Chief Information Officer

The Chief Information Officer (CIO) is responsible for setting the strategic vision and direction for the District’s information technology function, including instructional technology, enterprise information systems, network infrastructure, cybersecurity, and data governance. The Chief serves as a cabinet-level leader and the principal advisor to the Superintendent, the Board, and District leadership on all matters related to information technology management and planning.

The Chief directs the development, implementation, and operation of technology infrastructure, architecture, and systems that support the delivery of instruction, the efficient management of central office and support operations, and the secure management of student and staff data. The Chief drives multi-year technology planning aligned with the District’s strategic plan, identifies and evaluates emerging technologies—including cloud computing, data analytics, and artificial intelligence—and determines their appropriateness for Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS).

The role requires exceptional judgment, a deep understanding of public education, and the ability to lead a large, distributed technology organization in service of students, families, educators, and staff.

• Sets the strategic vision and direction for the District’s information technology function, providing leadership at a level commensurate with a cabinet officer and ensuring the function operates with the visibility, structure, and accountability appropriate to its criticality.
• Serves as the principal advisor to the Superintendent on matters related to information technology management and planning. Serves as a key contributor on the Superintendent’s cabinet in setting the overall vision and providing leadership to the District.
• Drives multi-year information technology planning and strategy. Aligns the IT function with the District’s overall strategic plan, builds long-term road maps that allow the District to adapt to changing needs, and develops annual goals and budgets to ensure successful implementation for both administrative and instructional programs.
• Develops, implements, and evaluates the District’s technology plan in collaboration with District administrators, principals, and staff. Identifies short- and long-term District-wide information needs for systems development, hardware acquisition, and integration.
• Plans, develops, directs, and maintains an IT infrastructure, architecture, and program that supports the effective and efficient use of technology in an integrated manner for both instructional and administrative functions. Directs daily operations of the IT division to assure efficient, reliable implementation. Maintains network and infrastructure resiliency through planned lifecycle refresh and redundancy for core services, minimizing single points of failure and supporting continuity of District operations.
• Technology governance and procurement oversight. Establishes centralized governance over the acquisition, integration, and security review of District technology systems and applications, including cloud-based and department-procured solutions—to maintain a current enterprise inventory and consistent oversight across the technology environment.
• Manage new and existing enterprise application portfolios, including the Student Information System;
  Human Resources, Benefits, and Payroll systems; web and digital services; and data integration across platforms. Maintains a comprehensive inventory of District technology assets and enterprise systems and develops multi-year modernization and succession-planning roadmaps for critical and legacy platforms to reduce reliance on outdated technology or concentrated institutional knowledge. Establishes formal change management standards, including testing and validation prior to production release, for changes and data requests made within enterprise systems.
• Cybersecurity and data governance. Establishes and enforces District-wide cybersecurity strategy, policies, and incident-response protocols aligned with recognized frameworks (e.g., NIST). Maintains an information security function with organizational…