Chief Information/Technology Officer

W S DARLEY & CO•Itasca, IL

4d•$200,000 - $300,000•Onsite

About The Position

W.S. Darley & Co is seeking a Chief Information/Technology Officer (CITO) to join its leadership team. This role is accountable for setting direction, prioritizing initiatives, and ensuring technology investments align with business strategy across all operating divisions. The position emphasizes leadership, organization, governance, and decision-making and will play a critical role in shaping Darley’s future, serving first responders and defense customers worldwide. In this role, the CITO delivers decisive leadership across technology operations, people leadership, customer engagement, and vendor relations, fostering strong credibility with internal teams, Darley Executive Leadership team, and external partners. The role oversees all aspects of IT strategy, cybersecurity, ERP (JD Edwards) optimization, infrastructure, data architecture, analytics, automation, and AI-based transformation initiatives. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in people and project management, with proven experience leading teams, prioritizing initiatives, and delivering results across complex environments. This role requires familiarity with enterprise technologies, including CRM platforms (Salesforce or similar), ERP systems (JD Edwards or similar), AI, data architecture, cybersecurity (CMMC), and automation, with the ability to align these capabilities to business goals.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive experience in technology leadership roles, preferably in manufacturing, defense, or related industries
Experience with enterprise platforms JD Edwards, Salesforce
Cybersecurity and defense-grade compliance background
Experience in analytics, automation, AI, and digital transformation
Strategic mind-set with hands-on capability
Strong communication and leadership skills
Deep understanding of enterprise architecture
Ability to manage complex multi-division environments
Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree (MBA, MIS, or related discipline) strongly preferred
Professional certifications such as CISSP, CISM, ITIL, TOGAF or cloud architecture certifications are beneficial

Responsibilities

Serve as the executive owner of technology strategy and priorities, representing technology and systems to the Executive Leadership Team.
Communicate technology priorities, risks, and progress in clear, business-focused terms to executives and stakeholders including Board of Directors and Advisory Boards.
Act as a trusted advisor to leadership on where technology can (and should not) be used to drive value.
Develop and execute a comprehensive, multi-year technology and product strategy/roadmap aligned with the company’s business objectives and growth plans.
Maintain a holistic view of technology initiatives across all business divisions, understanding operational needs, dependencies, and constraints.
Establish and manage a clear prioritization framework to determine what initiatives should be worked on, deferred, accelerated, or stopped.
Make informed tradeoff decisions between cost, risk, speed, and business value.
Develop and manage a comprehensive technology budget (OPEX + CAPEX).
Implement cost optimization initiatives (cloud cost control, vendor consolidation, automation).
Evaluate, prioritize and recommend technology investments; forecast future technology expenses based on business growth, ROI and strategy.
Support capital investment strategy and M&A due diligence.
Negotiate large scale contracts; oversee licensing strategies to ensure compliance and cost efficiency.
Maintain strong vendor relationships to optimize resources and deliver value.
Create a clear technology organizational structure aligned to business strategy and future business needs.
Shift the organization from reactive support to a proactive, product-centric delivery model.
Foster a culture of learning, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Set performance expectations, KPIs, and frameworks for evaluating team and individual success.
Lead and mentor IT team; develop next generation of technical leaders, emphasizing technical, leadership, and cross-functional skill development.
Oversee the design, development, and deployment of scalable software, hardware, and digital platforms that enhance operational efficiency and customer experience.
Oversee the end-to-end SDLC for customer-facing products, implementing Agile, CI/CD, and automated testing for rapid, high-quality releases.
Manage operational performance to ensure maximum uptime, business continuity, and elimination of single points of failure.
Ensure the security, integrity, and reliability of all technology systems, data, and infrastructure; ensure CMMC, NIST, and DFARS compliance.
Lead data architecture, analytics expansion and AI enablement.
Lead DevOps governance for internally developed platforms, ensuring standardization, security, and scalability while enabling high quality delivery aligned and business opportunities.
Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends to identify opportunities for innovation and competitive advantage.
Ensure business continuity and no single point of failure.
Enable UX and champion digital touchpoints for Darley and its customers.
Support business process engineering; enable simplification and standardization; cloud enablement.
Provide executive-level oversight of cybersecurity, data protection, and technology risk management.
Ensure appropriate policies, controls, and governance are in place to protect the organization.
Balance security requirements with business agility and operational efficiency.
Collaborate with executive leadership and other departments to align technology with business needs and drive cross-functional projects that support strategic initiatives.