Chief Information Officer (Director II)

City of Portland, OR; Portland (OR); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a visionary Chief Information Officer to lead its technology services. This pivotal role involves overseeing IT operations, managing a substantial budget, and driving digital transformation. The ideal candidate will champion innovation, ensure cybersecurity, and foster a diverse and inclusive workforce. With a commitment to continuous improvement, this leader will align technology strategies with the City’s goals, enhancing service delivery and operational efficiency. If you are passionate about technology and public service, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Benefits

Health Insurance

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Flexible Work Hours

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience managing complex IT operations in a large organization.
• Experience in developing long-range strategic plans and governance structures.

Responsibilities

• Lead technology governance and ensure compliance with City goals.
• Oversee the development and administration of a large IT budget.

Skills

IT Operations Management

Strategic Planning

Cybersecurity

Service Delivery

Budget Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration

Professional certification in IT

Job description

This position is exempt from Civil Service and is an “At Will” position. It serves at the discretion of the hiring authority, subject to the City of Portland Human Resources Administrative Rules and the Portland City Charter and Code.

Job Appointment: Full time, At-Wil

Work Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm. Work hours will vary to meet business needs.

Work Location: This is a manager/supervisor position. Beginning in April 2025, all City of Portland manager and supervisor positions will be expected to report to their worksites full time. In-person work will be conducted at The Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Avenue, Portland, OR, 97204. Alternate schedules may be available, but the typical work schedule is Monday through Friday, with occasional after-hours work required to support critical projects or address system issues. Remote workdays remain an option, to accommodate travel, or occasionally focus on major work projects. Remote work must be performed within Oregon or Washington.

Benefits: Please check our benefit tab for an overview of benefit for this position
Language Pay Premium Eligible: This position is or may be eligible for Language Pay Differential for qualifying employees.

Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland’s online portal. You will need to attach a cover letter, résumé and an equity statement.

About The Bureau of Technology Services:

The Bureau of Technology Services (BTS) is the City’s in-house information technology service provider, supporting technology needs for more than 8,600 City employees. The bureau provides effective, innovative, reliable and secure technology services. BTS is the City’s leader in policy setting, management and strategic planning for the use of computer, data, radio, video and telecommunications technologies to support the delivery of effective government services to the City and its regional partners. In 2025, the bureau began its journey to implement a three-year strategic roadmap which evolves bureau services to align with current and future realities of the City’s technology environment. The roadmap considers BTS’s timeliness and aptness to complete work, while also considering services provided to City partners and preparing the bureau for technology innovation.

For more information, please visit the Bureau of Technology Services website.

About the Director Position:
The Chief Information Officer (CIO/Director II) will report directly to the Deputy City Administrator for the City Operations Service Area. The CIO will lead a team of more than 275 professionals and manage a fiscal year 2025-2026 operating budget of nearly $144 million.

The Chief Information Officer (CIO) provides visionary leadership, governance, and strategic direction for all IT systems and infrastructure at the City of Portland. Through the implementation of a recently adopted technology roadmap, the CIO drives the organization’s digital transformation by aligning IT strategies with business objectives to foster innovation, operational efficiency, and growth while maintaining a secure IT environment. This role requires a forward-thinking leader who champions change and cultivates a culture of continuous improvement –integrating IT strategies and investments with broader Citywide goals and competencies.

As a pivotal senior leader, the CIO steers the strategic direction and leadership of the City of Portland’s technology environment and infrastructure. This role transforms the organization’s technological landscape by fostering a culture of innovation, efficiency, and growth. The CIO ensures IT strategies are integrated with the City’s overall business goals, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Responsibilities will be broad in scope and allow for a high degree of policy, program, and administrative discretion.

Essential Functions of the Chief Information Officer include:
Lead Technology Governance – Create and uphold standards for how technology is governed within the City of Portland by setting strategic direction and ensuring compliance and alignment between technology and City goals and core values. You will identify and remedy technology governance gaps to support an evolving City government organizational structure.

Executive Direction – Carry out long-range strategic planning and IT governance, financial management, and administration of City and bureau policies, procedures, programs, goals, and objectives.
Inclusive Leadership – Provide leadership to attract, develop, and retain diverse, highly competent, service-oriented staff that support the City’s mission, objectives, and goals; recognize the value and importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce, and create a respectful environment reflective of living and working in a multicultural society.
Champion Digital Transformation: Identify and implement emerging technologies to drive business innovation and competitiveness, ensuring alignment with organizational competencies and job design.
Strategic Technology Investments – Facilitate and execute technology investments that lead to enterprise efficiencies and streamlined services. Investments must align with community outcomes and strategic priorities that continuously improve City processes and foster Citywide innovation.
Budget and Financial Expertise – Oversee the development and administration of the Bureau of Technology Services’ budget, including resource forecasting, expenditure authorization, executing strategic investments, and ongoing financial monitoring.
Strong Cybersecurity Acumen – In concert with the Chief Information Security Officer, develop strategies to protect critical data and technology systems. Duties also include risk mitigation, administering security policies, and ensuring Citywide preparedness in response to cyber threats.
Collaborative Partnership – Serve as a key representative of the City and Bureau of Technology Services by engaging with stakeholders and jurisdictional partners, providing strategic technology recommendations to City leadership, including City Council, conducting outreach, and managing public, media, and intergovernmental relations.
Results Driven – Operationalize the use of technology to deliver critical services to City bureaus, programs and offices and Portland residents. This leader works to create a responsive digital infrastructure that meets community members’ needs.
Deliver Service Level Agreements – The leader will be responsible for defining clear key performance indicators (KPIs) and ensuring service level agreement (SLA) metrics are consistently met and sustained.
Change Management – Foster a culture of innovation and lead organizational change initiatives to ensure the successful adoption of new technologies, aligned with the overall organizational change management strategy.

