Chief Information Officer (CIO)
City of San Antonio, TX

Please follow this link to view the full brochure: https://www.affionpublic.com/position/chief-information-officer-cio-san…

About San Antonio

The City of San Antonio is the nation’s 7th largest city and is home to more than 1.5 million residents. Located in South Central Texas, approximately 140 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, San Antonio offers its residents one of the most attractive and affordable lifestyles in the country. Residents enjoy one of the lowest tax rates in the state as well as a plentiful supply of high-quality housing and low utility rates. The economy of San Antonio is an excellent mix of business services, manufacturing, health care, communications, corporate and regional offices, government, and the convention and tourism industry. San Antonio is also home to one of the largest concentrations of military bases in the United States. One of the nation's fastest growing cities, San Antonio is rich in recreational and cultural opportunities with over15,000 acres of public parks and 150 miles of trails, over 50 museums and galleries, and home to the 5-time champion San Antonio Spurs. The Historic San Antonio Missions are Texas’ only Unesco World Heritage site and is a Unesco designated Creative City of Gastronomy.

City Government

San Antonio has a Council-Manager form of government with an eleven-member City Council. Councilmembers are elected by District, while the Mayor is elected at-large. The term of office for the Mayor and all members of the City are four-year terms, for not more than two (2) full terms of office. The City Council appoints the City Manager, who appoints all officials in executive positions with the exception of the City Clerk, City Auditor, Presiding Judge, and Municipal Judges.

The City of San Antonio has been recognized for its high level of professional management by the ICMA and National Civic League, amongst others. For ten consecutive years, the City has maintained a AAA bond rating. The Fiscal Year 2025 adopted budget is $3.9 billion with close to 14,000 employees across approximately 40 departments.

The Position

The Chief Information Officer (CIO) provides strategic leadership and direction for the City’s Information Services Department, overseeing citywide technology operations, cybersecurity, digital services, and innovation. This role is responsible for developing and executing a long-term technology vision aligned with organizational goals, modernizing IT infrastructure, and ensuring secure, reliable systems that support internal operations and public-facing services. The CIO drives digital transformation, enhances data and cybersecurity practices, and ensures technology solutions improve service delivery, operational efficiency, and resident experience. The position also leads technology governance, budget oversight, vendor and contract management, and organizational change initiatives. The CIO should be collaborative, approachable, and service-oriented, with the ability to build strong working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including City leadership, elected officials, staff, vendors, and community members. Supervises management, professional, technical, and administrative staff.

Essential Job Functions

Strategic Planning & Digital Business Alignment
• Strategic Planning: Develop and execute the City’s IT strategy in alignment with overall city goals.
• Enable and Execute Digital Business Strategy and Design: Embed information and technology in business strategies and enterprise plans. Create and execute an IT strategy that contributes to enterprise success.
• Support Digital Products and Services: Build, enhance and manage internal business capabilities or external-facing offerings.

Technology Leadership & Innovation
• Technology Leadership: Oversee the implementation and maintenance of technology systems and infrastructure.
• Innovation: Drive innovation in city services through emerging technologies like AI, IoT, and data analytics.
• Evaluate Emerging Technologies: Assess which emerging technologies matter most for department and enterprise success. Create business scenarios to discover, leverage and get ahead of disruptive trends and technologies.
• Modernize Infrastructure, Operations, and Cloud: Adopt and evolve critical infrastructure platforms and DevSecOps to drive agility and efficiencies.
• Public Safety/Justice: Support public safety operations (Fire, EMS, Police, and Municipal Court) by ensuring secure, reliable, and resilient technology systems that enable effective emergency response.
• Deliver Data and Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Platforms: Architect and build modular, integrated platforms to drive business efficiency, scale and adaptability, while focusing on creating great resident experiences (UX).
• Deliver Software Applications: Integrate, innovate and modernize enterprise applications and software. Assess, build, buy, and subscribe.

Governance, Policy & Risk Management
• Policy Development: Establish and enforce technology Administrative Directives, policies and standards, including, but not limited to, acceptable use, data privacy, mobile devices, and compliance.
• Drive Enterprise Governance of Technology: Establish fit-for-purpose information and technology governance across the City organization.
• Cybersecurity: Ensure robust cybersecurity measures are in place to protect City data, systems, and infrastructure.
• Physical Security: Ensure physical security measures are in place to protect City facilities, assets, and critical infrastructure.
• Manage Technology Risk: Balance running and growing the City organization while mitigating cybersecurity and technology threats.

