Chief Information Officer (CIO)

About the role

We are looking for an accomplished Chief Information Officer to lead the global information systems and technology organisation of an international, service-oriented university.

Reporting directly to the President and serving as a member of the executive leadership team, the CIO will define and execute the technology strategy supporting the University’s mission, operational excellence and long-term international growth.

The role includes end-to-end responsibility for:

• Product Management

• Software Engineering and Enterprise Applications

• Data and Analytics

• AI Transformation

• Enterprise Architecture

• Infrastructure and Cloud

• Cybersecurity

• IT Operations

The successful candidate will be an experienced enterprise technology leader who has previously served as a CIO, or in an equivalent executive role, within a mature and operationally complex global organisation.

Key responsibilities

Technology strategy and executive leadership

• Define and execute a multi-year global information systems and technology strategy aligned with institutional priorities.

• Act as a trusted advisor to the President and executive leadership team on technology, transformation, investment, risk and innovation.

• Translate the University’s strategic vision into clear technology priorities, roadmaps and measurable outcomes.

• Partner with senior leaders across functions and geographies to ensure organisational alignment and successful execution.

Organisational leadership

• Lead and develop a distributed global technology organisation of approximately 50 professionals.

• Build strong leadership capability, succession depth and a high-performance culture.

• Recruit, retain and develop senior technology talent.

• Foster accountability, collaboration and inclusion across international teams.

Product management and digital platforms

• Lead the strategy and lifecycle management of internally developed platforms and systems.

• Define product roadmaps aligned with the needs of students, faculty and staff.

• Partner with academic and business leaders to improve digital experiences and operational outcomes.

• Ensure continuous improvement, scalability and long-term product value.

Engineering and enterprise applications

• Oversee software engineering, quality assurance, DevOps and enterprise applications.

• Promote modern engineering practices, scalable architecture and reliable delivery.

• Drive platform modernisation, cloud adoption and optimisation of the technology ecosystem.

• Guide build, buy or partner decisions based on strategic value, cost, risk and return on investment.

AI transformation

• Define and lead the University’s responsible AI strategy.

• Identify and implement practical AI use cases across academic and administrative functions.

• Ensure appropriate governance, security, integration and ethical use of AI.

• Use AI to improve decision-making, efficiency and the experience of students, faculty and staff.

Data and analytics

• Define and execute the enterprise data strategy.

• Establish effective governance, quality, ownership and security standards.

• Build scalable analytics capabilities supporting consistent, data-driven decision-making.

• Improve access to trusted information across the organisation.

Infrastructure, cybersecurity and IT operations

• Lead the global technology environment, including cloud infrastructure, networks, end-user services and operational support.

• Ensure secure, resilient and reliable systems across all locations.

• Strengthen cybersecurity, privacy, disaster recovery and business continuity capabilities.

• Ensure compliance with relevant regulatory, security and technology standards.

Vendor and investment management

• Lead technology vendor strategy, procurement, contracting and performance management.

• Manage the technology investment portfolio and prioritise initiatives based on strategic impact.

• Optimise cost, quality, operational resilience and long-term value.

• Clearly communicate the business case and return on technology investments.

Candidate profile

The ideal candidate will combine strategic vision with the ability to lead complex execution across technology, operations and organisational change.

They should demonstrate:

• Enterprise-level strategic leadership

• Strong executive influence and stakeholder management

• Successful delivery of large-scale transformation

• Deep understanding of modern technology ecosystems

• Strong business, financial and value-management orientation

• Experience building and developing global technology teams

• A forward-looking approach to AI, data and digital innovation

• Strong governance, cybersecurity and risk-management awareness

• The ability to operate effectively in a complex, customer-facing organisation

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering or a related field.

• Master’s degree or equivalent advanced qualification preferred.

• At least15yearsof progressive leadership experience in information systems and technology.

• Previous experience as a CIO or in an equivalent executive technology leadership role.

• Experience within a mid-sized or large international organisation.

• End-to-end responsibility for enterprise systems, digital platforms and technology operations.

• Proven success defining and executing enterprise technology strategies.

• Demonstrated experience leading complex organisational and digital transformation.

• Experience operating in a customer-facing or B2C environment.

• Strong track record of aligning senior stakeholders and leading change across distributed organisations.

• Fluent English.

Strong advantage

Experience within:

• EdTech

• Higher education

• Online learning

• Digital learning platforms

• Student-centric technology environments

• International service-oriented organisations

The opportunity

This is an opportunity to shape the global technology direction of an international university and lead a broad transformation agenda covering product, engineering, data, AI, infrastructure and cybersecurity.

The CIO will have direct access to the President, significant executive influence and real ownership of the systems and capabilities supporting the organisation’s future growth.

Originally posted on Himalayas