Deadlines Loom for CIO Applicants

Four IT executive positions remain open in California state government — and application deadlines are looming.

Three of those agencies have openings for a chief information officer — CalPERS, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) and the state Franchise Tax Board. One is for a chief deputy director position. 

Today is the deadline for candidates to apply for the position of chief deputy director of the Office of Systems Integration (OSI), part of the California Health and Human Services Agency. The position has a salary range of $6,913.00 to $15,885 per month. Peter Kelly most recently held that position; he has accepted another assignment until he leaves the office at the end of February.

The CalPERS CIO position has been vacant since last summer. Although recruiting is ongoing, the position is no longer posted on CalCareers.ca.gov.

The application deadline for the CDTFA CIO position is Friday. The position has a salary range of $9,625 to $11,465 per month.

Chief information officers generally serve as a department or agency’s chief policy maker and highest-level technical expert. They oversee policy governing IT and procurement, and they often serve as part of the department’s executive management team.

In state government, a CIO position is considered a "career executive assignment" (CEA), meaning it is “a high-ranking administrative and policy-influencing position within the state civil service in which the incumbent's primary responsibility is the managing of a major function or the rendering of management advice to top-level administrative authority,” according to the California Department of Human Resources.

The California Prison Industry Authority, meanwhile, has a new CIO, Caroline Bigelow, who was named to the position this month.