"Chief Information Officer (CIO)"

Chief Information Officer (CIO)

Company: Central New Mexico Community College

Job Location:

Category: IT Manager/Director

Type: Full-Time

Central New Mexico Community College

Chief Information Officer (CIO)

Academic Career & Executive Search is pleased to assist Central New Mexico Community College in its search for Chief Information Officer.

For full consideration, please apply by March 2, 2026.

Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) is at a strategic inflection point. As New Mexico’s largest community college, CNM is advancing a bold strategic vision centered on student success, workforce relevance, equity, and long-term financial sustainability. Achieving this vision requires enterprise transformation, not incremental optimization, and technology is a central lever in that work.

CNM has demonstrated, and will continue to demonstrate, a commitment to investing in innovation and modernization, with a clear expectation that technology investments produce measurable results and sustainable value. This role is designed for an experienced CIO with strong business acumen, who is ready to lead at scale, shape enterprise direction, and leave a lasting institutional legacy.

Reporting directly to the President, the CIO serves as a trusted advisor to the President and Executive Cabinet and engages with the Governing Board on technology strategy, digital risk, and institutional readiness. As a cabinet-level executive, the CIO is empowered to modernize enterprise platforms, strengthen digital foundations, and deliver measurable improvements in institutional performance, shaping CNM’s future and leaving a lasting institutional legacy.

The CIO is a collaborative, strategic partner who balances innovative transformation with operational stability across all mission-critical systems. This role carries clear decision rights and institutional backing to:

• Establish enterprise technology standards and architectural direction.
• Lead prioritization of major technology investments in alignment with institutional strategy.
• Oversee cybersecurity posture, digital risk management, and institutional resilience.
• Direct vendor, sourcing, and shared services strategies.

The CIO will provide executive oversight for an established Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and a highly capable IT leadership team, setting enterprise direction and ensuring alignment across cybersecurity, digital platforms, and institutional priorities.

Serving nearly 30,000 learners annually, CNM’s mission is deeply rooted in access, completion, and economic mobility, positioning the College as a critical driver of the region’s educational and workforce success. The ideal CIO will be committed to this mission and ready to lead enterprise change at scale.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Executive & Enterprise Leadership

• Serve as CNM’s senior executive leader for technology-enabled transformation.
• Translate institutional strategy into a clear, outcome-driven enterprise IT and digital roadmap.
• Act as a strategic partner to the President and Cabinet on modernization, cybersecurity risk, and innovation investments.
• Lead CNM’s progression toward higher IT maturity, moving from reactive service delivery to proactive, value-driven enablement.

Enterprise IT Operations

• Ensure reliable, secure, and resilient delivery of core IT services, including infrastructure, networks, enterprise applications, cloud platforms, and end-user services.
• Provide executive oversight and strategic alignment for the CISO function, ensuring effective cybersecurity, identity and access management, regulatory compliance, and risk mitigation.
• Develop and maximize operational benefits of CNM’s participation in the New Mexico Collaborative for Higher Education Shared Services (CHESS), particularly in enterprise shared services, cybersecurity, and enterprise applications.
• Establish service management disciplines and performance metrics that ensure accountability and transparency.

Digital Growth & Institutional Enablement

• Partner with academic and administrative leaders to modernize instructional, student-facing, and business processes through technology.
• Collaborate with the Chief Data Officer (CDO) to align enterprise platforms and integration capabilities with data strategy, analytics priorities, and institutional research needs.
• Enable the staging, integration, and deployment of data across enterprise systems to support strategic use cases, while respecting governance, privacy, and security requirements.
• Advance enterprise platforms (ERP, CRM, SIS, and integration and analytics infrastructure) to improve interoperability, scalability, and user experience.
• Support shared services and collaborative delivery models that improve efficiency, resilience, and return on investment.

Innovation & Future Readiness

• Identify, evaluate, and selectively pilot emerging technologies (e.g., AI, automation, advanced analytics, digital learning tools) aligned with CNM’s strategic priorities.
• Foster responsible experimentation with clear pathways from pilot to scale.
• Balance innovation with governance, risk management, and institutional capacity to ensure sustainability.
• Embed digital capability as part of CNM’s long-term operating model, not as isolated initiatives.

Data Enablement as a Strategic Asset

• Champion data as a foundational institutional asset that supports strategy, performance management, and student success.
• Partner closely with the Chief Data Officer (CDO) to ensure alignment between data governance, analytics, and enabling technologies.
• Ensure that data platforms, integration architectures, and cloud environments support reliable, timely, secure, and ethical access to data.
• Coordinate technology deployment timelines with the institution’s readiness to use data for decision-making, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Financial, Talent & Resource Stewardship

• Lead IT financial planning, budgeting, and investment governance with a focus on value realization and ROI.
• Partner with the President and Cabinet to align technology investments with institutional priorities.
• Build and sustain a high-performing IT organization with modern skills, clear accountability, and service orientation.
• Redesign workforce and service delivery models as needed to support transformation, scalability, and sustainability.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Business, or a related field.
• Seven (7) or more years of senior executive leadership experience in enterprise IT, digital transformation, or technology-enabled operations.
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale modernization or transformation initiatives.
• Experience overseeing cybersecurity, enterprise platforms, budgets, and vendor ecosystems.
• Proven ability to partner with presidents/CEOs, boards, and executive teams.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Information Systems, Business Administration, Data Analytics).
• Experience in complex mission-driven organizations, higher education, or public sector.
• Experience operating within shared services or consortium-based environments.

About Central New Mexico Community College

To Apply

For full consideration, please apply by March 2, 2026.

To be viewed by the search firm, you must apply directly at: https://acesrch.applicantstack.com/x/detail/a21esjy384cc

Please apply through the application link and do not email applications.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received and should include a cover letter and curriculum vita. Ideally cover letters should not exceed two pages. All applications are treated confidentially.

Inquiries, referrals, and nominations are also treated confidentially.

Inquiries and questions: Please send to CNMCIO@acesrch.com

Nominations and referrals: Please send the nominee’s name, title, and contact information if available to nominations@acesrch.com.