CEN Chief Technology Officer

The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is a part of the CEN leadership team responsible for matching strategic direction to operational excellence, and continuous advancement of CEN's statewide network, platform, and security services. As a member of the leadership team, the CTO leads highly skilled engineering, operations, and systems teams, ensuring reliable day-to-day service delivery while shaping and executing long-term technology strategy aligned with CEN's mission to serve Connecticut's community anchor institutions connecting people and strategies. CEN is a small and nimble team, and this role exercises broad managerial discretion and authority with organization-wide impact on personnel, financial resources, and technology strategy in support of CEN and the University's mission. The ideal candidate will have a strong mission-oriented mindset, excellent leadership and supervisory skills, a deep understanding of advanced networking and information security technologies, and a dedication to service., + Provide operational oversight of CEN's statewide service provider class network.

• Ensure 24x7x365 operational excellence and escalation oversight for the NOC.

• Oversee capacity planning, resiliency, and lifecycle management.

• Lead cloud integration, peering, caching, and interconnection partnerships.

• Oversee cybersecurity architecture and threat mitigation.

• Oversee IAM to ensure secure, least-privilege, and auditable access across environments.

Financial & Operational Management

• Manage and forecast enterprise/service provider level capital and operating budgets.

• Track KPIs related to availability, performance, and member impact.

• Ensure disciplined project management, communication, and resource stewardship.

• Exercise decision-making authority with organization-wide impact for technical services.

• Mange technical contracts, KPIs, and ensure alignment with CEN value proposition.

Service Development & Innovation

• Lead or participate in development of new and enhanced member services.

• Lead technical development and responses to requests for proposals, quotes, etc.

• Sponsor major technology and transformation initiatives.

• Support grant proposals and technical outreach.

Member, Partner & External Engagement

• Build strong relationships with members, partners, and vendors.

• Communicate technology strategy to executive and non-technical audiences.

• Represent CEN in regional and national forums.

• Clearly articulate the value proposition of CEN services.

Work Environment

• Strong in-office presence with hybrid schedule available.

• Occasional off-hours work to support needs of the network and/or team.

• Travel required in state and region to support network and/or events.

Other duties as required

RELATED SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Problem Solving: Demonstrates advanced analytical and diagnostic capability in complex, service provider / enterprise-scale environments where problems may be ambiguous, data incomplete, or information distributed across systems and teams. Leads structured decision-making processes that translate analysis into timely, actionable outcomes. Breaks complex operational, technical, and organizational challenges into manageable components and drives solutions through to resolution. Proactively surfaces and directly addresses risks, constraints, and systemic issues until resolved, with a focus on resilience, scalability, and service continuity.

• Team Orientation: Builds and sustains high-performing, cross-functional teams and trusted relationships across technical, operational, institutional, and external stakeholder groups. Fosters cohesion across network operations, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and service delivery functions in pursuit of organizational and member objectives. Delegates effectively, balancing accountability with empowerment, and supports professional growth and succession planning. Demonstrate objectivity, openness to diverse technical perspectives, and a commitment to constructive feedback. Places organizational outcomes and member impact above individual interests. Provides executive leadership in establishing, interpreting, and evolving policies, technical standards, architectures, and governance frameworks where none exist or where modernization is required, consistent with CEN's mission as a statewide, mission-critical service provider.

• Planning, Prioritization, and Productivity: Leads enterprise, operations, and multi-year technology planning aligned with CEN's strategic goals, funding models, and member needs. Establishes clear priorities across concurrent initiatives, recognizing interdependencies between infrastructure, security, operations, and customer delivery. Ensure disciplined execution, appropriate documentation, and transparent reporting. Leverages productivity and collaboration platforms (e.g., Microsoft 365, Teams, Google Workspace, Visio) to enable distributed teams, operational coordination, and executive communication.

