Director of Information Technology (IT)

Foothill Credit Union•Arcadia, CA

1d•$150,000 - $165,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Information Technology (DIT) at Foothill Credit Union is a forward-thinking, people-centered leader who brings our technology vision to life in ways that reflect who we are—friendly, collaborative, and committed to exceptional member and team member experiences. In this role, the DIT partners across the organization to design, deliver, and continuously enhance secure, reliable, and innovative technology solutions that make life easier for our members and our team. Acting as a trusted advisor and culture champion, the DIT ensures our technology is not only effective, but intuitive, empowering, and aligned with Foothill’s mission, core values, and vibrant workplace culture.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Cybersecurity, Information Systems, or a related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience may be considered.
Minimum of ten (10) years of progressive IT experience, including infrastructure/network administration, systems administration, cybersecurity, IT operations, or related technology leadership experience.
Minimum of eight (8) years of management experience, including direct supervision, coaching, performance management, delegation, staff development, and team accountability.
Experience in a financial institution, credit union, or regulated environment strongly preferred.
Demonstrated experience leading information security, audit readiness, incident response, vendor risk management, business continuity/disaster recovery, and regulatory remediation activities.
Experience managing budgets, vendors, projects, and cross-functional technology initiatives.
Strong work ethic and personal accountability; demonstrates urgency, reliability, preparation, ownership, and follow-through on commitments.
Leads by example and builds trust through consistency, professionalism, transparency, sound judgment, and a service-minded approach.
Ability to manage, coach, motivate, and hold a technical team accountable while maintaining a positive and collaborative department culture.
Strong understanding of information security governance, cybersecurity controls, risk management, identity and access management, vulnerability management, patching, backup/recovery, and incident response practices.
Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills to analyze security requirements, relate them to appropriate security controls, and resolve complex technology issues.
Strong problem-solving skills in troubleshooting LAN/WAN, servers, routers, switches, endpoint systems, cloud services, and related hardware/software problems; working knowledge of Linux and Windows operating systems, communications, and network standards.
Ability to translate technical issues, cybersecurity risks, and technology investments into clear business language for executives, auditors, regulators, vendors, and team members.
Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to create clear documentation, reports, policies, procedures, and management updates.
Able to remain knowledgeable of technical industry advancements, cybersecurity trends, regulatory expectations, and credit union operational needs.
Knowledge of NCUA, GLBA, FFIEC, audit, vendor management, business continuity, and information security expectations for financial institutions preferred.
Ability to prioritize work orders, incidents, service requests, and projects based on urgency, risk, business impact, number of users affected, and member service needs.
Ability to handle multiple priorities with attention to detail and perform duties with minimal supervision.
Ability to use discretion and maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive business, member, team member, vendor, and security information.
Ability to maintain good working relationships with team members, members, vendors, auditors, regulators, and other business partners and to use good judgment in recognizing the scope of authority.
Ability to work effectively with diverse personalities and populations.
Able to regularly travel within the branch network and remote data centers.
A valid California Class C Driver’s License, a method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions, and at least minimum automobile insurance coverage as required by the State of California.

Nice To Haves

Current cybersecurity, network, infrastructure, cloud, or IT governance certifications are strongly preferred.
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Fortinet Certified Professional (FCP), VMware Certified Professional (VCP), CompTIA Security+, Network+, Linux+, CySA+, CISSP, CISM, CRISC, or equivalent certifications are desirable.
Current Microsoft role-based certifications related to Azure, Microsoft 365, security, identity, endpoint management, or infrastructure are desirable.

Responsibilities

Partner with the CTO and executive leadership to define and execute a forward-looking, enterprise-wide IT strategy aligned with Foothill’s strategic priorities
Serve as an advisor on technology investments, digital enablement, cybersecurity risk, and operational scalability.
Develop and govern a technology roadmap, ensuring prioritization aligns with the credit union purpose, risk mitigation, and member impact
Contribute to enterprise strategic planning, aligning IT initiatives with organizational goals and culture priorities.
Oversee the day-to-day operations, performance, workload, and service quality of the department
Establish and monitor department metrics for service quality, ticket response and resolution, uptime, project delivery, security control maturity, risk remediation, and team capacity
Lead service management practices (incident, problem, change management) to improve service reliability and user experience
Champion a security-first culture, ensuring cybersecurity practices are embedded across all technology decisions and operations
Lead information security programs, including vulnerability management, threat response, access control, security awareness, patch governance, endpoint/server/network protection, backup readiness, security awareness, vendor risk, and audit remediation
Act as one of the IT team’s incident response leaders, coordinating communication, resources, containment, recovery, documentation, and reporting in alignment with the incident response policy
Facilitate and respond to IT audit, regulatory, and cybersecurity assessment activities, including evidence collection, management responses, remediation tracking, and ongoing control improvement
Meet with internal and external auditors, NCUA regulators, and outside representatives to review the overall security, reliability, and soundness of the credit union’s technology environment
Ensure smooth delivery and operation of IT services by reporting on systems performance, creating baseline standards, and identifying process or platform improvements in a data-driven fashion using company business intelligence platforms
Identify technology, equipment, and software needs and make recommendations to business decision-makers; work across departments to identify, implement, secure, and support IT systems, software, and related components
Analyze business requirements by partnering with key organizational stakeholders to develop effective, secure, and sustainable solutions for IT needs
Develop, maintain, review, and continuously improve technical procedures, standards, policies, reporting, and department documentation
Drive innovation and thoughtful technology adoption to enhance operational efficiency, service reliability, member experience, and organizational competitiveness
Prepare progress reports, risk updates, budget reports, project updates, and recommendations for senior management
Build, lead, and develop a high-performing IT team with a focus on engagement, accountability, and continuous learning, including performance appraisals, coaching and counseling staff members, and completing other tasks necessary to ensure effective performance of subordinate staff members
Champion employee well-being, workload balance, and sustainable performance
Act as a champion of continual improvement, and innovation; represent Foothill IT with credibility in interactions with auditors, regulators, vendors, and industry peers
Develop and manage the IT budget, ensuring responsible stewardship and alignment with strategic priorities
Optimize resource allocation (people, tools, vendors) to support operational and strategic outcomes
Drive alignment and engagement through clear, transparent communication
Attend meetings as required or assigned
May perform other duties or projects as assigned