Chief Information Officer
Description
Description
WASHINGTON UTILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION
Respect. Professionalism. Integrity. Accountability.
Chief Information Officer
Range of Consideration: The starting salary offer will be determined based on the successful candidates’ qualifications within the budgeted salary range of $127,260 - $149,724 annually, within Washington Management Service (WMS) Band 3. However, there is an ability for growth and progression increases within the approved budget.
This recruitment is open until November 19, 2026, at 11:59pm.
UTC reserves the right to make a hiring decision and/or choose to close or extend this recruitment at any given time.
Persons needing accommodation in the application process may contact the recruiter via telephone at (360) 664-1130 or email the UTC HR office at humanresources@utc.wa.gov. For TTY service, please call the Washington Relay Services at 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6384.
The Opportunity:
The UTC is seeking to fill the role of the Chief Information Officer within Administrative Services Division. This role provides direction and guidance to the commission on all matters related to information technology, including IT strategic planning, enterprise architecture, enterprise shared services, security planning, disaster recovery planning, and additional areas. Reporting to the Operations Director, the CIO serves as the highest-level information technology (IT) position within the commission.
Hybrid:
Although this is a hybrid opportunity, the successful incumbent must reside within Washington state and must be available to report to the Lacey, Washington headquarters building as needed. The position requires in person work related to legislative session and legislative activities.
Travel:
May require occasional travel for statewide meetings and training.
Who We Are:
Our mission is to protect the people of Washington by ensuring that investor-owned utility and transportation services are safe, equitable, available, reliable, and fairly priced.
We protect consumers by regulating the rates, services, and practices of private or investor-owned utilities and transportation companies to ensure they are safe, equitable, reliable, and affordable. The UTC is continually recognized for its excellence and integrity as a regulatory agency, as we challenge the status quo and ourselves to ensure equitable outcomes for our customers and the people of Washington State.
We recognize that our employees are the key to the agency’s success. We are committed to our work but value balance with our personal lives. We demonstrate our commitment to employees by providing an environment that stimulates professional growth, and offers continuing learning opportunities, meaningful work, and a comprehensive benefits package. For more information about our benefits or working at UTC, please visit our website.
What We Offer Our Employees:
- UTC fosters an environment of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, while striving to hire and retain a workforce from the communities we serve.
- We place importance on a healthy balance between personal and professional lives; offering flexible work schedules, wellness programs, and mobile/telework opportunities.
- Through the state, our employees (and their families) are offered options for medical, dental, vision and basic life insurance.
- We offer enrollment into the state retirement programs and a deferred compensation plan.
- Full-time and part-time employees are entitled to paid holidays and one paid personal holiday per calendar year.
For more information about our benefits or working at UTC, please visit our website.
Duties
Some of what you’ll do:
Manage and oversee the commission’s Information Services portfolio. Typical work will include planning, developing, and directing long-range IT strategy, and supporting all aspects of the commission’s information technology services.
Manage the commission’s enterprise systems architecture and ensure systems and services support business requirements and commission applications. Provide support and consultation to stakeholders in the development of the strategic direction of IT architecture and services. Inform decision making and planning.
Responsible for Enterprise Architecture decisions and strategies related to the IT infrastructure needed to support operations and application development efforts. Consult and assist in the development of commission strategic business plans.
Additional duties include, but aren’t limited to the following:
- Supervise the Information Services section, including the commission’s enterprise services, server, applications, network infrastructure, IT security, helpdesk, data governance, artificial intelligence modernization, GIS services and desktop support functions.
- Responsible for recruiting, hiring, mentoring, and disciplining staff. Assign and evaluate work to ensure the section is meeting objectives and key results.
- Advise commission leadership and staff in the development of policies and procedures involving information technology.
- Develop, maintain and implement the commission’s IT security program to ensure a safe IT environment complaint with the OCIO IT Security Standards. Directly responsible for managing and coordinating the commission’s IT security program, including the commission’s security and disaster recovery plans, IT security audits, and disaster recovery exercises.
- Serve as the chair of the commission’s Information Technology Steering Committee to develop and implement IT strategies and initiatives. In addition, serve as a member of the commission’s extended leadership team. As a member of the state's CIO Forum, participate in the development and implementation of the state's IT direction and policies.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
The commission values diverse career paths and recognizes that competencies may be acquired through a combination of education, training, certifications, research, volunteer service, lived experience, military service, professional practice, or other demonstrated accomplishments.
- Bachelor's degree or higher in computer science, information technology or related field AND at least six years senior level IT management experience managing large, high risk, IT projects; including leading and managing senior IT resources.
