Chief Information Officer

Location:  City of Columbia, MO Download:  City of Columbia, MO - Chief Information Officer BrochureDownload City of Columbia, MO

City of Columbia, MO
Chief Information Officer

The Community:
Columbia is a growing city located in central Missouri with an estimated population of 117,000 in 2014.  The population has seen a steady increase by about 18.75% since the year 2000. Positioned in the center of Missouri, Columbia is located 120 miles away from both St. Louis and Kansas City, and 29 miles north of the state capital, Jefferson City.

Much of Columbia’s growth can be attributed to their strong college presence and the influence of medical, technology, and insurance industries. Studies consistently rank Columbia as a top city in which to live for educational facilities, health care, technological savvy, economic growth, cultural opportunities and low cost of living.  

Columbia has often been referred to as "Collegetown U.S.A." because it houses the University of Missouri, Stephen's College and Columbia College.  The city's nationally recognized public school system and educational institutions make Columbia one of the most well-educated cities in America.

Columbia’s downtown, called “The District” offers an exciting mix of unique restaurants, specialty stores, galleries and coffee shops.   The District has over 70 restaurants and bars to choose from and boasts over 45 live performances every week in an eclectic mix of venues, from renovated theaters to bluesy bars, aromatic coffee houses to state-of-the-art clubs as well as its beautiful historical architecture, sidewalk cafes and street musicians.

The award-winning Columbia Parks & Recreation Department, maintains over 80 parks and recreation facilities on more than 3,000 acres and over 50 miles of trails including Twin Lakes Recreation Area, Rainbow Softball Center, MKT Nature & Fitness Trail, Battle Park, Martin Luther King Memorial Amphitheater, Nifong Park, Grindstone Nature Area and Capen Park. In addition to offering life enrichment classes, Parks & Rec also organizes sports leagues such as softball, soccer and volleyball.
Festivals are also popular activities and highlight the best of what Columbia has to offer for fun, family and cultural events. Columbia Eve Fest, Earth Day, the Salute to Veterans Memorial Day Weekend Airshow, 4^th of July Fire in the Sky, Art in the Park, the Root ‘n Blues ‘n BBQ Festival and the Boone County Heritage Festival are just a few of the many annual events that Columbians enjoy and love.

Columbia is consistently listed among the top cities in the United States by national magazines and organizations. Its excellent public school system, access to quality health care and central location consistently earn Columbia’s position as one of the top places to live and do business. 

Accolades:

• In 2015 Columbia made Obrella’s list of Best Commuter Cities in Missouri.

• Forbes ranked Columbia #6 on its list of Best Small Places for Business and Careers in 2014

• In 2014 the City of Columbia was named the eCity of Missouri by Google. Google partnered with research firm Ipsos to identify the strongest online communities in each state – cities who are embracing the power of the internet to find new customers, connect with existing clients, and fuel their local economies.

•  Milken Institute ranked Columbia as the Number 1 Best Performing Small City in 2013. Columbia was ranked #10 in 2012 and #25 in 2011.

• In 2013 Livability.com recognized Columbia as one of America’s top college towns, ranked just behind Boulder, Ann Arbor and Gainesville.

• In 2012 Forbes magazine recognized Columbia, Missouri on its list of Top 25 places to retire.

• In 2012, Columbia, Missouri was named by Parade Magazine to be America’s Hardest Working Town in the country. 

Government:
The city of Columbia has a Council-Manager form of government. The City Council consists of a Mayor elected at large and six Council members elected from wards for three-year staggered terms.  Chief executive authority is invested in a City Manager who oversees the day-to-day operations of government. Department Heads serve at the pleasure of the City Manager, but may report to a Deputy City Manager or an Assistant City Manager.  The Chief Information Officer will report to the Deputy City Manager.  

Position:
Work is performed under the executive direction of the Deputy City Manager. This is advanced administrative/managerial work administering and directing the City Information Technologies Department; evaluating, organizing, maintaining, and supporting enterprise information services operations and applications including i-Series AS400, intranet/internet, client server and LANenvironment, and the City internal telephone system; and lead enterprise-wide use of information.

