Associate Chief Information Officer

Reimagine County Technology Leadership. Power Public Service Innovation.

The County of Santa Clara is not just any government agency-it's a premiere public institution known for technological ambition, operational excellence, and forward-thinking leadership. With a workforce of over 23,000 employees across 30+ departments, the County delivers essential services in health, social services, public safety, housing, and core government operations. Our teams are driven by a shared commitment to provide for the needs of a dynamic community, provide quality services, and promote a healthy, safe, and prosperous community.

We're on a mission to elevate our enterprise technology capabilities-and we're seeking a strategic, collaborative, and visionary Associate Chief Information Officer (CIO) to help lead the way.

As the Associate CIO, you will partner closely with the Chief Information Officer to shape the future of Countywide IT, driving modernized operations, service excellence, and technology strategies that meet the evolving needs of a large, complex government organization. In this role, you will ensure our IT ecosystem operates using best-in-class standards, processes, and practices-and you may act on behalf of the CIO when needed.

This is your opportunity to influence transformational change at scale and help define the next generation of digital government for one of California's most impactful public agencies.

Your Mission

Lead and evolve high-performing technical or non-technical IT functions to deliver exceptional services, customer satisfaction, and enterprise value. You will guide large, cross-functional teams responsible for shared IT operations across the County, driving strategy, performance, and continuous improvement.

What Makes This Role Unique

Scale and Complexity:
You will guide enterprise shared services that support a federated technology environment serving 30+ departments-including a public hospital system, justice partners, emergency response agencies, social services, housing and development, transportation, and government operations. Your leadership will influence infrastructure, platforms, strategy, IT operations, policy development, financial stewardship, and customer-facing technology services used across the entire County.

Technology at the Forefront:
Located in the center of Silicon Valley, the County of Santa Clara is reshaping how government leverages data, cloud services, cyber security, digital platforms, and innovative technology solutions to improve services for millions of residents.

Enterprise

Collaboration:

This role requires deep partnership with County departments and executive leaders. Through cross-agency collaboration, you will shape unified strategies, streamline IT operations, and support major Countywide initiatives that rely on scalable, secure, and forward-thinking technology.

Direct Impact:
You will help set technology direction for the County-driving modernization, operational excellence, and customer-centered IT services that support critical public functions. Your leadership will influence how technology improves outcomes for the community.

What You'll Do

Strategic Technology and Operations Leadership

* Oversee enterprise technology strategy, shared services operations, and IT business functions to improve efficiency, reliability, and customer satisfaction.

* Partner with the CIO to ensure County IT operates with best-in-class standards, policies, processes, and governance.

* Lead technical or non-technical divisions, including infrastructure, cloud, engineering, operations, service delivery, policy management, strategy, and customer relationship management.

Organizational Development and People Leadership

* Coach, develop, and inspire high-performing teams.

* Foster a collaborative, high-trust, and customer-focused culture across IT divisions.

* Motivate staff to achieve excellence in service delivery and operational performance.

Countywide Strategy and Transformation

* Develop and implement Countywide programs, policies, service models, and strategic initiatives.

* Lead enterprise planning for infrastructure, applications, platforms, and life cycle management.

* Promote innovation, best practices, and performance optimization across all lines of business.

Operational Excellence and Service Delivery

* Oversee budgeting, financial management, and vendor strategy for major IT programs.

* Ensure reliable delivery of infrastructure operations, customer support, system administration, and high-availability services.

* Advance IT Business Management, cost optimization, performance metrics, and service-level achievement.

Enterprise Partnership and Collaboration

* Facilitate communication and alignment across departments, IT groups, and business stakeholders.

* Partner with County executives to translate business needs into technology strategies and solutions.

* Support enterprise decision-making using data-driven insights and technical expertise.

What You Bring

* Demonstrated success leading large,…