Director of Technology

Department Overview

The Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) is focused on improving life for Coloradans by delivering better government technology through collaboration, innovation, and inclusive service. Its teams work across agencies to build modern applications, support public services, and strengthen access for communities statewide.

Role Summary

The State of Colorado is hiring a Director, Technology to help shape and deliver the next generation of public services. In this role, you will act as a strategic technology leader within OIT’s agency service model, working closely with agency executives to align technology direction with business and mission priorities. Rather than responding only after issues arise, this role is expected to partner early, build trust with leadership, and guide technology decisions that support lasting outcomes for the public.

Key Duties

• Serve as the connection point between technology initiatives and agency mission needs for senior stakeholders such as executive directors, CFOs, and program leaders.
• Lead discussions with agency partners and operational teams to balance priorities and drive clear decisions.
• Create and keep current a flexible technology roadmap aligned to agency goals and shifting needs.
• Guide advisory teams in a matrixed leadership structure across agency technology portfolios.
• Track vendor performance against agreed outcomes and escalate issues when commitments are not met.
• Evaluate technology risks and explain them in practical terms to non-technical leaders.
• Align OIT services with customer expectations to support strong service satisfaction.
• Establish outcome-based performance agreements focused on mission impact and public benefit rather than system uptime or ticket counts.
• Promote adherence to enterprise architecture standards while balancing agency mission needs and escalating exceptions to the EA function when needed.
• Support user-centered design, agile methods, product ownership, modular procurement, and continuous delivery in both planning and execution.
• Work with agency and OIT teams to navigate state governance and procurement requirements, including SOO vs. SOW decisions and time-and-materials structures.
• Set team expectations based on results, and hold staff accountable for outcomes instead of activity metrics.
• Hold regular one-on-one meetings and performance conversations that provide coaching, honest feedback, and accountability.
• Create an environment where problems are surfaced early rather than concealed.
• Step in early to address workload, skill gaps, and other issues outside the formal review cycle.
• Handle HR-related leadership tasks including performance plans, review approvals, and corrective, disciplinary, and separation actions.
• Partner with OIT HR to support recruitment and selection processes that reflect user-centered outcomes and a strong candidate experience.

What You Bring

• The ability to speak confidently with executive leaders and translate between technical work and mission goals.
• The ability to recognize, evaluate, and communicate technology risk to audiences without technical backgrounds.
• Comfort working through political complexity while staying focused on outcomes.
• Strong influence and relationship-building skills across agency programs and political leadership.
• Experience building and maintaining a multi-year roadmap that connects technology investment to mission priorities.
• Ability to manage budgets and resources while helping shape technology investment decisions.
• Experience setting outcome-based expectations, coaching staff, and addressing performance concerns constructively.
• The ability to lead across multiple disciplines without being a specialist in every craft.
• Understanding of how state agencies plan, budget, and make decisions, including budget cycles, legislative constraints, and executive branch governance.
• Working knowledge of enterprise architecture principles and how to apply standards, identify exceptions, and engage the EA function appropriately.
• Familiarity with modern delivery approaches such as user centricity, agile, product ownership, modular procurement, and continuous delivery.
• Knowledge of government IT governance, procurement law, and vendor contracting.

Minimum Qualifications

This is a skills-based posting. The role requires at least 8 years of experience leading technology solution delivery, including 3 years managing cross-functional teams using iterative, user-centered methods. The state also seeks a history of working across functions such as design, engineering, policy, or operations to deliver solutions that work for real users. Additional education may substitute for experience year for year, but cannot fully replace the required qualifications. Additional paid or unpaid experience may substitute for required education year for year. Training or certifications related to the role may also count toward substitution for experience and/or education, but cannot completely replace the minimum requirements.

Preferred Background

• Certifications such as Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Pragmatic Institute Product Management, PMP, or Professional Product Manager (PPM).
• Experience in a digital service agency or a government-adjacent technology organization, especially translating policy goals into practical product backlogs.
• Experience with modern procurement methods that keep vendor requirements outcome-focused and adaptable rather than locked into rigid fixed-scope contracts.
• Background in User-Centered Design (UCD).

Conditions of Employment

OIT employees must follow any screening procedures required at state agency locations where work may be performed. A pre-employment background check is required, and additional post-employment checks may be required depending on agency needs; these may include a polygraph, fingerprint-based criminal history search, reference checks, and a drug test. The position may involve travel within the designated geographic area and across the state as needed.

Remote Work and Relocation

This role is listed as remote from anywhere in Colorado, but periodic reporting to the designated primary state work location is required. All remote work must be performed within Colorado. Candidates from outside the state may be considered, but the selected candidate must relocate to and reside in Colorado on the first day of employment. A reasonable relocation timeline will be determined based on business needs.

Additional Information

The State of Colorado offers benefits designed to support work-life balance and overall well-being. Applicants should review the application process carefully before submitting. Only the information included in the application will be reviewed for qualifications, so no resumes, cover letters, or other attachments should be included, as they will not be used by the hiring team. The State of Colorado is committed to equal opportunity, merit-based hiring, and a workplace that values all Coloradans. OIT also provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities during the application, interview, testing, and selection process. This posting may be used to fill multiple vacancies based on business needs. The agency does not sponsor visas for employment purposes.