Chief Technology Officer

The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is a senior executive leader responsible for enabling the credit union’s strategic growth, digital modernization, operational efficiency, and resilience through disciplined, enterprise-level technology leadership. The CTO serves as a strategic partner to the CEO and executive team, translating business strategy into scalable, secure, and high-performing technology capabilities. 

This role provides executive oversight of the credit union’s technology strategy, infrastructure, cybersecurity, data, digital platforms, and enterprise systems. The CTO ensures technology investments are aligned with organizational priorities, support member and employee experiences, and deliver measurable business outcomes. 

The CTO is accountable for establishing a modern, integrated, and resilient technology environment while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions):

Strategic Technology Leadership 

• Partner with the CEO and executive leadership team to define and implement strategic plans aligned with the credit union’s mission, vision, and growth objectives. 
• Translate the strategic plan into a prioritized, sequenced technology roadmap supporting growth, efficiency, and member experience. 
• Act as a business leader first, contributing meaningfully to enterprise strategy discussions. 
• Monitor emerging industry trends, fintech developments, payments innovations, and technology capabilities to inform strategy. 
• Lead enterprise-level evaluation of technology investments, partnerships, and modernization opportunities.
• Communicate technology tradeoffs, risks, and investments clearly to executive leadership and the Board. 

Digital, Data, AI, and Payments Modernization 

• Lead modernization of digital account opening, lending, member-facing platforms, and payments capabilities. 
• Establish a modern data and AI foundation to support decision-making, personalization, risk management, and operational efficiency. 
• Ensure systems are integrated, scalable, and aligned with long-term enterprise architecture. 
• Promote innovation while maintaining strong architectural discipline and vendor management practices. 

Technology Operations, Risk, and Resilience 

• Provide executive oversight of IT infrastructure, systems, applications, telecommunications, and cloud environments. 
• Ensure secure, stable, and efficient operation of all technology platforms. 
• Establish strong operating discipline through portfolio management, capacity planning, prioritization, and transparent reporting. 
• Oversee cybersecurity, data privacy, vendor risk management, and regulatory compliance. 
• Maintain effective internal controls and risk management practices aligned with regulatory expectations. 

Enterprise Project and Vendor Management 

• Oversee enterprise project management and business solutions teams to ensure delivery of strategic initiatives on time and within budget. 
• Establish clear governance, prioritization, and sequencing of technology initiatives. 
• Lead vendor evaluations, contract negotiations, and strategic technology partnerships. 
• Ensure clear visibility into technology investments, risks, and outcomes. 

Organizational Leadership and Culture 

• Build and lead a high-performing technology leadership team. 
• Promote a culture of accountability, transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement. 
• Mentor and develop leaders, supporting succession planning and leadership pipelines. 
• Champion change management, training, and adoption to ensure technology initiatives deliver business impact. 

Stakeholder and Executive Engagement 

• Serve as a trusted partner to the CEO and executive team, bringing solutions, options, and recommendations. 
• Represent the credit union with regulators, industry groups, technology partners, and community stakeholders. 
• Build strong relationships across business units to ensure technology is viewed as an enabler of strategy. 
• Participate in board committees, reporting, and governance activities as appropriate.

Additional Requirements:

• Deep understanding of core banking systems, digital platforms, and enterprise integrations. 
• Strong knowledge of cybersecurity, regulatory expectations, and vendor risk management. 
• Experience managing internal and outsourced technology teams. 
• Proven ability to align technology investments with strategic business outcomes. 
• Ability to communicate complex technology concepts clearly to executive leadership and the Board. 
• Demonstrated leadership, accountability, and collaboration across functions. 
• Ability to communicate effectively with employees, members, vendors, and external stakeholders. 
• Ability to follow the core values of honesty, integrity, mutual respect, pride, and ownership.

Executive Requirements:

• Strategic Thinking – Understands and processes complex information: able to identify key underlying issues while considering the situation, the issues, key players and the levels of authority involved: exercises sound judgement; proposes courses of action;
• Decision Making and Problem Solving – Assesses the importance, urgency and risk associated with each situation and takes actions which are timely and in the best interest of the organization for effective solutions with few guidelines
• Interpersonal Skills and Collaboration – Ability to build relationships with internal and external partners, business owners, members, and colleagues to meet shared objectives; Shows interest in other people’s feelings, attitudes and reasoning by connecting in a direct, open, trusting and respectful manner; Demonstrates flexibility when working in a variety of situations or with different/opposing perspectives
• Professionalism and Accountability – Delivers highest level of confidentiality, discretion and integrity in all aspects of work responsibilities; Accepts responsibility with high level of ownership and commitment to achieve results demonstrating a positive attitude
• Leadership – Achieves results through people by successful objective setting, coaching and development, motivation, delegation, teambuilding and empowerment
• Management skills, including ability to balance multiple projects, prioritize work for team, and lead team