Seattle Social Housing Developer Chief Information Officer Seattle, WA · Full time Company website

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The Seattle Social Housing Developer is creating permanently affordable, high-quality homes that strengthen communities and expand opportunity. We’re looking for passionate, mission-driven people who want to make a real impact in housing justice. If you thrive in collaborative environments and are excited to help shape Seattle’s future, explore our open roles and join us in making homes affordable forever.

Chief Information Officer 

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW 

The Seattle Social Housing Developer (SSHD) is a Public Development Authority (PDA) committed to creating, owning, and stewarding permanently affordable, mixed-income social housing that is publicly financed, publicly controlled, and free from market speculation. As we lay the foundation for this transformative model, guided by international examples and rooted in public accountability, we are building a team to define a new standard for equitable, sustainable, and community-centered social housing development in Seattle. Our goal is to expand access, strengthen the social fabric of our city, and ensure housing that is affordable forever and inclusive by design for current and future generations. 

POSITION OVERVIEW 

The Chief Information Officer is a foundational leadership role responsible for building the systems, data, and information-governance foundation SSHD needs to grow responsibly. As SSHD moves from two properties toward an anticipated four to five properties by the end of 2027, and begins preparing to bring property management in-house, the decisions made now about enterprise systems and information governance will determine whether that growth is manageable or whether the agency later has to untangle disconnected systems, inconsistent records, and duplicative processes. 

The CIO owns SSHD's technology strategy, enterprise architecture, information governance, system selection, implementation roadmap, vendor management, and staff adoption across accounting and organizational budgeting; property-management oversight and, eventually, in-house property management; asset-management reporting and portfolio performance; capital expenditures, reserves, and capital planning; real estate development and project controls; procurement, contracts, compliance, and vendor management; SharePoint architecture, document management, and records retention; an employee intranet and a secure Board information environment; cybersecurity, access management, business continuity, and AI governance; and data exchange with Thrive and future third-party property managers. 

SSHD operates a hybrid model for technology delivery: the CIO owns strategy, architecture, governance, system selection, and vendor oversight, while a managed service provider (currently Compass) continues to handle help-desk support, device and network monitoring, backups, endpoint protection, cybersecurity operations, and incident response. Specialized consultants are engaged as needed for SharePoint development, system configuration, integration, data migration, cybersecurity testing, and other defined implementation projects. The CIO directly manages these relationships to ensure SSHD receives the level of internal ownership needed to select, integrate, govern, and manage its enterprise systems, work that falls outside the scope of a standard managed-IT-support contract. 

This position will also lead the work contemplated in SSHD's Enterprise Knowledge Management, Digital Workplace, AI Governance, and Enterprise Systems Strategy engagement, including developing SharePoint and intranet environments, establishing naming conventions and filing standards, managing permissions, monitoring compliance with information-governance requirements, designing priority workflows, and creating a practical three-year enterprise systems roadmap. 

The long-term purpose of the Chief Information Officer is to build the enterprise architecture, information governance, and vendor-management infrastructure that allows SSHD to scale its portfolio, and eventually bring property management in-house, without sacrificing data integrity, security, or operational consistency. 

As a Public Development Authority, SSHD is subject to the Washington Public Records Act (RCW 42.56), the Open Public Meetings Act (RCW 42.30), state-approved records retention schedules, and financial and compliance review by the Washington State Auditor's Office (SAO). The CIO is the systems owner responsible for ensuring SSHD's document management and retention practices meet these public-sector obligations. The CIO also owns SSHD's IT general controls (ITGCs) supporting SAO accountability and financial-statement audits including access provisioning/deprovisioning evidence, segregation of duties within financial systems, change-management documentation, and review of vendor System and Organization Controls & 2 reports in close coordination with the Chief Financial Officer. 

POSITION DETAILS 

Job Title: Chief Information Officer 

Department: Executive 

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer 

Direct Reports: None initially; directs and manages SSHD's managed service provider(s) and specialized technology consultants. May grow to include enterprise systems staff as the portfolio and technology needs expand. 

FLSA Status: Exempt 

Compensation & Benefits 

Salary Range: $175,148 – $227,693. This full-time, salaried position includes a full package of benefits, including health, dental, and vision. SSHD employees are also eligible for the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) retirement pension plan through the State of Washington. 

SCOPE OF AUTHORITY & ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS 

This role carries significant responsibility for SSHD's enterprise systems and information-governance infrastructure, but its authority is bounded and exercised in partnership with, rather than independent of, other parts of the organization: 

