Chief Technology Officer; CTO; Defense Software and Services , Camas, WA

Posted on 23 October 26 by Acumen Executive Search

Chief Technology Officer (CTO) - Defense Software and Services Company, Camas, WA

Acumen is honored to partner with PLEXSYS, a software and services organization, to find their next Chief Technology Officer
. PLEXSYS is a modeling and simulation (M&S) software company with over 40 years of delivering Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) training readiness solutions and innovation for customers worldwide. Today, PLEXSYS has over 200 employees spread across 15 states and 4 countries. They are dedicated to enhancing training experiences every day, everywhere.

The PLEXSYS culture is one of collaboration, transparency, and is customer driven. Being an ESOP, they have enjoyed long-tenured employees and a great working environment, with a hint of humility. They are in the “Goldilocks” size: large enough to have many contracts (financially sound) but small enough to be agile and customer-facing. Starting in 2027, PLEXSYS will be implementing EOS framework.

This is the time to come in and be part of the Executive Team, to usher in the next evolution.

• Are a technology executive who can connect engineering strategy, product innovation, customer needs, and business performance
• Have led or materially transformed software development and customer delivery systems
• Know how to build, develop, and retain high-performing engineering and technology teams
• Can guide the responsible integration of AI and other emerging technologies into future product generations
• Bring strong change management skills and can lead effectively across technical and business teams
• Can translate complex technical issues into clear, actionable insights for the CEO, Board of Directors, customers, and other non-technical stakeholders
• Are comfortable operating in a defense, government, or highly regulated technology environment

The Chief Technology Officer will provide executive leadership and strategic direction for corporate engineering, Production, IT, Security, and technology-driven initiatives across PLEXSYS and its subsidiaries. The CTO will shape and execute the company's technology strategy, strengthen software development and sustainment, and ensure innovation, technical excellence, quality, and PLEXSYS core values remain foundational across the organization.

Working closely with the CEO and other corporate leaders, the CTO will contribute to strategic planning, market strategy, proposal development, and customer engagement. This leader will oversee enterprise technology governance, compliance, testing and quality assurance, fiscal stewardship, and the long-term viability and competitiveness of PLEXSYS products and services.

• Ensure innovation is a persistent tenet, and PLEXSYS core values are foundational to all software development/sustainment throughout PLEXSYS and its subsidiaries
• Implement effective programs and solutions to address industry compliance issues
• Promote sound engineering recruiting, professional development, and retention of world-class software engineering teams across PLEXSYS and its subsidiaries
• Promote regular and ongoing opportunities for all staff to give feedback on engineering processes, programs, products, and operations
• Ensure that all engineering activities operate consistently and ethically within the mission and values of the corporation
• Manage and approve the Production and IT services annual operating budgets, approve deviations, and ensure effective execution
• Oversee the development of patentable technologies and maintain the company’s competitive advantage through…