Fractional Chief Information Officer

Role Overview

As Rare seeks to scale conservation solutions, the organization is committed to modernizing its use of technology. The Fractional CIO will lead Rare's transition from fragmented, locally managed systems to an integrated technology and operating environment built for intelligence at scale. This is a delivery role, not an advisory one. You will own outcomes, manage implementation partners, and make architecture and investment decisions.

Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Organizational Development, you will be supported by a cross-functional team including:

• Rare's Vice President of Technology and Technology team (primary technical partner)
• Vice President of Learning and Development (change management and staff adoption)
• Director of Systems and Special Projects (systems knowledge and project management)
• Leaders from Finance, Talent, Development, and Programs (process decisions and adoption)
• External implementation partners for specialized expertise and delivery capacity

FY27 Priorities

• Building and rolling out Salesforce for grants management
• Selecting and implementing a global HRIS
• Providing strategic guidance for Rare's org-wide Microsoft 365 rollout, already underway
• Guiding Rare's Automation and Applied AI strategy

Expected Outcomes of the Engagement

1. Salesforce grants management designed, built, and rolling out. Establish a consistent, transparent process from funding opportunity through grant closeout, delivered in phases in partnership with Development, Finance, and Programs. You will select and manage the implementation partner, ensuring high-quality delivery and value for money.
2. A global HRIS selected, contracted, and moving into implementation. Lead requirements gathering, vendor selection, contracting, and implementation planning in partnership with Talent and other business owners, leaving Rare with a well-governed program underway.
3. Microsoft 365 strategically guided, not directly led. The rollout is already underway and will remain with the internal project team. Your role will be to provide strategic guidance on governance, integration, and alignment with Rare's broader technology architecture.

To support the implementation of these systems and sustain them over time, you will:

• Establish clear decision rights and named owners for core platforms, data, integrations, security, vendors, and technology investments.
• Define a coherent technology architecture, including standards for access, privacy, security, and business continuity, as well as authoritative sources for priority organizational data.
• Recommend a technology operating model that identifies the leadership, staffing, capabilities, and external support Rare will need after the fractional engagement concludes.
• Develop a short, prioritized set of automation and AI opportunities, with clear recommendations about where Rare should invest, scale, adapt, or stop.

Primary Responsibilities

Deliver Priority Systems

• Lead Salesforce grants management design, implementation, and phased rollout, including selecting and managing the implementation partner, in partnership with Development, Finance, and Programs.
• Guide HRIS requirements, vendor selection, contracting, implementation planning, and initial rollout in partnership with Talent and other business owners.
• Hire and oversee implementation consultants for Salesforce and HRIS, ensuring delivery quality and value for money.
• Provide light strategic guidance to the internal team leading Microsoft 365 migration and adoption.
• Work with business owners to simplify and standardize priority processes before configuring technology around them.

Establish Governance and Integration

• Develop and maintain technology governance practices in partnership with the Vice President of Technology, ensuring governance decisions are grounded in Rare's existing environment.
• Define platform ownership, product ownership, decision rights, data stewardship, and accountability across enterprise, regional, and country levels.
• Establish lightweight governance for architecture, integrations, data, security, privacy, access, vendors, and technology investments.
• Define how core platforms connect and which systems serve as authoritative sources for priority organizational data.
• Incorporate cybersecurity, compliance, business continuity, and risk management into system and vendor decisions.

Enable Adoption and Internal Ownership

• Partner with the Vice President of Learning and Development, who will lead change management, to ensure communication, staff engagement, and role-based support are built into each implementation.
• Work closely with the Vice President of Technology and Technology team to align new platforms with Rare's existing infrastructure, security, and support model.
• Recommend a sustainable technology operating model and identify internal technology skills needed for Rare following the fractional engagement.

Guide Automation and Applied AI

• Identify a small number of practical opportunities for automation and AI to improve staff effectiveness, organizational decision-making, or program delivery.
• Align AI investments with Rare's technology architecture, information governance, security, and change management approach.

Future Priorities

• After gaining traction on the delivery of the FY27 priorities, assess Rare's current technology strategy and present recommendations for the next phase of strategic priorities, investments, and implementation.

Experience and Qualifications

• Over 10 years of senior technology leadership experience as a CIO, CTO, technology transformation leader, or equivalent advisor.
• Demonstrated success leading enterprise systems modernization from strategy and architecture through implementation, adoption, and benefits realization.
• Experience with Salesforce-based business platforms and HRIS selection and implementation.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft 365 and SharePoint, system integration, enterprise data governance, cybersecurity, privacy, identity and access management, vendor management, and technology risk.
• Experience coordinating internal teams, business owners, consultants, and vendors across multiple initiatives.
• Experience working in a globally distributed or federated organization; nonprofit, international development, or conservation experience is helpful but not required.
• Practical understanding of responsible AI and automation, including how to assess potential value, risks, and organizational readiness.

Leadership Approach

The successful candidate will be:

• Strategic and hands-on, able to move between executive decisions and implementation detail.
• Enterprise-minded while grounded in the needs of staff, programs, regions, and country teams.
• Decisive and pragmatic, with the judgment to simplify, sequence, and stop work when evidence warrants it.
• Effective at delivering results through cross-functional teams rather than relying on direct authority.
• Committed to responsible, secure, inclusive, and sustainable uses of technology.
• Impact oriented with a passion for Rare's mission and the people we serve.

Time Commitment

The role will be 15-20 hours per week over the course of 11 months: November 2026 through September 2027.