Job

Chief Technology Officer

Location Sacramento, CA 95811
Date Posted July 20, 2023
Job ID 9976
Employment Type Retained

California College Guidance Initiative
Chief Technology Officer
Position Announcement

Scion Technical has been retained to conduct a search for California College Guidance Initiative’s (CCGI) Remote Chief Technology Officer (CTO). This is an immediate, direct-hire opportunity on behalf of CCGI, an incredible nonprofit organization that has been highly impactful in education accessibility, career guidance and the overall California college admission process.

The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) position at California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI) is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work for an organization that is directly making a difference in the lives of students across California! Reporting to the President of CCGI, the CTO can be based anywhere within California and is predominantly remote.

POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) will be responsible for overseeing the development, implementation, and support of California College Guidance Initiative’s (CCGI) data pipeline, infrastructure, and security processes. The CTO will have an integral part in ensuring the efficiency and safety of CCGI’s robust data, technical infrastructure, and data tools to support teams across the organization. The CTO will work closely with the Chief People and Systems Officer, Chief Programs Officer, Chief Product Officer, and Chief of Staff to support technical and business needs across the organization.

CCGI’s work in collaboration with K-12 districts, California Community Colleges, California State University, University of California, and the California Student Aid Commission to create seamless transitions and pipelines for students.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA COLLEGE GUIDANCE INITIATIVE

The California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI) is a statewide effort to help all systems - K-12 districts, California Community Colleges, California State University, University of California, and the California Student Aid Commission - work together to create seamless transitions and pipelines for students.
Through CaliforniaColleges.edu, the State of California’s official college and career planning platform, they offer a unique suite of college, career, and financial aid planning information, curricula, and tools. From exploring potential career paths to launching and tracking college and financial aid applications, CaliforniaColleges.edu helps students discover their college and career goals, make plans for how to achieve them, and launch into careers consistent with their values, skills, and interests.

Students’ accounts on CaliforniaColleges.edu are populated with their high school transcript data, which is shared with higher education institutions and financial aid providers at the point of application. To ensure that information is as accurate as possible, CCGI staff provide technical assistance to K-12 districts in order to clarify data standards, identify data conflicts, and implement routines that improve data quality. Receiving higher institutions can then use this data to inform decisions about admissions, course placement, guidance, and financial aid. By providing ongoing support, training, and professional development opportunities, CCGI ensures that educators can integrate these planning and application tools into guidance interventions and instructional time.

CCGI serves nearly half of 6th-12th grade California students, and is slated to scale statewide in the coming years through the California Cradle-to-Career Data System.

CCGI is housed at the Foundation for California Community Colleges but is an autonomous initiative with its own mission, goals, and leadership team.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) will have the responsibility of overseeing, evaluating, and implementing new processes in areas of data governance, security, and infrastructure services. Principal responsibilities include but are not limited to managing a high-profile large-scale data ingestion project, establishing a security strategy to address, identify, and evaluate potential areas of risk, and managing California College Guidance Initiative’s (CCGI) internal data infrastructure and team.

Leadership of Infrastructure Services

  • Overseeing CCGI’s four-person infrastructure team including their Director of Cloud Infrastructure and data and cloud engineers.

  • Delegating projects, tasks, and infrastructure development within CCGI’s infrastructure team.

  • Leading with an intentional focus on building diverse teams that value/promote/engage/demand different perspectives, experiences, and strengths.

Security
Security at CCGI is handled in a collaborative manner with their fiscal agent and employer of record, the Foundation for California Community Colleges, and their VCISO. CCGI’s CTO will focus on:

  • Ensuring security is a high priority at CCGI by embedding security into processes and operations, continually evaluating the organizational technology landscape, and developing security-first technologies.

  • Leading, monitoring, and maintaining the implementation of security strategy, tools, and best practices for CCGI.

  • Cultivating a multifaceted strategy and approach to address and organize the different aspects of CCGI’s data security.

  • Identifying key areas of concern to focus on to prepare for a successful and comprehensive security risk assessment.

  • Staying informed of all new security regulations, state requirements and CCGI legal agreements to ensure that all technology and tools comply with the Foundation.

Strategy and Vision

  • Strategizing CCGI’s business and technical priorities while adhering to and navigating California’s ever-changing legislative processes, standards, and politics.

  • Communicating effectively across varying levels of technical expertise. The CTO will be representing CCGI’s technical infrastructure while interfacing with both internal and external partners.

