SVP/Chief Information Officer (Kent)

Reporting to the President & CEO, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) is responsible for leading the credit union’s IT strategy and operations, driving innovation, and optimizing the firm's technology ecosystem. The CIO will oversee a team of IT professionals and be instrumental in building out capabilities that enhance efficiency, security, and member experience. This role presents an opportunity to lead a high-impact IT transformation initiatives, driving innovation and efficiency while working in a dynamic, cultural, and member-centric environment that allows for shaping the credit union’s long-term technology strategy.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

IT Strategy & Leadership:

Develop and execute a comprehensive IT Strategic Plan and Operating roadmap aligned with business goals, ensuring the credit union's technology infrastructure scales with growth ambitions.

Team Management and Operations: Lead and mentor a team of IT professionals, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence.

Manage core credit union platform and its modules, IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, and enterprise applications.

Oversee IT service delivery, service desk operations, and business user support functions to ensure optimal performance.

Drive operational efficiency through ITIL-based service operations, automation, modernization of legacy systems, and proper IT planning.

Data & Business Intelligence (BI):

Oversee the development of BI platform to enhance internal decision-making.

Automation & Process Optimization:

Identify opportunities to automate manual processes and improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Cyber Security & Information Security:

Establish and maintain robust security frameworks and compliance measures to protect client financial data. Oversee Information Security and Cyber Security programs, ensuring proper InfoSec risk management frameworks are in place.

IT Governance and Risk Management:

Lead the development and execution of a robust IT governance framework aligned with regulatory requirements (NCUA, FFIEC, GLBA, NIST, DFI).

Oversee Cyber/Info Security and compliance programs, ensuring regular risk assessments, audits, and remediation of vulnerabilities.

Lead the planning, execution, and documentation of business continuity and disaster recovery (BCP/DR) strategies. Direct Business Impact Analysis (BIA) activities to define RTOs, RPOs, and MAOs.

Establish and manage a Data governance program focused on data integrity, classification, ownership, and regulatory compliance.

Develop, maintain, and enforce IT policies, procedures, and standards—ensuring version control, approvals, and alignment with operational needs. Collaborate with the VP of Risk and Compliance to monitor third-party risks and ensure policy adherence.

Infrastructure & Cloud Strategy:

Develop and lead the credit union’s infrastructure and cloud strategy ensuring scalability, reliability, and security.

Vendor & Stakeholder Management:

Collaborate with internal stakeholders and external vendors to implement technological solutions in support of Cascade’s strategic objectives and goals.

Third-Party Vendor and IT Project Management:

Lead technology vendor selections, contract negotiations, and performance monitoring activities.

Oversee complex enterprise system implementations, upgrades, and integrations, including core credit union system and its modules, corporate applications and on-prem/cloud platforms.

Ensure effective project management and delivery across all technology initiatives.

RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES

IT Strategy & Leadership:

Review and adjust the IT roadmap in alignment with business objectives and growth strategies.

Collaborate with executive leadership to ensure technology initiatives support business goals.

Schedule regular brainstorming sessions to identify new technology trends and opportunities.

Manage the technology budget, ensuring cost-effective allocation of resources while evaluating ROI for infrastructure, software, and innovation initiatives.

Team Management:

Conduct meetings with the IT team to discuss progress, challenges, and priorities.

Provide guidance and mentorship to team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation.

Regularly assess team performance and provide constructive feedback.

Data & Business Intelligence:

Oversee the development and implementation of the BI strategy.

Develop BI dashboards and reports to ensure they meet internal decision-making needs.

Ensure analytics published are accurate and provide value to the Senior Leadership Team.

Automation & Process Optimization:

Identify manual processes ripe for automation and outline a strategy for implementation.

Regularly monitor service delivery metrics to identify areas for improvement.

Facilitate workshops with teams to brainstorm automation ideas.

Security & Compliance:

Conduct periodic reviews of security protocols and compliance measures.

Monitor potential security threats and compliance issues, taking proactive measures as necessary.

Implement ongoing training for staff on security best practices and compliance requirements.

Infrastructure & Cloud Strategy:

Regularly assess the current IT infrastructure and cloud strategy for scalability and reliability.

Lead discussions on cloud strategy enhancements and implementation.

Collaborate with cloud service providers to optimize cloud solutions and negotiate contracts.

Regularly seek feedback from team members and stakeholders to enhance the IT strategy.

Stay updated on industry trends and emerging technologies to ensure the organization remains competitive.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of essential functions or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Essential functions and responsibilities and activities are subject to change.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

10+ years of IT leadership experience, with at least 3 years in an executive or senior IT management role.

Proven experience managing core banking systems (e.g., Jack Henry, FIS, Fiserv, etc.).

Familiarity with major industry frameworks (e.g., NCUA, NIST, ITIL, COBIT, FFIEC, DFI, GLBA) and experience with regulatory audits and exams.

Proven experience leading technological teams in the financial services industry is preferred.

Strategic mindset, strong leadership skills, and expertise in data-driven decision-making, automation, security, and IT governance.

Strong background in IT strategy, digital transformation, and business process automation.

Knowledge of security, compliance, and IT governance best practices.

Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Bachelors in IT, Computer Science, Business, or a related field.

TRAVEL:

Minimal travel is expected for this position.