Deputy CIO — Legal Tech & IT Operations Leader

Barnes & Thornburg LLP; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

Barnes & Thornburg LLP in Indianapolis seeks a Deputy CIO to anchor operations, partnering with the CIO to run the IT organization and enable AI strategy and digital transformation across 26 offices and 1,800 users. The ideal candidate has deep legal-technology experience, strong budget discipline, and a proven track record managing multi-site IT operations in a top AmLaw environment.

This role combines hands-on leadership with strategic oversight, vendor management, and risk/compliance in a

Qualifications

• 20+ years of progressive IT leadership experience with 5+ years in senior director/ deputy CIO roles.
• Experience in AmLaw 100/200 law firms or comparable professional services environments.
• Hands-on familiarity with legal tech platforms (iManage, Elite 3E) and integrations.
• Proven track record managing multi-site, enterprise IT operations (25+ locations).
• Experience leading directors/senior managers across diverse tech disciplines.
• Strong financial acumen; experience owning multi-million dollar budgets.
• Excellent executive communication, translating tech to non-technical stakeholders.
• Deep cybersecurity and legal compliance knowledge.
• Availability to work 4–5 days in office.

Responsibilities

• Oversee IT operations across 26 offices for ~1,800 users.
• Act as acting CIO in CIO's absence and ensure continuity.
• Set standards, SLAs, and performance metrics for four director-led teams.
• Drive incident response, business continuity, and disaster recovery.
• Lead Directors of Software Services, Systems, End User Support, and PMO.
• Collaborate with HR on workforce planning and talent acquisition.
• Manage vendor relationships and major technology procurement.
• Coordinate with Security, Compliance, and Finance functions.

Skills

IT Leadership

Law Firm Experience

Budgeting

Executive Communication

Cybersecurity

People Management

Multi-site Operations

Tools

iManage / DMS

Elite 3E

Job description

Barnes & Thornburg LLP in Indianapolis seeks a Deputy CIO to anchor operations, partnering with the CIO to run the IT organization and enable AI strategy and digital transformation across 26 offices and 1,800 users. The ideal candidate has deep legal-technology experience, strong budget discipline, and a proven track record managing multi-site IT operations in a top AmLaw environment.

This role combines hands-on leadership with strategic oversight, vendor management, and risk/compliance in a