• Operational Environment and Physical Requirements

This role requires a strong in-office presence, with a hybrid work schedule available. The position involves extensive use of computer systems and collaboration tools, along with occasional physical activity related to meetings, site visits, infrastructure assessments, or emergency response coordination. Responsibilities may include periodic lifting of equipment and travel to CEN facilities, member sites, events, and/or partner locations as needed. A valid driver's license is required., + Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or similar field of study.

• 10+ years of progressive technology experience in a service provider, R&E, or large enterprise environment.

• 5+ years leading complex technical teams with responsibility for staff, structure, and performance.

• Experience operating mission-critical, high-capacity IP networks, including backbone and/or optical transport.

• Demonstrated ability to lead multi-year technology strategy aligned with mission, funding, and financial objectives.

• Experience providing executive oversight of 24x7 operations, resiliency, lifecycle, and cybersecurity architecture.

• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical strategy to executive, governance, and non-technical audiences.

• Demonstrated knowledge of network security services such as DDoS, Firewalls, Identity Access Management (IAM)., + Advanced degree (Master's or PhD).

• Experience in a (R&E) network, nonprofit ISP, or statewide/regional network.

• Experience in collaborating with large academic, state, and/or public sector institutions.

• Leadership of large-scale network builds or transformations (e.g., 100G/400G, optical, cloud integration).

• Proven success developing new services and leading technical responses to RFPs, RFQs, or grants.

• Project Management certification, training, and/or demonstrated experience.

• Experience overseeing SOC/SIEM, IAM, DDoS mitigation, or federated security services.

• Background in automation, telemetry-driven operations, and modern service-provider practices.

• Experience managing enterprise or service-provider capital budgets and vendor contracts.

• Relevant industry certifications in networking, security, or cloud.

SALARY/COMPENSATION

• $140,000 - $175,000 Annually; 40 Hour Work Week

• Final salary will be based on the successful candidate's background and experience., + Defined contribution with employer match or defined benefit program retirement options

• Excellent and affordable healthcare options

• 22 paid vacation days per year, in addition to paid sick leave and 13 paid holidays

• Employee and dependent tuition waivers

• A highly desirable work environment and work-life balance, This is a full-time, end-dated position with the possibility of renewal subject to performance and funding. The University offers a competitive salary, and outstanding benefits (https://hr.uconn.edu/benefits-leaves/benefits/health-benefits/) , including employee and dependent tuition waivers at UConn, and a highly desirable work environment.

Other rights, terms, and conditions of employment are contained in the collective bargaining agreement between the University of Connecticut and the University of Connecticut Professional Employees Association (UCPEA).

The Connecticut Education Network (CEN) is Connecticut's trusted, mission-driven Research and Education (R&E) network, delivering high-performance Internet connectivity and secure shared services to community anchor institutions statewide. For more than 25 years, CEN has supported education, research, healthcare, government, libraries, cultural arts, and open access organizations by providing resilient, scalable, and secure Internet and network service platform. Built on trust, partnership, collaboration, and high-quality service, CEN works closely with its members and peer research and education networks nationwide to drive unparalleled value for the communities we serve., All members of the University of Connecticut are expected to exhibit appreciation of, and contribute to, an inclusive, respectful, and diverse environment for the University community. The University of Connecticut aspires to create a community built on collaboration and belonging and has actively sought to create an inclusive culture within the workforce. The success of the University is dependent on the willingness of our diverse employee and student populations to share their rich perspectives and backgrounds in a respectful manner. This makes it essential for each member of our community to feel secure and welcomed and to thoroughly understand and believe that their ideas are respected by all. We strongly respect each individual employee's unique experiences and perspectives and encourage all members of the community to do the same. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, age, sex, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetic information, physical or mental disabilities, veteran's status, status as a victim of domestic violence and/or sexual assault and/or trafficking in persons as defined by Connecticut law, prior conviction of a crime, workplace hazards to the reproductive systems, or gender identity or expression. The University of Connecticut is an AA/EEO employer including for Disability and Veteran status.