• Managed Service Provider(s) (e.g., Compass): The CIO directs and manages SSHD's managed-service-provider relationship(s) against clear service-level and performance expectations, covering help-desk support, device and network monitoring, patching, endpoint security, backups, and security-awareness training. The CIO does not perform this operational IT support directly, but is accountable for the provider's performance. 
• Specialized Consultants: The CIO engages, directs, and oversees consultants for SharePoint development, system configuration, integration, data migration, cybersecurity testing, and other defined implementation projects. 
• Chief Executive Officer: The CIO reports to, and operates within delegated authority from, the Chief Executive Officer. Decisions with significant legal, financial, Charter-wide, or asset-management implications are made in partnership with, or deferred to, the CEO. 
• Chief Financial Officer: The CIO owns SSHD's IT general controls (ITGCs) and works in close coordination with the CFO on access provisioning/deprovisioning evidence, segregation of duties within the accounting and financial systems, change-control documentation, and review of vendor SOC 1/SOC 2 reports, supporting SAO accountability reviews and financial-statement audits. 
• Finance, Property Management, Asset Management, and Real Estate Development: The CIO partners closely with these teams to define system requirements, establish shared coding structures, and ensure enterprise systems support day-to-day operations. The CIO does not have direct operational authority over these departments' staffing or day-to-day decisions. 
• Board of Directors: The CIO builds and maintains a secure Board information environment, including permissions, version control, retention, and offboarding procedures, but does not report to, or take direction from, the Board directly; all Board-facing work is coordinated through the CEO. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

Enterprise Systems Strategy & Architecture 

• Own SSHD's technology strategy, enterprise architecture, information governance, system selection, and implementation roadmap. 
• Create a three-year enterprise systems roadmap and total-cost model covering accounting and budgeting, property management, asset management, capital planning, real estate development, procurement/contract/vendor management, and core people-operations systems including HRIS, payroll, time and attendance, and DRS/PERS reporting. 
• Define requirements and evaluate systems for accounting, property management, asset management, capital planning, and real estate development; partner with HR and Finance to do the same for HRIS, payroll, time and attendance, and DRS/PERS reporting. 
• Establish common property, project, contract, vendor, and financial coding structures across systems to ensure data consistency portfolio-wide. 

Building Technology & Development Standards 

• Establish low-voltage and building-technology standards — including access control, submetering, energy management, EV charging infrastructure, IoT, and network/security infrastructure — for incorporation into new development scope, recognizing that decisions made at design phase bind building operations for decades. 
• Partner with Real Estate Development and Property Management to write these technology standards into project specifications for new construction and major renovation, ensuring consistency, supportability, and manageable lifecycle costs across the portfolio. 

Information Governance & Digital Workplace 

• Lead the Enterprise Knowledge Management, Digital Workplace, AI Governance, and Enterprise Systems Strategy engagement, including development of SharePoint and intranet environments. 
• Establish organization-wide document naming conventions, filing standards, retention schedules, and access/permission structures; monitor ongoing compliance with information-governance requirements, including the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56), the Open Public Meetings Act (RCW 42.30), and state-approved records retention schedules, and support timely, accurate responses to public records requests. 
• Design priority workflows and create a secure Board information environment with appropriate permissions, version control, retention, and offboarding procedures. 

Vendor & Managed Service Provider Management 

• Manage Compass, or a successor managed service provider, against clear service-level and performance requirements, and lead formal review of provider performance and contract terms before renewal. 
• Engage and oversee specialized consultants for SharePoint development, system configuration, integration, data migration, cybersecurity testing, and other defined implementation projects. 
• Coordinate an independent cybersecurity and Microsoft 365 configuration assessment, supplementing the managed service provider's annual internal security review. 
• Adhere to SSHD's code of ethics and conflict-of-interest and gift/vendor-hospitality disclosure requirements in all vendor, procurement, and contracting interactions, given this role's significant exposure to vendor influence. 

Cybersecurity, Data & Business Continuity 

• Oversee cybersecurity governance, access management, business continuity planning, and AI governance across the organization. 
• Oversee secure data exchange between SSHD, Thrive, and future third-party property managers. 

IT General Controls & Audit Support 

• Own SSHD's IT general controls (ITGCs) supporting financial and compliance audits, including access provisioning/deprovisioning evidence, segregation of duties within accounting and financial systems, and change-management documentation. 
• Coordinate review of vendor SOC 1/SOC 2 reports for systems supporting financial reporting and sensitive data. 
• Partner with the Chief Financial Officer to prepare for and support Washington State Auditor's Office (SAO) accountability and financial-statement audits, and respond to audit requests related to enterprise systems and access controls. 

Portfolio Growth & Property Management Transition 

• Inventory SSHD's systems, licenses, data sources, vendors, access groups, and recurring reports as a baseline for future planning. 
• Develop the technology transition plan necessary to support bringing property management in-house as the portfolio grows. 
• Ensure systems and information-governance decisions made today remain manageable as SSHD scales toward an anticipated four to five properties by the end of 2027. 

Reporting & Cross-Departmental Partnership 

• Report to the Chief Executive Officer on enterprise systems performance, information-governance compliance, and technology-roadmap progress. 
• Partner with Accounting, Property Management, Asset Management, Real Estate Development, and other departments to ensure enterprise systems meet their operational needs. 

REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES 

• Enterprise Systems Leadership: Demonstrated experience leading enterprise system implementations, integrations, and architecture decisions, ideally within a small-to-mid-size or fast-growing organization. 
• Information & Data Governance: Substantive experience establishing document management, records retention, naming conventions, and information-governance frameworks. 
• Microsoft 365 & SharePoint Expertise: Deep familiarity with Microsoft 365 administration, SharePoint architecture, intranet development, and permissions/security configuration. 
• Vendor & Consultant Management: Proven ability to manage managed service providers and specialized consultants against service-level agreements and defined project deliverables. 
• Cybersecurity Governance: Working knowledge of cybersecurity governance, access management, business continuity planning, and emerging AI-governance considerations. 
• Financial & Operational Systems Literacy: Familiarity with accounting, budgeting, asset management, capital planning, and procurement/contract systems. 
• Public-Sector Compliance Literacy: Familiarity with the Public Records Act, Open Public Meetings Act, records retention schedules, and State Auditor's Office (SAO) requirements applicable to Washington public agencies or Public Development Authorities. 
• IT General Controls & Audit Support: Experience supporting financial-statement or compliance audits, including access controls, segregation of duties, change management, and review of vendor SOC 1/SOC 2 reports. 
• HRIS & Payroll Systems Literacy: Familiarity with HRIS, payroll, time and attendance, and DRS/PERS reporting systems. 
• Building Technology Standards: Familiarity with access control, submetering, energy management, EV charging, IoT, and low-voltage technology standards as applied to real estate development. 
• Organizational Change Management: Demonstrated ability to lead technology adoption and organizational change among non-technical staff and stakeholders. 
• Strategic Planning: Ability to develop multi-year roadmaps and total-cost-of-ownership models for enterprise technology investments. 
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex technical concepts for non-technical staff, leadership, and the Board. 
• Judgment & Discretion: Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive, confidential, and security-related information with sound judgment. 
• Ethics & Conflict-of-Interest Awareness: Understanding of, or ability to quickly learn, the ethical standards required of public-agency employees, including conflict-of-interest disclosure and gift/vendor-hospitality rules, given this role's significant exposure to vendors. 
• Real Estate & Property Systems Literacy: Familiarity with real estate development, asset management, or property-management systems strongly preferred. 

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE 

• Bachelor's degree in information systems, computer science, business administration, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience. 
• Minimum of seven (7) to ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in enterprise systems, IT leadership, or information-technology management, including experience directing outsourced IT or managed service providers. 
• Demonstrated experience leading Microsoft 365 and SharePoint implementations, including information architecture, governance, and permissions design. 
• Experience managing specialized technology consultants and vendors on defined implementation projects. 
• Experience developing multi-year technology roadmaps and budget/total-cost models. 
• Experience with cybersecurity governance, access management, or business continuity planning. 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Experience in housing, real estate development, property management, or asset management systems. 
• Experience preparing an organization to bring an outsourced function (e.g., property management) in-house. 
• Experience supporting a Board of Directors' information and governance needs. 
• Experience supporting Washington State Auditor's Office (SAO) accountability audits or other public-agency financial/compliance audits. 
• Experience with DRS/PERS reporting or other Washington public-sector HRIS and payroll compliance requirements. 
• Familiarity with AI governance frameworks and emerging AI tools in an enterprise setting. 
• Relevant certifications (e.g., PMP, Microsoft 365 Certified, CISSP, or similar). 
• Experience working in a small or growing nonprofit, public agency, or Public Development Authority. 

OTHER REQUIREMENTS 

• Must pass a background check. 
• Ability to adapt to shifting priorities and take on additional responsibilities as the role and organization evolve. 
• Ability to work occasional evenings to support Board information-environment needs or time-sensitive system implementations. 
• As an employee of a Public Development Authority, this role is subject to Washington's Code of Ethics for Municipal Officers (RCW 42.23) and to SSHD's conflict-of-interest disclosure and gift/vendor-hospitality policies. Given this role's significant exposure to vendors and technology procurement decisions, strict adherence to these standards is required. 
• As a condition of employment, employees of Seattle Social Housing Developer are generally prohibited from residing in housing that is owned, developed, operated, or managed by SSHD, except where SSHD has approved a limited operational exception.  

OUR CULTURE OF CONSTRUCTIVE CLARITY 

We are carrying out a bold mandate, which requires us to be exceptionally honest and clear with one another. We actively value different perspectives and expect our team members to share constructive disagreements and challenge ideas during our planning stages. We know that brilliant minds process and share information differently. Whether you prefer to speak up in a meeting, share written feedback after digesting a proposal, or discuss ideas one-on-one with your manager, we welcome and support your communication style. What matters most to us is that we don't ignore unresolved issues. Once we have weighed all viewpoints and made a decision, we align and move forward as a unified team. If you value transparency, structured feedback, and committing to shared goals, we would love to have you join us. 

BUILDING EQUITY THROUGH HOUSING AND HIRING 

As part of Seattle Social Housing's overall commitment to racial equity, we work for affordable housing development that is grounded in justice. We see the hiring of this position, and all positions, as an opportunity to be a more equitable and racially just organization. 

Seattle Social Housing is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status. People of color, Native and Indigenous people, trans and LGBQIA people, people with disabilities, and other individuals who bring critical perspectives from historically marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply.