Deputy Chief Information Officer - Customer Engagement

Under general direction from the Chief Information Officer, this position identifies the City’s long-term goals and aligns them with efficient and cost-effective business technology solutions. It provides strategic direction and management of complex IT programs and policies through partnerships with City management and departments.

Responsibilities

• Assists in the planning, development, and implementation of City-wide IT strategies.
• Plans, organizes, coordinates, manages, and directs the day-to-day operations of the assigned Austin Technology Services (ATS) business technology unit.
• Oversees the preparation of the departmental business plan and budget.
• Directs programs to monitor, evaluate, and improve customer service delivery.
• Leads the planning, development, and implementation of City-wide IT policies.
• Leads continuous improvement of operations, decreases turnaround times, streamlines work processes, and works cooperatively to provide quality customer service.
• Represents the Chief Information Officer at meetings as requested.
• Translates strategic direction into tactical projects and programs to produce the desired outcome.
• Responsible for the full range of supervisory activities including selection, training, evaluation, counseling, and recommendation for dismissal.

Requirements

• Knowledge of Federal, State, and Local laws, ordinances, and policies.
• Knowledge of supervisory and managerial techniques and principles.
• Knowledge of budgeting methods and systems.
• Knowledge of various hardware and software applications.
• Skill in oral and written communications.
• Skill in conflict resolution and problem solving.
• Skill in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting applicable research data.
• Ability to effectively plan for and use technical and staff resources.
• Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines and objectives.
• Ability to multi-task.
• Ability to evaluate operational performance and implement changes.

Qualifications

• Graduation with a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a related field, plus five (5) years of related experience, including three (3) years of experience in a management capacity.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing, implementing, and maturing enterprise project/portfolio management organizations.
• Experience managing customer relationships for effective delivery of programs and service.
• Experience implementing Citywide or enterprise technology programs that align operational initiatives with organizational goals and strategies.
• Experience improving business capabilities through technology modernization, process improvement, and enterprise change management efforts.
• Experience leading and mentoring technical teams within complex organizations, including developing future leaders and supporting succession development initiatives.

About Austin Technology Services

Austin Technology Services (ATS) is the City of Austin's principal information technology department and focuses on the delivery and operations of vital IT infrastructure network and telecommunications services, continuous service improvement, and solutions to enable customer success. ATS also teams up with regional partners to improve public safety communication throughout Central Texas.

ATS is comprised of multiple service areas, each with a unique focus:

• Information Security leads the defense of the City’s digital environment - protecting infrastructure, data, and essential public systems.
• Customer Engagement works hand-in-hand with City departments, ensuring technology is aligned with business needs through Business Relationship Management, Service Portfolio Management, and the Project/Program Management Office.
• Critical Infrastructure & Public Safety supports the highly specialized, always-on systems used by public safety agencies and essential services.
• Customer Delivery ensures that enterprise applications, DevOps, testing, and the Service Desk work seamlessly together.
• Data & Analytics leads the City’s transformation into a data-driven organization through engineering, governance, business intelligence, AI/ML, and performance measurement.
• Business Management supports the operational backbone of ATS—finance, contract support, vendor management, workforce development, performance metrics, and administrative services.
• Governance, Planning, Engineering & Architecture provides Citywide technology leadership, establishing standards, architecture, strategic plans, and delivers the resilient infrastructure backbone.

Schedule

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Monday – Friday. Hours may vary depending upon business needs. This position is on-site.

Location

2400 Grove Blvd, Austin, TX 78741

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a strategic and operationally focused technology leader with experience balancing enterprise infrastructure operations, modernization efforts, and customer service delivery. They bring experience leading complex technology environments, ideally in the public sector, while valuing innovation and private-sector best practices. This individual possesses strong expertise in infrastructure operations, enterprise cloud strategy, governance, and technology resiliency to streamline technology services while maintaining reliable, efficient operations. They are also a collaborative, people-focused leader committed to mentoring staff, developing future leaders, and partnering across the organization to advance resilient and forward-thinking technology solutions.

The following core competencies are important for this role:

• Strategic Technology and Operational Leadership: Demonstrates the ability to translate strategic direction into operational programs and initiatives that improve technology services, infrastructure performance, and organizational effectiveness.
• Infrastructure and Cloud Expertise: Possesses strong technical expertise in enterprise infrastructure operations, cloud strategy development, cloud engineering, and technology resiliency.
• Operational Excellence and Service Delivery: Leads continuous improvement efforts that streamline processes, improve efficiency, reduce turnaround times, and enhance customer service delivery.
• Governance and Cross-Functional Collaboration: Builds strong partnerships across departments to support enterprise governance, operational alignment, and technology initiatives.
• Leadership Development and Mentorship: Develops high-performing teams through coaching, mentorship, succession planning, and cultivation of future technology leaders.
• Change Management and Innovation: Guides organizations through modernization and transformation efforts by evaluating emerging technologies and aligning technology solutions with business needs.

What To Expect In The Role

The selected candidate will provide leadership for Business Relationship Management, Service Portfolio Management, and the Project/Program Management Office teams, while also working with the Austin Technology Services executive team and department executives across the City. The role includes responsibility for the effective delivery of Citywide technology initiatives and the management of the technology service portfolio, with a scope that includes over 40 employees, 2 direct reports, and a budget of over $5M.

Initial priorities may include delivery of the citywide application rationalization program, continued organizational alignment leadership during technology centralization, and change management program expansion. Key considerations include the ability to lead an organization through complex changes, a strong commitment to mentorship and employee development, and expertise in executive stakeholder management and relationship building.