Chief Information Officer

Reporting To:

Athens-Clarke County Manager

Exempt – Executive

Appointed, Regular Non‑Merit;
Serves at the discretion of the County Manager

134; $121,432 – $144,654 depending on qualifications

Yes;
Subject to random drug testing per the Athens‑Clarke County Drug and Alcohol Ordinance.

The purpose of this position is to plan, direct, and manage the activities of the Athens‑Clarke County Unified Government (ACCGov) Information Technology Department. The department provides IT services to all ACCGov departments, ensuring equipment, systems, and networks operate effectively and efficiently. Duties include strategically defining government information needs, analyzing problems and implementing corrective actions, designing information systems, and providing day‑to‑day IT support.

Work Schedule: Monday – Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Some evenings or weekends. Position is eligible for hybrid remote work after a period of satisfactory service. May be required to work on religious holidays. Regular and predictable attendance is required. Must work cooperatively with others. When responsibilities include vehicle operation, the employee is responsible for the safety, readiness, and operation of the vehicle and must abide by ACC’s safe driving policy.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems, Business, or Computer Science.

Experience: Six years of related experience in management of personal computers, communications, networks, servers, or mid‑range computers; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this position.

Supervisory Experience: Five years of supervisory experience required.

Driver’s License: Must possess a valid driver’s license.

Preferred Certification: CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional.

Background Check: Must pass a criminal fingerprint background check indicating eligibility for access to sensitive public safety information such as GCIC records and other confidential departmental data.

Develop policies regarding network operations, network security, network device management, and GIS applications for the Unified Government.

Plan and develop the rollout of Smart Cities (IoT) technology, including leadership of the Broadband Connectivity Project in SPLOST 2020.

Design and plan network expansions for Athens‑Clarke County that will be used throughout the entire government.

Evaluate new and existing hardware, software, and related technology; provide recommendations for future automation needs.

Align departmental cybersecurity practices with applicable state and federal frameworks, such as NIST and CISA standards. Develop and implement updated cybersecurity plans as technology and threats change.

Direct the development of disaster recovery procedures for all IT systems government‑wide.

Direct the testing of all recovery procedures to determine their reliability in the event of a disaster.

Maintain backup systems for the recovery of information from technical and/or user error as well as system failures.

Directly responsible for development of system security plans and testing of plans to ensure the safety of data contained within the systems.

Ensure compliance with Criminal Justice Information Services Security Policy requirements for all systems accessing sensitive public safety data.

Consult with other departments on automation plans, concerns, problems, or inquiries.

Plan, direct, and control the strategic automation plan, requests for service, upgrades, computer programs, and automation projects.

Develop reports for Athens‑Clarke County management regarding automation strategy, trends, concerns, or recommendations.

Administer an IT governance framework for evaluating, prioritizing, and allocating technology resources across competing departmental needs.

Facilitate the sharing of data across the organization to empower and enable all departments to utilize data for better…