The Ideal Candidate: 

• The ideal candidate should have solid project management skills, a demonstrated understanding of network infrastructure, and experience working with GIS and ERP software implementation and maintenance. Municipal experience is highly preferred.

• The ideal candidate should be able to build successful partnerships both within IT, across departmental lines and with outside agencies and business leaders. Continuous improvement, creativity and innovation are valued; a drive for excellent customer service is critical.

• The candidate should have experience in strategic planning and organizational development; the ability to align information technology with business needs of the departments in support of the City’s Strategic Plan, and develop, implement and monitor long-term plans, goals and objectives focused on achieving the City’s mission and City Council’s priorities through information technologies.

• The successful candidate shall have proven success in initiating and executing department policies, rules, and regulations; hiring, assigning, and leading employees; briefing, deploying, and directing personnel in the development, analysis, and design of computer programs and/or projects in an AS 400, intranet/internet, client server, and local area network environment.

• This individual will have experience in budget preparation, and directing the purchase and maintenance of enterprise hardware and software systems.

•  The ideal candidate will be proficient at evaluating the applicability and feasibility of new technical developments with reference to present operations; establishing standards and guidelines for the acquisition, installation, and use of computers, local area networks, application systems, mobile devices and communication and telecommunication systems across the City, and developing strategies for internet, intranet, and e-commerce business applications.

• This individual will be a strong leader who inspires the staff to achieve excellence and encourages professional development. Effective communication along with strong collaboration and team building skills will be necessary for this individual to be successful; advanced written and oral communication skills are imperative.

Education and Experience:

• Interested candidates should possess a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Business, Administration, or a closely related area, with an advanced degree in Business or Public Administration preferred from an accredited four-year college or university.

• Candidates should possess at least 5 years of experience within a government agency at a senior management level, preferably a municipal environment or  any equivalent combination of education and experience which would provide the following knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Experience with project management, modern IT principles and technologies, application development, telecommunications, network operations, server administration, desktop workstations, relational database technology, cloud based solutions, website design, content management and GIS is required.

• Experience with the development and deployment of a disaster recovery plan to protect essential data and restore essential information technologies I.T. services and operations as expediently as possible.

• Ability to think globally and carry out complex projects independently and translate business requirements into highly effective solutions.

• Ability to think about the City’s enterprise technology as an interdependent whole and to manage large multi-year, multi-departmental projects with multiple stakeholders.

• Ability to carry out complex projects, both independently and interdependently, and prioritize numerous complex tasks. Experience must include prior project management responsibilities for a major system implementation such as an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Prefer knowledge of and experience with Sungard/HTE, Tyler/Munis, and information services experience with police, fire and/or utility operations.

• Thorough knowledge of effective managerial practices and methods, and project and process management. Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, coordinate, assign, and evaluate the work of subordinate employees.

• Ability to establish and maintain effective information services and programs. Ability to assess service needs and then recommend, develop, and/or implement appropriate and timely solutions. Ability to assess overall departmental effectiveness in carrying out its mission.

• Demonstrated ability to prepare and administer a budget, and to match applications with the most cost-effective platforms.

• Ability to assess and define training needs of subordinate personnel.

• Demonstrated ability to communicate verbally and in writing, and to effectively communicate complex technical issues to non-technical personnel.

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with executive management, peers within the City and in neighboring local governments, other employees, City elected officials, the media, other community agencies, and the general public.

Salary:
The City of Columbia is offering a competitive salary commensurate with experience and a comprehensive benefits package. Relocation assistance will be available for the successful out of area candidate.

How to Apply:
Interested applicants should perform the following steps:

• Go to https://www.gocomojobs.com/user/new

• Create your account

• Complete an on-line job application form for this position and attach a resume and cover letter.

 

Contact Information:
For questions regarding the position, please contact Affion Public at:

resumes@affionpublic.com
888.321.4922

*Deadline to receive resumes: August 24, 2015

Posted: 03/22/2022