Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Utah Transit Authority (UTA)

Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Position Specification

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POSITION SPECIFICATION

Position : Chief Technology Officer

Organization : Utah Transit Authority (UTA)

Location : Salt Lake City, UT

Reporting Relationship : Deputy Executive Director

Website :

Rich Harrold (on behalf of UTA) View email address on click.appcast.io

Utah Transit Authority (UTA)

UTA is a public transportation agency serving over 1,400 to 1,600 square miles across the Wasatch Front in Utah. UTA provides public transit options to roughly 80 percent of Utah's total population and serves 75 cities in six counties. The counties served are: Salt Lake, Utah, Davis, Weber, Tooele, and Box Elder counties.

UTA’s Mission statement: We Move You.

UTA’s Vision: We are Game Ready:

• We champion our customers
• We help communities thrive
• And we own it every day

UTA provides an integrated system of innovative, accessible and efficient public transportation services that increase access to opportunities and contributes to a healthy environment for the people of the Wasatch region.

UTA is an organization whose core values encompass showing respect for our employees, customers and community. We strive to perform our work in a way that is helpful. We expect all of our employees to have integrity and accountability to themselves and our customers/community. Teamwork is a value that is critical to our success. We can only be as successful as our ability to work well with one another through having a collaborative attitude and including the right people in the decision-making process.

Role Overview

The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is a new leadership role within UTA. The CTO will lead UTA's enterprise technology vision, strategy, architecture, operations, and modernization roadmap to advance the agency's mission, values, customer experience, safety, reliability, and operational effectiveness.

Among the strategic goals that the UTA Leadership Team has identified for Technology at UTA are:

• Workforce Empowerment
• BI & Data Analytics Maturity
• Cybersecurity Fortification
• Transformation & Emerging Technologies
• Execute and Optimize Operations
• Partner with stakeholders for all Technology Solutions

The CTO will serve as a member of the Executive Team and partner across the agency to translate business strategy into actionable technology plans, prioritize investments, strengthen cybersecurity and information assurance, and deliver secure, reliable, user-centered systems and data capabilities. Provides executive oversight for information technology services, governance, enterprise architecture, infrastructure, applications, digital platforms, data enablement and artificial intelligence tool enablement, vendor performance, disaster recovery, and technology policies and standards. The CTO will manage an annual budget of approximately $32M and lead management of approximately 90 employees.

Partners across the Agency with key leaders on operational technologies to ensure service delivery and resilience through system fortification. Drives cross-functional innovation and continuous improvement while ensuring technology programs are aligned with UTA's strategic goals, regulatory obligations, risk posture, budgetary objectives, and the UTA Way.

Essential Job Responsibilities Overview

The Chief Technology Officer :

• Sets and communicates UTA's enterprise technology vision, roadmap, architecture principles, and digital strategy in alignment with agency mission, strategic plans, and customer outcomes.
• Oversees reliable technology operations, including infrastructure, network, telecommunications, enterprise applications, endpoints, service desk, cloud platforms, and technology support services.
• Leads digital modernization initiatives that improve customer experience, employee productivity, safety, operational performance, and data-informed decision-making.
• Develops business case justifications, cost/benefit analyses, and risk assessments for major technology investments, procurements, contracts, and partnerships.
• Leads, coaches, develops, and retains a high-performing technology organization, setting clear direction, expectations, measures, and accountability for outcomes.

Minimum Qualifications

EDUCATION/TRAINING:

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Systems, Engineering, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field. Master's degree preferred.

EXPERIENCE:

Ten years of progressively responsible technology leadership experience, including five years in senior-level management. Experience leading enterprise technology strategy, operations, cybersecurity, data, applications, procurement/vendor management, and large-scale transformation. Public sector, transportation, critical infrastructure, or similarly complex operating environment experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of UTA's organizational mission, values, customer focus, safety expectations, and public service responsibilities.
• Expert knowledge of enterprise technology strategy, architecture, IT governance, service management, cybersecurity, risk management, disaster recovery, cloud, networks, telecommunications, applications, data platforms, and end-user support.
• Strong working knowledge of public sector procurement, budgeting, vendor management, capital planning, regulatory compliance, records, privacy, accessibility, and policy development.
• Knowledge of data-informed decision-making, analytics, artificial intelligence, automation, continuous improvement, and change management best practices.
• Proven track record aligning technology planning, development, execution, and measurement with organization-wide strategy.
• Executive leadership, strategic planning, governance, collaboration, and decision-making skills.
• Skill in translating business needs into technology roadmaps, business cases, policies, budgets, priorities, measures, and outcomes.
• Skill in making formal presentations to internal and external stakeholders, including executive teams and board‑level audiences.
• Skill in developing and maintaining effective working relationships with employees, supervisors, managers, other agencies, vendors, partners, and the public.
• Skill in supervising, coaching, mentoring, developing, and evaluating staff and organizational performance.
• Skill in counseling, coaching, and mentoring with individuals and groups.
• Ability to translate and communicate complex topics in a variety of forums, tailoring communications to effectively fit and influence the targeted audience; strong executive presence, presentation and communication skills.
• Ability to communicate complex technology, cybersecurity, data, risk, and operational topics in plain language tailored to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to evaluate technology opportunities and risks, challenge standard thinking, and recommend practical solutions that improve service, safety, resilience, and effectiveness.
• Ability to plan, monitor, and evaluate work of staff, contractors, and cross-functional teams while managing multiple high-priority initiatives.
• Ability to represent UTA's interests in forums involving technology strategy, innovation, cybersecurity, transportation technology, data governance, and public‑sector collaboration.
• Ability to influence people across the entire organization, demonstrating courage, an approachable style and inspiring confidence
• Ability to assess details of projects and assignments, determine applicability to the goal and respond appropriately.
• Ability to formulate program goals and analytical research plans.
• Ability to incorporate roles and responsibilities in job performance and apply them throughout the organization.
• Ability to multitask with projects, data analysis, and coordination with the executive team.
• Ability to bridge cultural boundaries and norms to overcome barriers and improve outcomes.
• Ability to challenge standard thinking with new ideas, new approaches, strategies, and solutions.
• Must have outstanding people skills in order to properly educate employees and key personnel about risk while also facilitating dialogue and communication among different departments or groups of people.
• Ability to represent UTA’s interests and leadership’s goals and initiatives in a diversity of forums.
• of forums pertaining to a diversity of topics.

UTA Competencies:

• Strategic Mindset – Looking toward the broadest possible view of an issue/challenge; cultivating innovation; anticipating future trends and implications accurately.
• Business Acumen – Maintaining an up-to-date understanding of the broader issues affecting field of expertise and organization.
• Managerial Courage – Standing strong in the face of adversity and taking necessary risk to achieve results.
• Change Management – Dealing comfortably with the uncertainty of change. Dealing constructively with problems that do not have clear solutions or outcomes.
• Communicates Effectively – Creating an open environment in which thoughts are expressed freely and information flows easily.
• Decision Making – Making sound decisions that consider multiple options, seeking input from others; reaching good decisions in a timely manner.
• Drives Results – Fostering a strong bottom‑line orientation; accomplishing objectives despite obstacles and setbacks; exceeding goals successfully; pushing self and others to achieve results.