Financial & Resource Management
• Budget Management: Manage the technology budget, ensuring cost-effective solutions and resource allocation.
• Financial Management of IT Services: Determine rates charged to departments/users, monitor user fees to cover costs, and oversee billing.
• Technology Benchmarking: Benchmark and manage technology budgets; apply strategic cost optimization to balance cost, value, and risk.
• Technical Procurement: Evaluate new hardware/software, develop requests, review bids, and authorize implementation.

People & Organizational Leadership
• Staffing & HR: Select, motivate, and evaluate department staff, provide or coordinate training.
• Build an Adaptive Technology Workforce: Attract, retain and advance the careers of diverse technology talent across the City.
• Develop Executive Leadership: Perform as an outcome-driven leader to lead business initiatives and be a strategic trusted business executive.
• Lead Org Change and Shape Culture: Drive the adoption of new capabilities and agile ways of working while fostering digital fluency across the City.

Operations & Service Delivery
• Performance Monitoring: Track and assess the performance of IT systems and services to ensure they meet the City's needs.
• Work Plan / Project Management: Plan, direct, and coordinate, through subordinate staff, the department work plan. Meet with management staff, assign projects, review and evaluate work methods.
• Automated Services: Deliver smart, automated solutions for budgeting, procurement, billing, and security to support all City departments.
• Crisis Management: Lead the response to IT-related incidents and ensure continuity of government and operations during crises.

Stakeholder Engagement & Representation
• Stakeholder Engagement: Build strong working relationships through a collaborative, and service-oriented approach with a wide range of stakeholders, including City leadership, elected officials, staff, vendors, and community members.
• Distribute Technology Leadership: Share technology leadership responsibility with Department Directors to increase value from digital, while building trust and partnerships.
• Official Representation & Negotiations: Act as official IT departmental representative, negotiating and resolving sensitive, significant, and controversial technology issues.
• Council Support and Communications: Review/sign technology ordinances and contracts, attend City Council meetings, and provide staff support to boards/commissions.
• Responding to Inquiries: Respond to and resolve sensitive technology inquiries and complaints from both internal and external sources.

Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of network and web related protocols (e.g. UDP, IPSEC, HTTP, HTTPS, routing
• Ability to plan and implement strategic technology initiatives and design complex computer systems.
• Ability to communicate effectively, especially in translating technical jargon to non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to innovate and drive digital transformation.
• In-depth knowledge of IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, and data management.
• Knowledge of public administration and how technology can improve city services.
• Knowledge of regulatory and compliance issues related to technology.
• Knowledge of operational characteristics, services, and activities of automated information systems programs.
• Knowledge of advanced principles and practices of municipal budget preparation and administration.

Education & Experience

Qualified candidates will have a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college with major
coursework in Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, Management
Information Systems, or a related field, and a minimum of ten (10) years of increasingly responsible professional experience in the field of information systems, including six (6) years of administrative or supervisory responsibility; a combination of education and experience may be considered.

Background Check

Applicants for this position must pass a Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) fingerprint-based background check and maintain CJIS eligibility. Due to CJIS requirements related to system access, the following will result in being disqualified for this position: Felony Convictions, Felony Deferred Adjudication, Class A & B Misdemeanor Deferred Adjudication, Class B Misdemeanor Convictions, an Open Arrest for Any Criminal Offense (Felony or Misdemeanor), and Family Violence Convictions.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate should be a forward-thinking technology leader who can guide the City through continued modernization while improving day-to-day operations, customer service, and cybersecurity. This person should have experience updating and managing IT systems, introducing new tools or technologies that make work more efficient, and ensuring that technology investments support the City’s needs. They should be able to clearly explain complex technical information to City leaders, staff, and the community so that technology decisions are transparent and supported.

This leader should be collaborative, approachable, and service-oriented, with the ability to build strong working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including City leadership, elected officials, staff, vendors, and community members. The ideal candidate should promote a team environment of learning, accountability, and professional growth, while ensuring that cybersecurity, data protection, and technology policies are strong and up to date.

The ideal candidate should have a commitment to continuous improvement and strengthening the City’s long-term technology foundation to support a growing and evolving community.

Salary

The City of San Antonio is offering a competitive salary commensurate with experience. The City offers generous benefits and retirement including annual and personal leave; monthly car allowances, deferred compensation plan, relocation/moving expenses and participation in the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS).

How to Apply

Interested applicants should forward a cover letter and resume to:

resumes@affionpublic.com
Reference: SACIO

Affion Public
PO Box 794
Hershey, PA 17033
717- 214-4922
www.affionpublic.com

*The deadline to receive resumes is January 12, 2025*

The City of San Antonio is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.