Chief Information Officer (EMS Band 4)

State of Washington•Thurston County – Lacey, WA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Ecology is hiring a Chief Information Officer (EMS Band 4) within the Executive Leadership Team. This position is eligible for telework and flexible schedule options, with a minimum of three days per week required in the office. The salary listed includes a scheduled 2% general salary increase effective July 1, 2026. The role involves leading the agency through major technology and organizational change, building a secure, resilient, cloud-forward, data-driven, and service-oriented technology environment that advances Ecology’s mission. The Chief Information Officer serves as the executive leader for enterprise technology, cybersecurity, data and analytics, digital services, and modernization strategy, ensuring technology becomes a strategic capability that accelerates scientific discovery, strengthens environmental protection, supports staff, and improves service delivery to the public. This executive role requires strategic decision-making and the delivery of policies with broad, agency-wide impacts.

Requirements

Nine years of experience and/or education related to the duties of the position.
Enterprise Technology Leadership: Successful track record providing strategic vision and direction, executive oversight, and operational accountability delivering tools and solutions to support evidence-based decision making aligned with organizational mission and priorities.
Modernization & Digital Transformation: Proven track record leading cross-functional teams using AGILE methodology and Product Owner roles to align business goals with IT execution to accomplish complex modernization or digital transformation initiatives involving cloud adoption, enterprise system renewal, automation, or operational redesign.
Strategic Technology Planning: Demonstrated ability to develop and execute enterprise technology, data, and modernization roadmaps that improve interoperability, sustainability, and long-term operational maturity.
Data, AI, and Emerging Technology Governance: Proven track record of governing or implementing data platforms, analytics, automation, or AI technologies in a responsible, ethical, and transparent manner.
Cybersecurity & Resilience Leadership: Experience overseeing cybersecurity programs, managing digital risk, and supporting incident response or continuity of operations to protect systems and data.
Enterprise Governance & Compliance: Demonstrated experience managing centralized and distributed technology functions to establish and maintain organizational governance structures, policy frameworks, and compliance processes that ensure transparency, accountability, and operational alignment.
Fiscal Stewardship & Technology Investment Management: Significant experience overseeing divisional-level technology budgets, portfolio management of third-party IT service providers, vendor contracts, and investment decisions to ensure measurable ROI and business sustainability.
Workforce & Organizational Leadership: Successful track record leading diverse, multidisciplinary teams; mentoring leaders; and building work cultures that support inclusivity, collaboration, innovation, accountability, and esteem continuous learning.
Change Leadership & Organizational Transformation: Proven track record guiding organizations through significant change, adopting new technologies, and enhancing workforce readiness for modernization to achieve business strategy and goals.
Communication, Collaboration & Partner Engagement: Demonstrated ability to build trusted partnerships and translate complex technology, cybersecurity, and operational topics into clear, plain-talked language for executives, policymakers, oversight committees, and staff.
Interagency & Public-Sector Collaboration: Progressive experience working within regional or national organizational structures with central IT partnering with external private sector organizations and strategic business partners that may include statewide entities: Tribal governments: federal agencies: or interagency councils on technology or policy matters.
Risk-Based Decision-Making: Demonstrated ability to evaluate technology, cybersecurity, fiscal, and operational risks to make sound, evidence-based executive decisions that protect mission delivery and public trust.
Education involving a major study in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, Cybersecurity, Business Administration, Public Administration, Engineering, Environmental Science, Data Science, or a related field.
Must possess a valid driver's license or provide alternate reliable transportation for travel within the state of Washington.
Must maintain strict confidentiality regarding sensitive information, including security incidents, personnel data, and protected environmental or regulatory data.
Expected to maintain current knowledge of emerging technologies, cybersecurity frameworks, public-sector governance, and leadership practices.

Nice To Haves

Strategic Foresight & Emerging Technology Scanning: Ability to monitor evolving technology landscapes, industry trends, and environmental-tech innovations to anticipate future opportunities and threats.
Public-Sector Legislative Navigation: Ability to understand legislative cycles, funding mechanisms, and policy influences to optimize timing and support for major modernization initiatives.
Advanced Procurement & Contract Negotiation: Ability to negotiate complex technology contracts and manage vendor relationships to secure favorable terms and reduce long-term risk.
Human-Centered Design Mindset: Ability to apply user research, journey mapping, and accessibility practices to create digital services that are intuitive, equitable, and user-focused.
Data Literacy Coaching & Enablement: Ability to mentor staff on data fluency, analytics usage, and responsible AI practices to increase agency-wide data confidence and adoption.
Advanced Cloud Financial Optimization (FinOps): Ability to apply cost modeling, forecasting, and optimization techniques to help reduce cloud waste and improve financial predictability.

Responsibilities

Planning, leading, organizing, and directing Ecology’s statewide enterprise technology strategy, modernization initiatives, cybersecurity program, cloud transformation, data and analytics platforms, and digital service delivery.
Establishing and executing a long-term enterprise technology vision that aligns with Ecology’s environmental mission, statewide policy direction, and emerging industry practices.
Guiding agency-wide modernization efforts, including cloud adoption, enterprise architecture, application modernization, automation, responsible AI, and sustainable technology practices.
Managing the agency’s technology investment portfolio, enterprise operating and capital budgets, and modernization resources while ensuring transparent fiscal stewardship.
Ensuring enterprise cybersecurity, digital risk management, operational resilience, and compliance with statewide and federal requirements.
Hiring, mentoring, and developing technology leaders and teams while fostering a collaborative, inclusive, innovative, and high-performing technology workforce.
Representing Ecology on statewide technology issues with WaTech, OFM, OCIO, Tribes, local governments, federal partners, universities, and regulated entities.
Representing the Director and agency on statewide and national technology issues, working with federal, state, local, Tribal, academic, and private-sector partners.
Serving as a trusted advisor on technology, cybersecurity, AI governance, data strategy, and modernization, providing plain-language guidance to support executive decision-making.
Advising the Executive Leadership Team on strategic technology investments, policy development, enterprise risk, and operational readiness.
Collaborating across programs to align technology and data priorities with Ecology’s environmental mission, scientific needs, and operational goals.
Fostering a diverse, equitable, inclusive, respectful, and innovative workplace that supports learning, accountability, transparency, and staff engagement.