  • Cultivating and leading CCGI’s partnership with the California Department of Education to import CALPADS data into CCGI’s systems to ensure that all 6th-12th grade students in California have an account on CaliforniaColleges.edu. 

  • Developing business rules on how to best transform data received from CDE for use on CaliforniaColleges.edu with support from Chief Product Officer and additional staff.

  • Developing, documenting, and maintaining processes related to the use of this data including tiered and cross team systems of user support when data-related issues arise.

Data Governance

  • Developing processes to improve data quality, address data standards, and identify areas of data conflict.

  • Unifying and mapping out high volume, multi-channel data elements.

  • Overseeing and driving strategy for tools that support:

    • The Data Services Team in processing partner transcript files.

    • External reporting and data sharing from the Strategic Impact Team and/or Programs Division.

  • Documenting a new and thorough data governance process that will allow for data to flow in a unified manner across teams.

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Must reside in California and be able to work remotely with the ability for travel of up to 10% for in-staff events and or conferences.

  • Bachelor’s degree is required.

  • At a minimum 8-10 years of relevant professional technology, infrastructure, security, and or data experience.

  • Working knowledge within the educational sector and or familiarity with the California State Legislature, Department of Education and or knowledge of the public school and higher education system.

  • Strong familiarity with cloud-based environments such as Amazon Web Services. AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional preferred, but not required.

  • Mission Alignment California College Guidance Initiative is a highly mission-driven organization that values equity, transparency, and student focus. Must possess a passion to make higher education more accessible for California students and to minimize obstacles that students face on their paths to college.

  • Leadership Strong experience in leading high-functioning technical teams.

  • Phenomenal delivery in relaying technical and business objectives to a diverse audience with varying levels of technical understanding.

  • Exceptional communication with a positive and motivating leadership style.

  • Security In-depth knowledge of and experience in implementing security procedures, tools, and best practices across an organization.

  • Knowledge of security risk assessments and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cyber Security Framework.

  • Experienced in developing and maintaining risk management projects and disaster recovery processes.

  • CompTIA Sec+ Certification or willingness to obtain this certification.

  • Data Governance Experienced in working with large, complex datasets. Ability to unify, organize and develop strategy across multi-channel data pipelines.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
In addition to a competitive base salary range between $150,000 and $210,000, California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI) provides a comprehensive benefits package that includes access to robust Health, Vision & Dental Insurance; Employee Assistance Program; a pension/defined benefit retirement plan (CalPERS); 403(b) and 457(b) retirement plans; generous paid time-off (80 – 160 hours annually dependent on tenure at CCGI); 13 sick days per year paid on an accrual basis; 11 organization wide paid holidays; annual winter closure (December 23rd through New Years paid time off); predominantly remote environment and an incredibly collaborative and passionate team!

APPLICATIONS AND NOMINATIONS:
California College Guidance Initiative has retained the services of Scion Technical, a national technical and executive search firm specializing in corporate recruitment, to assist in conducting this important search. For immediate consideration please apply with your resume and cover letter, formatted in Microsoft Word (saved as a .doc file) via: https://sciontechnical.com/job/9976

 

Please address applications to:

Emily McMonigle, Executive Search Principal
Scion Technical


On a confidential basis, review of applications, nominations, and expressions of interest will begin immediately, until an appointment is made by Scion Technical.

ABOUT OUR SEARCH FIRM:
Scion Technical is a national award-winning technical & IT staffing firm! Since 2006, we have had the pleasure of successfully connecting thousands of talented candidates with amazing opportunities. Through our innovative team building and recruiting solutions, we bridge the gap in executive leadership searches, direct hire technical recruiting, interim leadership placement, and temporary professional staffing. Our track record and recruitment process have made us one of the top recruitment firms in the nation. 

We are proud to be identified as one of Forbes Best Recruitment Firms in America. Additionally, Scion has been recognized as a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing firm as well as a top recruitment firm by The Business Times. Additional information about our firm and our practices can be found online. Scion Technical is an equal opportunity employer and service provider and does not discriminate based on race, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability, political affiliation or belief, or any other protected class. We are committed to the principles of Equal Opportunity Employment and are dedicated to making employment decisions based on merit and value, for ourselves, our client companies, and the candidates we represent. 

For opportunities located in a region that has enacted fair chance, arrest, or conviction-based employment ordinances, Scion Technical proactively follows the enacted guidance and considers for employment all qualified applications with arrest and conviction records. We engage in socially conscious business practices and believe that diverse, equitable, inclusive, and non-biased talent and recruitment processes are foundational to the success of Scion as well as every client organization with whom we partner.

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