Chief Digital & Innovation Officer (CDIO)

Focus on the Family•Colorado Springs, CO

18d•Onsite

About The Position

The Chief Digital & Innovation Officer (CDIO) is accountable for shaping and enabling the ministry’s digital future in direct service of mission, scale, and constituent trust. This role establishes technology, data, and digital platforms as a unified, enterprise capability that advances clarity, agility, stewardship, and measurable ministry impact. The CDIO defines the enterprise digital vision, establishes architectural and data coherence; owns the decision frameworks governing enterprise digital investment and prioritization; and builds empowered leadership teams capable of sustaining today’s mission while intentionally preparing the ministry for future opportunities and risks. Through this leadership, technology functions as a strategic enterprise capability that enables ministry delivery, deepens constituent engagement, and strengthens organizational decision-making, integrated into how the ministry plans and operates. Essential Duties/Responsibilities: Enterprise Digital Strategy & Vision: Owns and articulates the enterprise digital strategy aligned to ministry mission, long-term organizational strategy, and a constituent intimacy value discipline. Establishes a clear digital north star that governs platform choices, investment prioritization, sequencing, and trade-offs across the enterprise. Defines enterprise decision frameworks that balance speed, scale, risk, and stewardship, prevent fragmentation, duplicative platforms, and siloed innovation. Makes digital strategy inseparable from ministry strategy, shaping how the organization delivers impact today while positioning it for future growth and resilience. Digital Architecture & Operational Enablement: Owns enterprise architectural direction across applications, data, integration, infrastructure, and security to reduce complexity, improve interoperability, and enable scalable ministry delivery. Is accountable for ensuring core platforms (e.g., CRM, ERP, CMS, marketing automation, digital experience, data platforms) are selected, evolved, and governed based on enterprise outcomes rather than local optimization. Holds senior leaders accountable for reliable, secure, and resilient technology operations, with cybersecurity, risk management, compliance, and business continuity operating as foundational enablers of ministry effectiveness. Establishes enterprise operating principles and service expectations that reinforce partnership, stewardship, clarity of ownership, and shared accountability. Innovation, Experimentation & Emerging Capability: Establishes a disciplined enterprise approach to innovation that includes experimentation, piloting, learning, and intentional scaling. Identifies and evaluates emerging technologies and delivery models (e.g., AI, automation, personalization, new engagement channels) with the potential to advance ministry reach, relevance, and effectiveness. Balances innovation with mission integrity, ethical responsibility, operational sustainability, and constituent trust. Data Strategy, AI Enablement & Governance: Owns the enterprise data and analytics strategy, ensuring leaders and teams have access to trusted, decision-grade information. Guides the strategic application of analytics and AI to enhance ministry outcomes, strengthen constituent engagement, and enable insight-led decision-making at all levels of the organization. Establishes and governs responsible data and AI frameworks that protect constituent privacy, reinforce trust, and safeguard the ministry’s credibility. Institutionalizes the use of insight across planning, execution, and measurement, embedding data-informed decision-making into how the ministry operates. Executive Partnership & Enterprise Change Leadership: Serves as a trusted strategic advisor to the CEO and executive leadership team on the digital, data, and technology implications of ministry strategy, investment decisions, and enterprise priorities. Partners closely with the Chief Constituent Experience Officer (CCXO), sharing accountability for translating mission into coherent, digitally enabled constituent experiences across the ministry. Leads enterprise change by shaping culture, clarifying decision rights, and aligning cross-functional leaders—rather than through systems deployment alone. Leadership, Culture & Talent Development: Builds and leads an enterprise digital and technology leadership team oriented toward outcomes, learning, and accountability. Develops future-ready leaders capable of operating in ambiguity, managing complexity, and leading sustained change. Creates a culture where clarity of ownership, measurable outcomes, and continuous improvement replace heroics and reactive execution. Models servant leadership consistent with Focus on the Family’s Christian mission, values, and commitment to people. Other Duties/Responsibilities: Performs other duties as assigned Managerial Breadth/Scope of Job: Leads an enterprise digital and technology organization of 50+ employees. Direct reports include senior leaders responsible for applications, data and analytics, infrastructure and security, and operations. Accountable for strategic partners and offshore teams through clearly defined leadership and governance structures. Working Environment/Physical Requirements: Onsite office environment

Requirements

Demonstrated experience as a senior enterprise leader responsible for defining and executing digital, data, and technology strategy aligned to organizational mission and long-term goals.
Proven track record of leading large-scale digital transformation involving organizational change, platform consolidation, and cultural shift—not solely technology implementation.
Experience operating as a peer within a C-suite or executive leadership team, influencing strategy, investment decisions, and enterprise priorities.
Strong background in establishing enterprise architecture, data strategy, and governance models that enable agility, trust, and scalability.
Demonstrated ability to balance innovation and experimentation with stewardship, risk management, and operational sustainability.
Experience enabling constituent- or customer-centric models through digital platforms, data, and integrated experiences.
Sufficient technical depth across modern platforms (cloud, CRM, ERP, digital experience, data, AI-enabled capabilities) to set direction, ask incisive questions, and hold leaders accountable without serving as the primary technical expert.
Thorough understanding of Focus on the Family’s mission, values, and the cultural, social, and political issues impacting families.
Strategic and collaborative leader with strong servant leadership instincts
Executive presence
Strong organizational skills
Polished social skills
Ability to develop strategic plans for multiple function division
Requires considerable ingenuity and judgment to solve complex problems
Leadership: Strong change management capabilities, with the ability to influence and lead cross-functional teams
Business Acumen: Ability to translate technical capabilities into measurable business outcomes

Responsibilities

Owns and articulates the enterprise digital strategy aligned to ministry mission, long-term organizational strategy, and a constituent intimacy value discipline.
Owns enterprise architectural direction across applications, data, integration, infrastructure, and security to reduce complexity, improve interoperability, and enable scalable ministry delivery.
Establishes a disciplined enterprise approach to innovation that includes experimentation, piloting, learning, and intentional scaling.
Owns the enterprise data and analytics strategy, ensuring leaders and teams have access to trusted, decision-grade information.
Serves as a trusted strategic advisor to the CEO and executive leadership team on the digital, data, and technology implications of ministry strategy, investment decisions, and enterprise priorities.
Builds and leads an enterprise digital and technology leadership team oriented toward outcomes, learning, and accountability.
Performs other duties as assigned