Chief Technology Officer

Description

• Develop and own the enterprise-wide technology strategy, focusing on scalable architecture, cloud adoption, infrastructure modernization, and application innovation.
• Lead the evaluation, selection, and integration of emerging technologies to maintain a competitive advantage and accelerate digital transformation initiatives.
• Oversee the design and implementation of secure, resilient, and high-performance systems spanning cloud environments, on-premise infrastructure, networking, data platforms, and software applications.
• Ensure operational excellence with a strong focus on system uptime, data integrity, cybersecurity, compliance, and disaster recovery capabilities.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate complex business needs into effective technical solutions and scalable architectures.
• Drive data-driven decision-making processes by enabling robust analytics and leveraging advanced data management practices.
• Manage technology vendor relationships, assessing external solutions and services to optimize the technology stack.
• Continuously monitor industry trends and technology advancements to recommend strategic investments and innovations.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related technical field; advanced degree preferred.
• 5+ years of senior technology leadership experience, ideally within financial services or similarly complex industries.
• Ability to influence and collaborate across diverse technical teams and business units without relying on direct reporting lines.
• Ability to substantiate opinions and decisions with facts and data. Verifies their information presented.
• Deep technical expertise in 1 or more of the following domains.

1. Networking
1. Understanding of OSI/TCP/IP models, IP addressing, and subnetting.
2. Proficiency with network devices including routers and switches.
3. Experience with network diagnostics and monitoring tools.
4. Knowledge of network security practices and protocols (DNS, DHCP, VoIP).
5. Familiarity with network automation (e.g., Python, Ansible) is a plus.
6. Expertise in configuring and managing network routing protocols (e.g., BGP, SDWAN) to prioritize and optimize VoIP traffic, ensuring low latency, high call quality, and reliable performance for call center operations.
2. Servers & Storage
1. Strong experience with server administration and virtualization (Windows Server, Linux, VMware, Hyper-V).
2. Expertise in storage technologies (SAN, NAS, RAID).
3. Proficiency in backup and recovery solutions and disaster recovery planning.
4. Familiarity with performance monitoring and optimization tools.
5. Knowledge of cloud storage/server solutions and scripting (PowerShell, Python).
6. Experience with Active Directory (GPO, DNS, DHCP, and Sites and Services), Microsoft 365, Zoom, Windows Server 2012/2016/2019/2022, Manage Engine, Windows 10/11.
3. Cloud
1. AWS cloud infrastructure, including EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, and VPCs.
2. Networking components (e.g., Route 53, ELB, Direct Connect) to ensure secure and efficient connectivity.
3. Understanding infrastructure-as-code (IaC) using tools like AWS CloudFormation, Terraform, or AWS CDK.
4. Monitor and optimize cloud performance, cost, and scalability using AWS CloudWatch, Trusted Advisor, and Cost Explorer.
5. Ensure security and compliance through IAM policies and encryption.
6. Automate cloud operations and deployments using scripting (e.g., Python, Bash) and CI/CD pipelines.
7. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate on-premises systems with AWS cloud solutions.
4. Software Engineering
1. Strong object-oriented design and development skills (preferably in .net/C#).
2. Strong database modeling and design skills, both SQL and non-SQL databases.
3. Strong skills in developing for cloud native solutions (preferably AWS experience and AWS certifications a plus).
4. Proficient in API design and development and implementing RESTful APIs.
5. Demonstrated understanding of designing and implementing secure solutions with accessibility and security first focus (prefer a strong understand of OWASP security principles).
6. Familiar with front-end UI/UX development practices and technologies (Angular preferred).
7. Demonstrated focus on quality deliverables with strong emphasis on peer review, implementing automated testing platforms for unit tests, integration tests and acceptance tests.
5. DevOps
1. Strong understanding of Git and Bitbucket for version control and collaboration. 
2. Hands-on experience with JFrog Artifactory for artifact repository management. 
3. Experience with SonarQube for static code analysis and code quality assurance. 
4. Expertise in managing DevOps pipelines, promoting best practices, and implementing CI/CD processes. 
5. Experience with Configuration Management tools: Ansible, Puppet, Chef.
6. Data
1. Proficiency in SQL for querying and optimizing Redshift databases.
2. Strong understanding of relevant programming languages such as Python, with experience in data processing libraries like Pandas or PySpark.
3. Hands-on experience with ETL/ELT tools such as SSIS and AWS Glue.
4. Knowledge of AWS services (e.g., S3, Lambda, Step Functions, CloudWatch).
5. Experience with data modeling techniques (e.g., star schema, snowflake schema) for data warehousing.