Army on the hunt for CIO

The Department of Defence is looking for a new CIO to integrate information management and technology within the Army’s operations, but there appears to be some confusion about the exact nature of the role.

Defence consists of multiple business groups, each of which uses a combination of shared and division-specific IT infrastructure and application services.

The role, advertised on Seek, is based at the Puckapunyal base in Victoria, about 100 kilometres north of Melbourne. It will involve combining the Army’s information systems and technology to produce higher capabilities, according to the advertisement.

“The successful candidate will be required to understand trends within the information and communication technology environment, and lead and manage a small team,” the advertisement reads.

Defence has cited a salary of $88,019-$99,285, plus super for the role. This puts the role in the lower remuneration bracket for a CIO; according to the 2010 Australian State of the CIO survey, the median salary for a CIO is $231,000. Only 4.3 per cent of respondents to the survey indicated a total annual compensation of less than $100,000.

Despite the advertisement, a spokesperson from Defence told CIO Australia the position was an ‘executive level’ role and not that of chief information officer.

According to the advertisement, applicants should have qualifications in information technology and communication related fields. Applications close at 5pm on 14 April 2011.