Virtual Chief Information Officer

Purpose

The Virtual Chief Information Officer is the technical strategist who fills the technology leadership gap in a client's environment. The vCIO owns the client's technology strategy and roadmap, sets direction, and translates technical reality into business decisions leadership will act on. Where a client has no technology leadership of its own, the vCIO is that leadership. Where a client has some, the vCIO supplements it.

Responsibilities

• Own the technology roadmap. Accountable for the client's technology plan and the strategic direction it represents.
• Set direction. Work with the client to decide where the environment should go and in what order, aligned to their business goals.
• Translate risk. Turn technical findings into business terms: what is threatened, what it costs, and why it matters now.
• Lead executive engagement. Serve as the client's trusted technology advisor at the leadership level and run the strategic conversation.
• Guide investment and budget planning. Provide leadership during IT budget and technology investment planning.
• Shape discovery into strategy. Incorporate the technical discovery and assessment produced by the delivery team into the roadmap as priorities and direction.
• Surface strategic opportunity. Identify, through the roadmap, where technology can reduce cost, reduce risk, and advance the client's business, and shape those opportunities for the account team to act on.
• Keep the picture current. Maintain an understanding of the client's environment and business so the roadmap stays relevant as both change.

Competencies and qualities

Communication and presence

• Conveys complex technical matters in clear business terms, in writing and in person.
• Articulate, composed, and credible in front of an executive team.
• Holds a point of view; can tell a client a direction is wrong and be believed.

Business acumen

• Connects technology decisions to business outcomes, risk, and cost.
• Leads budget and investment conversations at the leadership level.

Technical literacy

• Technically grounded enough to know what to ask, judge what comes back, and earn the trust of engineers.
• Not required to be the deepest specialist; depth is supplied by the technical delivery function.

Leadership and collaboration

• Builds trusted-advisor relationships with client leadership.
• Works collaboratively across the delivery team and promotes a sense of ownership over client outcomes.

Organization

• Prioritizes effectively, manages time well, and drives roadmaps to completion.

Education, experience, and certifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in business, information systems, or a related field.
• 10+ years in IT or cybersecurity, including meaningful time in a leadership, management, or strategic advisory capacity.
• A technical foundation combined with business or management experience; comfortable advising executive stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience building technology roadmaps and leading IT strategy and budget planning.
• Working knowledge of the compliance landscape (HIPAA, PCI DSS, CJIS, CMMC, GLBA) and its business impact.

Preferred

• Experience in an MSP or MSSP environment.
• Familiarity with security platforms and managed services sufficient to advise on them, rather than to operate them.
• Industry-specific experience relevant to assigned clients.

Information systems

Proficient with Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, and SharePoint. Familiarity with RMM software, EDR/MDR solutions, professional services automation, and IT documentation platforms is a plus.

Position details

• Supervisory responsibility. This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities.
• Work environment. Work is generally performed in a climate-controlled office or remote setting.
• Travel. Minimal travel; no overnight travel should be expected.
• Physical demands. Able to lift 25 pounds. The role involves extended periods of sitting and may occasionally require bending, lifting, and driving.
• Hours. Full-time, five eight-hour days (40 hours) per week, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday, with a one-hour lunch.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.