OR
- Associate's degree in computer science or related field AND at least eight years senior level IT management experience managing large, high risk, IT projects; including leading and managing senior IT resources.
OR
- At least 10 years senior level IT management experience managing large, high risk, IT projects; including leading and managing senior IT resources.
Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Competencies:- The ability to take action to learn and grow: Takes responsibility for knowing their own strengths and weaknesses and uses their learning to make government programs and processes more efficient and effective to serve all in Washington.
- The ability to take action to meet the needs of others: Flexible, adaptable, customer-service focused, and willing and able to empathetically respond to the unique needs of the people they work with and serve.
UTC Core Competencies:
- Accountability
- DEI Knowledge, Understanding, & Commitment
- Self-Awareness and Commitment to Growth
- Cultivating Mutually Beneficial and Trusting Strategic Partnerships
- Inclusive Excellence & Allyship
- Measuring Success and Improvement
- Customer Focus
Preferred/Desired Qualifications:
One or a combination of the following:
- Master’s degree in computer science or information technology.
- Expert knowledge of:
- Software development practices, processes, and procedures.
- State contracting and procurement laws, policies, requirements, and contracting/procurement best practices.
- Project management principles and practices.
- Enterprise level information management systems and technology related subjects, including networking, server environments, hardware/software upgrades, and disaster recovery planning and software release/configuration management.
- Experience with:
- Configuring and maintaining network infrastructure.
- SharePoint, Exchange, SQL Server, Microsoft Windows server operating systems and Active Directory Account Administration.
- Budgeting, planning, and allocating resources to support organization's mission and business priorities.
- Leading IT infrastructure/architecture planning and applying enterprise level IT best practices.
- Managing diverse project teams composed of IT, business users, and vendors.
- Applying current IT security and system standards.
- Communicating complex issues effectively and adjusting communication to audience needs.
- Addressing conflict and leading teams to resolution.
- Prior state or government CIO job duties.
- Successfully planning and leading enterprise level business process transformation projects.
- Strategic planning.
Supplemental Information
READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION COMPLETELY:
- The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 80.01.020 limits the UTC's ability to employ any person who owns stock in any company the UTC regulates or is otherwise financially interested in such company. Such interests include those of an employee's spouse.
- UTC does not use E-Verify. Therefore, we are not eligible to extend STEM-Optional Practice Training (OPT). For more information, please visit .
How to Apply:
Interested in joining the UTC team? Click the “Apply” button at the top to begin! To be considered for further screening, ensure you attach the following documents to your completed application:
- Letter of Interest - Please provide a specific example from your professional experience demonstrating how you have led IT initiatives. Describe how you proactively identified needs, organized and prioritized work, established milestones and deliverables, communicated progress, and ensured accountability for results. We are interested in understanding how you bring structure, collaboration, and momentum to complex initiatives and translate organizational priorities into successful outcomes.
- Resume – chronological detailing your applicable competencies, experience and education.
- References - At minimum, three (3) professional references with current telephone numbers and email addresses must be included with your application; one (1) contact MUST be your current or most recent supervisor.
The initial screening of candidates will be solely based on the contents and completeness of the application materials, including answers provided to the ‘Supplemental Questionnaire’, along with the additional application materials submitted as part of the application process. NOTE, indicating ‘see resume’ will not substitute for completing the "work experience" section or supplemental questionnaire of the application packet and may result in your submission being marked incomplete.
If you are viewing this recruitment on any website other than www.careers.wa.gov, please note the recruitment title and apply through Washington state’s official portal. Your application may be received incomplete when using a third-party website. If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing, or completing your application, please call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or email support@neogov.com.
If you have gotten this far and are thinking you do not qualify, consider again! Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At the UTC, we are dedicated to building a diverse and authentic workplace centered in belonging. If you are excited about this role but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may just be the candidate needed for this or other roles.
All information may be verified; additional documentation may be required. Candidates may be disqualified if the education and/or work experience does not include information used to meet the minimum qualifications of the job.
The UTC is an equal opportunity employer. We want to make sure you have an equal opportunity to join our team. Our commitment is making sure current and future employees are treated fairly and equally without regard to age, sex (including gender identity), race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status, or religious or political affiliation.
Veterans Preference
For information about YesVets click here.
Applicants wishing to claim Veterans Preference should attach to their application a copy of their redacted DD-214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or signed verification of service letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Please blackout any personally identifiable data such as Social Security numbers. For further information, contact UTC Human Resources at humanresources@utc.wa.gov.
For more information about the UTC, please visit:
, and
The State of Washington: