WA govt demands three new IT chiefs

The WA government is on the hunt for three technology leaders, including its first-ever chief digital officer, to help take control of the state’s digital reform agenda.

The Office of Digital Government (DGov) kicked off the search this week to “immediately” fill the roles, which also include chief information security officer and chief technology officer.

The call-up comes five months after the office, which has been established as a business unit within the state’s Department of Premier and Cabinet, was given funding certainty until 2023.

It will go some way towards replenishing talent after the former Office of the Government Chief Information Officer was replaced with the ODG last June.

The move saw much of the top brass leave the agency, including the state’s former chief technology officer Andrew Cann, who has now become WA Police’s chief information officer.

The new CDO will be tasked with overseeing the state’s digital strategy, which was last updated in 2016, and leading the implementation of the government’s incoming data sharing and analytics framework.

“This is a key leadership role that works across the public sector to deliver and enable digital transformation,” the job ad for the class two role states.

The executive will also be expected to work with agencies to “enhance and grow digital services to the community of Western Australia”.

The new CISO, which is also a class two role, will assume responsibility for leading implementation of the state’s cyber security strategy and supporting agencies to improve their cyber security maturity.

The CTO, on the other hand, will oversee the state’s transformed IT infrastructure buying scheme known as GovNext. This will include “being the primary source of technical advice on whole of sector ICT infrastructure and architecture issues”.

The DGov expects all three “high profile roles” will be filled by “experienced and strategic leaders who enjoy building collaborative relationships with a wide range of key stakeholders to deliver on a strategic change agenda”.

All three positions are on offer for a fixed-term period of up to five years, with salaries starting at $182,588.