TECH000: Head of Technology/CIO

About JerseySTEM

JerseySTEM is a mission-driven network of professionals dedicated to closing the gender gap in STEM by expanding access to STEM education and career pathways for underserved middle school girls in New Jersey. 

Role Details & Commitment:

• Type: Pro-bono (unpaid volunteer)

• Time Commitment: ~6 flexible hours per week for a minimum of 6 months

• Member Deposit: Requires a $100 refundable deposit (fully returned after 6 months of active service). Exemptions apply for K–12 educators, retirees, veterans, interns, and students.

Overview

JerseySTEM is seeking an experienced Head of Technology / Chief Information Officer (CIO) to provide leadership, strategic oversight, and team management for our technology department. Taking the reins from our Interim CIO, you will lead a team of 6–8 technical leads (and their respective associates) who maintain our core operational platforms, including Google Workspace, Salesforce, and Jira.

Note: This is fundamentally a people leadership and operational management role rather than a hands-on technical coding position.

Responsibilities

• Culture & Collaboration: Cultivate an open, feedback-driven environment focused on mission impact over ego to ensure all technology decisions directly serve the youth we empower.

• Executive Leadership: Serve on the Executive Committee as the primary liaison and advocate for the Tech team.

• Team Operations: Facilitate weekly Tech meetings to align goals, resolve roadblocks, and advance both technical capabilities and organizational mission objectives.

• Performance Management: Establish and monitor Service Level Agreements (SLAs) across the organization to deliver responsive, high-quality technical support.

• Knowledge Management & Succession: Champion best practices in technical documentation and build a sustainable succession pipeline for key technical roles.

Qualifications

• Service Mindset: View internal teams and stakeholders as primary clients, prioritizing responsive, high-quality technical support.

• Team Leadership & Strategy: Proven ability to articulate technology strategy, gain team buy-in, and foster collaboration among technical leads and associates.

• Non-Profit Experience & Adaptability: Prior experience working with non-profits or community organizations, with a demonstrated ability to thrive and innovate within resource-constrained operating environments.

• Strong Communication: Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills to convey strategy clearly and build alignment across teams.

• Drive & Initiative: A strong sense of urgency focused on decisive execution and timely problem-solving.

• Team Advocacy: Serve as an enthusiastic champion and advocate for the Tech team and its contributions.

• Technical Familiarity: General exposure to or familiarity with core platforms, including Google Workspace, Salesforce, and Jira.

• Documentation Focus: Strong commitment to clear, thorough documentation to ensure operational continuity and seamless succession.

• Availability & Commitment: Ability to dedicate 8–10 hours per week for a 12+ month commitment.