost-effective to run
• Act as the key bridge between local technology operations and APAC/global technology leadership
• Lead and develop the team responsible for day-to-day technology operations
• Bring insight, data and clear options to budget and prioritisation conversations, rather than just executing what's handed down

Skills and experience

• Proven experience as a CIO, Head of IT, or senior technology leader owning a run/operate function at scale
• Financial services background essential; general insurance experience highly regarded
• Comfortable operating within a matrixed, APAC/global reporting structure
• Track record of stability, reliability and disciplined execution in a run/operate technology environment
• A grounded, curious leadership style - someone who partners and earns trust rather than comes in with all the answers