Chief Information Officer

Location: Chattanooga, TN (on-site 5 days a week preferred)

A premier, high-growth Private Equity backed organization, is seeking an innovative, strategic, and execution-focused Chief Information Officer (CIO). This executive will oversee the comprehensive enterprise Information Technology ecosystem, with a dual emphasis on scaling robust IT Operations and fortifying a mature Cybersecurity posture.

Operating within a highly centralized Microsoft and Azure ecosystem, the CIO will inherit a distributed environment and manage a blend of internal engineering talent and key third-party Managed Service Providers (MSPs). The ideal candidate will possess strong enterprise project management skills, with a proven track record of delivering complex digital transformations, modern security tool implementations, and scalable cloud infrastructure on time and within budget.

• Enterprise PMO Strategy: Establish a disciplined project management culture across the IT organization, defining clear governance, KPIs, and delivery methodologies (e.g., Agile, Scrum, Waterfall) to streamline technology initiatives.
• High-Stakes Implementations: Serve as the executive sponsor and hands‑on project leader for critical enterprise‑wide rollouts, data migrations, M&A integrations, and infrastructure modernizations.
• Resource & Budget Tracking: Manage complex project portfolios, aligning capital expenditures (Cap Ex) and operational budgets with project milestones, resource allocation, and timeline accountability.

• Tech Roadmap Execution: Execute the enterprise‑wide IT strategy and digital transformation roadmap, prioritizing modern cloud architecture, corporate scalability, and operational efficiency.
• Vendor & MSP Governance: Oversee strategic third‑party partner relationships, establishing strict SLAs, KPIs, and governance frameworks for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) handling tier‑1/tier‑2 support and infrastructure management.
• Executive
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Partner closely with executive leadership to align IT spend, infrastructure investments, and security initiatives with corporate revenue and growth objectives.

• Azure Cloud Architecture: Lead the optimization, scalability, and cost management of the company’s Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure and modern SaaS application stacks.
• Modern Workplace Operations: Drive the deployment, adoption, and management of Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and collaboration suites to support a growing, distributed national workforce.
• Process Automation: Partner with internal delivery teams and external MSPs to optimize internal tech workflows, ensuring IT Service Desk delivery exceeds operational benchmarks for internal staff and remote users.

• Tool Implementation & Modernization: Project‑manage and deploy advanced cybersecurity tooling across the enterprise, including modern Identity & Access Management (IAM) and Zero Trust architectures.
• SIEM & Threat Monitoring: Lead the implementation and operational oversight of Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, ensuring real‑time threat hunting, 24/7 logging, and rapid incident response orchestration.
• Mobile & Endpoint Management: Direct the strategy and deployment of Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions (e.g., Microsoft Intune) to secure endpoint compliance across corporate and BYOD environments.
• Data Privacy & Compliance: Ensure the absolute protection of proprietary data, customer financial profiles, and corporate assets while navigating complex state, federal, and industry data privacy regulations.

• Executive
  
  Experience:
  
  10+ years of progressive leadership experience in Information Technology, with at least 3–5 years in a senior executive capacity (CIO, VP of IT, or equivalent) managing both IT operations and advanced security programs.
• Project Management Mastery: Demonstrated success managing large‑scale, complex IT and security projects from conception to completion. Exceptional capability in resource constraint management, risk…