Director of Information Technology

The IT Director provides strategic leadership, vision, and direction for the City’s enterprise technology operations, digital services, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and innovation initiatives. This position provides hands‑on leadership focused on building internal technical maturity and operational rigor, while serving as a collaborative partner to City leadership and departments to modernize business processes, improve operational efficiency, enhance customer service delivery, and align technology investments with organizational goals.

The IT Director reports to the Deputy City Administrator and leads enterprise‑wide technology strategy, cybersecurity governance, infrastructure modernization, data management, business continuity, project and performance management, and digital transformation initiatives while fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, customer service, and continuous improvement.

The position requires a forward‑thinking leader capable of influencing organizational change, building strong cross‑departmental partnerships, and translating complex technical concepts into practical business solutions for executive leadership, elected officials, and operational stakeholders.

Essential Job Functions

Leadership and Supervision

• Actively mentors staff to transition from a "break‑fix" mindset to a proactive, systems‑architecture approach. Evaluates assigned staff; processes employee concerns and problems; directs work; counsels and disciplines staff; and completes employee performance appraisals.
• Provides strategic leadership and oversight of daily operations; establishes work priorities and allocates resources to meet organizational objectives; directs and evaluates operational performance and service delivery outcomes; leads staff through regular communication and alignment meetings; and serves as a senior advisor and subject matter expert in addressing complex, high‑impact, or sensitive issues.
• Promotes a culture of innovation, accountability, continuous improvement, and proactive problem‑solving within the department and across the organization.

Strategic Planning and Governance

• Develops and executes a citywide technology strategic plan aligned with organizational priorities, operational needs, and emerging technology trends.
• Serves as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on technology innovation, cybersecurity risks, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies.
• Establishes enterprise technology standards, governance practices, performance metrics, service delivery expectations, and procurement strategies to ensure alignment, security, scalability, and cost effectiveness.
• Evaluates emerging technologies, enterprise platforms, artificial intelligence applications, cloud solutions, and process improvement opportunities to support organizational goals and operational effectiveness.

Enterprise Infrastructure and Operations

• Provides strategic oversight and direction for enterprise infrastructure, cloud and hybrid environments, server and network architecture, enterprise applications, and related technology platforms; ensures the reliability, security, scalability, and resilience of critical systems; and drives operational continuity, technology modernization, and alignment with organizational objectives.
• Prioritizes "build‑and‑empower" strategies that utilize internal staff for modernization over total third‑party reliance.
• Leads planning and implementation of enterprise technology solutions, infrastructure modernization initiatives, software upgrades, systems integrations, and digital transformation projects.
• Provides executive oversight of enterprise data governance, backup and retention programs, disaster recovery operations, and business continuity planning; establishes strategies and standards that ensure operational resilience, regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, and the continuity of critical business functions.
• Provides strategic leadership for enterprise data architecture, systems integrations, reporting and analytics solutions, and data governance programs; establishes standards for the management, integrity, security, and effective utilization of data from internal, external, and third‑party sources to support operational performance and organizational decision‑making.

Cybersecurity and Risk Management

• Provides executive leadership and strategic direction for enterprise cybersecurity programs, including cybersecurity strategy, risk management, threat and vulnerability assessments, incident response and recovery planning, security awareness initiatives, and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, standards, and industry best practices; strengthens the organization’s security posture and resilience against evolving cyber threats.
• Leads business continuity and disaster recovery planning for enterprise systems and operations, including emergency operations support during natural disasters or other incidents.

Project Management and Performance

• Manages technology projects using structured project management methodologies; sets expectations with stakeholders and end users through planning sessions for business process enhancements, system implementations, and reporting improvements.
• Establishes and tracks departmental performance metrics, service level expectations, and key performance indicators to measure IT service delivery and operational outcomes.
• Supports data‑driven decision‑making initiatives through enterprise reporting, analytics, dashboards, and data governance practices.

Cross‑Departmental Partnership and Service Delivery

• Builds collaborative partnerships across departments to identify, design, and implement enterprise technology solutions that improve business processes, operational efficiency, and customer service delivery.
• Ensures delivery of responsive, customer‑focused technology services, training, communication, and support to departments, staff, and elected officials.
• Leads organizational change management efforts related to technology implementations, process redesign, and modernization initiatives.
• Assists departments in defining business requirements and system goals, identifies and resolves business systems issues, and analyzes the effectiveness and efficiency of existing systems to develop improvement strategies.

Budget and Contract Management

• Develops and administers operating and capital budgets for the department; makes budgetary recommendations to individual department heads; reviews department budget requests; and monitors expenditures to ensure compliance with approved budgets.
• Develops and maintains vendor partnerships, technology contracts, and service agreements to ensure effective and efficient service delivery.

Policy, Communication, and Representation

• Formulates and updates policies and procedures for department operations and citywide use of technology systems; ensures departmental compliance with all applicable rules, regulations, standards, policies, and procedures.
• Communicates with supervisors, employees, other departments, the public, and other stakeholders as needed to coordinate work activities, review the status of work, exchange information, or resolve problems.
• Represents the department before executive leadership, elected officials, advisory boards, and external partners; attends meetings, serves on committees, and makes presentations as needed.
• Delivers services as called upon by the City Management Team in support of the mission and goals of the City.

Performs other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, Public Administration, Business Administration, or related field required. Master’s degree preferred.
• At least seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience in technology‑driven environments, including demonstrated experience in performance management, data analysis, enterprise systems, strategic planning, and organizational technology initiatives, preferably within a local government or similarly complex organization.
• Experience designing and implementing performance measurement frameworks, data visualization tools, and technology‑supported process improvements across multiple departments or business units is strongly preferred.
• Experience leading cross‑functional initiatives, organizational change efforts, and enterprise technology modernization projects is strongly preferred.
• Equivalent combinations of education, training, certifications, and experience may be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with ERP modernization or enterprise system implementations.
• Experience in municipal or public sector technology leadership.
• Experience leading cloud migrations and digital transformation initiatives.
• Experience with strategic planning, project management, and organizational change management.
• Experience with artificial intelligence, automation, and emerging technology evaluation and implementation.
• Cybersecurity certifications or governance experience.

Licenses or Certifications

• Possess and maintain a valid Georgia driver’s license with a satisfactory motor vehicle record (MVR).

Preferred Certifications (one or more of the following)

• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
• Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• ITIL Foundation or higher certification
• Certified Government Chief Information Officer (CGCIO)