The successful candidate must be able to pass a comprehensive police background investigation.

Questions?
Jaclyn Snyder, Senior Recruiter
Bureau of Human Resources
[e-mail]

To Qualify

Applicants should specifically address and demonstrate in their cover letter and résumé how their education, training, and/or experience meet each of the following minimum qualifications:

• Eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in managing complex IT operations, strategic planning, service delivery, cybersecurity, and enterprise-level systems in a large, multifaceted organization, preferably in the public sector.
• Experience developing and implementing long-range strategic plans, governance structures, and policy frameworks that align IT service delivery with organizational goals.
• Experience developing, managing, and administering large-scale budgets, including forecasting, resource allocation, and mid-year adjustments in alignment with programmatic priorities and operational needs.
• Experience creating and maintaining equitable and inclusive workplace practices, including recruiting, developing, and retaining a diverse, culturally competent team while fostering a respectful and service-oriented environment.
• Experience building and maintaining trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders—including elected officials, community members, and media—while effectively communicating complex technical concepts and recommendations in accessible terms.
• Knowledge of relevant federal, state, and local laws, policies, and ordinances impacting IT governance and data environments, with the ability to analyze and ensure compliance across a broad portfolio of services and systems.

Applicants must also:

• Be able to pass a comprehensive police background investigation

Although not required, you may have:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in business administration, public administration, or related field; and coursework in computer science, information technology, management information systems, computer engineering, software engineering, or related field.
• Professional certification in a related field.

The Recruitment Process

STEP 1: Apply online between Monday, April 21, 2025 – Monday, May 19, 2025

Required Application Materials:

• Résumé
• Cover Letter
  • Details are key! The City uses a merit-based system, so your cover letter should be thorough and specifically address each qualification listed in the “To Qualify” section of the job announcement. Your cover letter can exceed one page to ensure you are able to provide the detailed information for every qualification. Follow the instructions, as a subject matter expert will be evaluating your details to confirm that you meet the minimum requirements.
• Answer to four (4) Supplemental Questions (click on the Questions tab to preview the questions)
• Equity Statement

In addition to providing a cover letter and résumé, please submit a separate equity statement outlining your commitment and track record to diversity, equity and inclusion. Experiences may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Lived experience as a member of an underrepresented group.
• Experience living, working and meaningfully interacting with individuals with a variety of identities.
• Track record of instilling equity and inclusion within operations.

If your experiences are different from those listed and you have a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, please explain how you will manifest that commitment in this position.

Equity Commitment:
For those applicants who meet the qualifications of this position, in accordance with the adoption of the Charles Jordan Standard and the City of Portland’s commitment to equity, the highest qualified minority candidate, highest qualified woman, and highest qualified candidate who identifies as a person with a disability will be included in the final interview process. To be considered under the Charles Jordan Standard, we will be asking applicants who meet the qualifications for this position to include information identifying their status as a minority, woman, and/or identification as an individual with a disability in the required equity statement.

Please see the City’s Charles Jordan Standard Portland Resolution No. 37180 for more information.

Optional Application Materials:

• Veteran documents to request for Veteran Preference (ex, DD214-Member 4, VA Benefit Letter, etc.)

Application Tips:

• Your cover letter should include details describing your education, training and/or experience, and where obtained, which clearly reflects your qualifications for each of the numbered items in the “To Qualify” section of this announcement.
• Your resume should support the details described in your cover letter.
• How We Determine Pay: The City of Portland is covered by the Oregon Equal Pay Act. Your salary is determined based on the experience listed in your resume that is directly related and equivalent to the position for which you are applying. It is strongly encouraged to include any transferable experience (paid or unpaid regardless of how recent) to ensure your offer is reflective of all your relevant experience.
• Do not attach materials not requested.
• All completed applications for this position must be submitted no later than on the closing date and time of this recruitment.
• All applications must be submitted via the City’s online application process. E-mailed and/or faxed applications will not be accepted.
• You can use AI tools to assist with your job application, but please make sure to personalize your responses to supplemental questions. Avoid copying and pasting; instead, use AI to generate ideas and then tailor them to reflect your own experiences and skills.

Step 2: Minimum Qualification Evaluation: Week of May 19, 2025

• An evaluation of each applicant’s training and paid and unpaid experience, as demonstrated in their resume and cover letter, weighted 100%.
• Your resume and cover letter will be the basis for our evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Incomplete or inappropriate information may result in disqualification.
• Additional evaluation may be required prior to establishment of the eligible list and/or final selection.

Step 3: Establishment of Eligible List: Week of May 19, 2025

• Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list.

Step 4: Selection (Interview): June

• Hiring bureau will review and select candidates to interview.

Step 5: Offer of Employment: June
Step 6: Start Date: July

• A start date will be determined after all conditions of employment have been met.

*Timeline is approximate and subject to change*

Additional Information

• Veteran Preference
• ADA, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations
• Work Status
• Equal Employment Opportunity

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