Chief Information Officer

Salary Range: $ To $ Annually

Harter Secrest & Emery is a full-service law firm founded in 1894, with offices in Rochester, Buffalo, Albany, Corning, and New York City. With over 125 lawyers, we offer the depth and breadth of legal talent and experience necessary to achieve exceptional results for our local, regional, and national clients.

The Chief Information Officer (CIO) is a senior-level professional responsible for leading the firm’s technology strategy, governance, innovation, operations, and overall technology portfolio. The CIO aligns technology investments with business objectives; ensures secure, reliable, cost-effective, and innovative technology solutions that support attorneys, staff, and clients. The CIO oversees the infrastructure, systems, and services that will provide the firm with a reliable computing environment.

The CIO also develops and executes all approved information technology policies and procedures, provides executive leadership for the Information Technology and Information Services departments, and advises firm leadership on technology opportunities, risks, investments, and emerging trends.

Reports to the Managing Partner; work assignments are self-identified and performed independently with occasional guidance and review.

The CIO leads information technology and information services team. The incumbent oversees the network engineering manager, senior information security manager, information services manager, senior system administrator, system administrator, applications and eDiscovery specialist, and the helpdesk manager.

• Develop and execute a technology strategy aligned with the firm's strategic goals and growth initiatives
• Serve as a trusted advisor to firm leadership on technology investments, innovation, risk, and emerging technologies
• Identify opportunities to improve legal service delivery, operational efficiency, and client experience through automation, artificial intelligence, and other technology solutions

• Direct enterprise technology operations, including infrastructure, networks, cloud services, telecommunications, cybersecurity oversight, enterprise applications, data management, and end-user support
• Ensure the performance, reliability, scalability, and availability of firm technology systems
• Establish service standards, performance metrics, and continuous improvement practices
• Lead major technology implementations, upgrades, integrations, and modernization initiatives

• Provide executive oversight of the firm's information security, privacy, and risk management programs
• Ensure compliance with client security requirements, regulatory obligations, and industry standards
• Establish technology governance, policies, and standards supporting the secure management of firm information assets
• Direct business continuity and disaster recovery planning to ensure organizational resilience

• Oversee the firm's legal and business technology portfolio, including document management, practice management, financial systems, eDiscovery, knowledge management, client collaboration, and AI-enabled solutions
• Partner with attorneys and administrative departments to identify, implement, and optimize technology solutions that enhance productivity, service delivery, and client outcomes
• Evaluate and recommend innovative technologies that support the firm's strategic objectives

• Establish and maintain data governance standards, information lifecycle policies, and controls
• Promote data-driven decision-making through reporting, analytics, business intelligence, and performance metrics

• Develop and manage IT operating and capital budgets
• Evaluate technology investments and business cases
• Negotiate and manage vendor relationships, software licensing, service agreements, and strategic partnerships

• Lead, develop, and mentor a high-performing technology organization
• Foster…