SVP, Chief Digital Information Officer (In-Office)

About the Role

The Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer (CIO) has enterprise-wide accountability for technology strategy, information systems, and technical and operational support that enable the Company's business, subsidiary, client, and provider needs. The CIO leads the Technical & Operational Support (ITOPS) division, encompassing both traditional IT functions—including data management, analytics, and the application of AI—as well as shared business services such as Mandates Strategy, Delivery & Oversight, the FACETS Competency Center, HealthCare Analytics, and BCBSA Performance Metrics.

This is a highly complex, multi-dimensional role requiring significant work experience in both IT and business operations, complemented by strong consultative leadership and change management capabilities. The CIO brings extensive knowledge of the health insurance industry, its systems, and operations. This executive works closely with Executive Leadership and Business Line Leaders to provide governance, strategic advisory support, and project delivery services that align technology initiatives with enterprise priorities.

Responsibilities

Modernization and Transformation

• Partner closely with executive leadership to lead the transformation of CareFirst’s technology environment, facilitating a fully integrated, digitally enabled operating model that supports growth, compliance, innovation, and operational excellence.

Strategic Direction and Enterprise Leadership

• Contribute to enterprise strategy and corporate decision-making, ensuring technology investments align with CareFirst’s long-term vision.
• Serve as a strategic partner to executive leadership, advancing product innovation, regulatory compliance, growth, and business performance.
• Develop and implement enterprise technology strategies, operational plans, and multi-year roadmaps focused on successful project implementation and strategic vision.
• Chair and facilitate strategic and operational governance forums to drive alignment, prioritization, and accountability.
• Lead and manage a high-performing technology team, attracting, developing, and retaining top talent to optimize short- and long-term objectives.

Organizational Impact

• Shape IT organizational culture, evolving the technology organization into a modern, secure, and resilient digital enterprise.
• Lead with a culture-driven, people-first approach, demonstrating excellent communication, sound judgment, and steady leadership through complexity and change.
• Drive and align technology leadership across enterprise strategy, transformation initiatives, cybersecurity, and operational excellence in support of corporate goals.
• Define the capabilities, skills, and operating models required to execute the company’s vision and strategy.

Applications Development

• Oversee end-to-end accountability for application strategy, development, modernization, and delivery enterprise-wide.
• Manage application portfolios serving provider-facing, market-facing, and enterprise operational domains, including legacy modernization and sunsetting.
• Define and execute a forward-looking application strategy to position CareFirst competitively in the evolving health insurance landscape.
• Ensure modern, scalable software development practices aligned with industry standards.
• Own investment decisions related to systems development, including cost-benefit analysis, prioritization, and vendor selection.

Data Center and Network Operations

• Oversee all infrastructure operations, including data center, disaster recovery and planning, data and voice networks, platform services, and client services technology.
• Ensure consistent, high service levels across databases, servers, networks, storage, email, collaboration tools, and telecommunications.
• Maintain accountability for operational performance, system availability, and service level commitments.

Architecture and Security

• Accountable for enterprise architecture, cybersecurity, and technology risk management.
• Establish architectural strategy, standards, and governance to ensure scalable, flexible, and interoperable systems.
• Ensure technology platforms are highly reliable to facilitate agility, stability, and adaptability in response to market, legislative, and competitive changes.
• Lead enterprise security strategy and implementation, ensuring systems are protected and compliant with regulatory and industry standards.

Shared Services, Compliance, and Delivery

• Responsible for mandates strategy, delivery, and compliance oversight.
• Own portfolio management, resource planning, financial management, and external labor strategy for IT.
• Ensure compliance with BCBSA standards and metrics.
• Maintain accountability for enterprise platforms such as FACETS, digital channels, and customer portals supporting providers, brokers, members, and employers.
• Oversee end-to-end testing, quality assurance, and key strategic vendor relationships.

Supervisory Responsibility

• Manage and lead a large, diverse team across multiple functions and geographies.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field. In lieu of a Bachelor’s degree, an additional 4 years of relevant work experience is required.
• 15 years of experience in a technological role with demonstrable, scaled solution delivery or product development.
• 10+ years of managerial or leadership experience with demonstrated P&L responsibilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a computer science-related field or MBA.
• Previous experience as CIO or a senior enterprise technology leader with health insurance/payer domain expertise.
• Blues experience considered a bonus.
• Proven experience leading technology at scale in a complex, regulated environment.
• Track record of success delivering core system modernization, large-scale transformations, data and cloud capability building, and disaster recovery programs.
• Strong regulatory fluency across HIPAA, CMS, state insurance regulations, SOC, privacy, security, and governance frameworks.
• Direct P&L ownership and accountability, including budget planning, cost optimization, capital allocation, and value realization.
• Extensive experience leading large, diverse organizations with high operational complexity.
• Proficient understanding of modern digital business enablers, enterprise platforms, and operating models, including cloud, data and analytics, intelligent automation, and product delivery.
• Strong knowledge of the healthcare industry nationally and regionally.
• Proficient management consultancy skillset, including large-scale team development, enterprise-wide program leadership, fiscal discipline, and portfolio investment stewardship.
• Ability to drive people, process, and technology change in a dynamic and complex operating environment.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to explain digital concepts to business leaders and articulate business concepts to technologists.
• Demonstrated capability to solve highly complex business challenges, make difficult decisions, drive outcomes through influence, and mobilize teams toward shared goals.

Skills and Abilities

Visionary Perspective

• Possess a broad and long-term view of social, governmental, demographic, and economic trends affecting healthcare systems in the U.S.
• Support a compelling, practical, and reality-based vision for CareFirst’s role in the evolving healthcare landscape.

Execution Excellence

• Lead the business to ensure key results, business goals, and strategic objectives are achieved consistently and predictably.
• Balance disciplined execution with long-term strategic planning.

Resilient and Inspirational Leadership

• Inspire confidence, foster performance excellence, and generate energy and commitment to the organization’s vision, values, and strategies.

Wise Judgment and Mental Agility

• Demonstrate adaptive and quick learning capabilities.
• Navigate ambiguity, manage transformational change, and apply broad knowledge to address complex issues.
• Define strategic priorities, make human capital decisions, and navigate trade-offs in uncertain environments.

Team Builder

• Select and develop superior talent, organize and align leadership teams in pursuit of the company’s vision and strategies.
• Promote human capital development throughout the organization.

High-Impact Communications & Relationship Building

• Communicate CareFirst’s vision and strategies to promote understanding and support among internal and external stakeholders.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with all stakeholders.

Pay

The salary range for this position is $335,920 - $503,880. This range considers factors such as scope and responsibilities, candidate experience, education/training, internal peer equity, and market/business considerations. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at the top of the range.

Benefits

CareFirst offers a comprehensive benefits package, various incentive programs/plans, and 401k contribution programs/plans (all benefits/incentives are subject to eligibility requirements).