VP, IT Strategy, Architecture & Governance & Technology Leadership

A top NYC financial institution is seeking a business-aligned, architecture-savvy IT leader to serve as a key partner to the Chief Information Officer (CIO). This is not a traditional infrastructure or operations manager role-it is a seat at the executive table. You will bridge business strategy and technology leadership, challenge assumptions, define enterprise technology architectures, and help shape the institution’s long-term digital trajectory. The ideal candidate brings a blend of strategic vision, regulatory fluency, governance expertise, and financial acumen, with the capacity to step in for the CIO as needed., Strategic IT Leadership & Architecture

• Drive the evolution of IT from an operational support function into a strategic, value-generating business partner.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, challenge proposed solutions, and define scalable, secure enterprise architectures aligned with business goals.
• Translate business unit strategies into sustainable technology roadmaps and multi-year investment plans.
• Engage executive business leaders to anticipate future technology needs, influence enterprise-level decisions, and build organizational trust.
• Serve as a direct deputy to the CIO, stepping in for leadership duties, board interactions, and executive steering committees as needed.

Governance, Risk & Regulatory Compliance

• Maintain strict alignment with NYDFS, FFIEC, OCC, FDIC, and international cybersecurity/privacy standards.
• Oversee first-line technology risk governance frameworks aligned with COBIT, NIST CSF, and ISO 27001.
• Lead regulatory examination readiness (e.g., FDIC/NYDFS target exams), coordinating evidence preparation, SME representation, and remediation.
• Establish and monitor enterprise technology risk metrics (KRIs/KPIs), executive risk scorecards, and control dashboards for senior leadership and the Board.
• Oversee policy, standards, and SDLC governance across core IT and cybersecurity domains.

Financial Management & Business Analytics

• Own the IT financial strategy, managing multi-million-dollar capital and operational budgets, forecasting, and expense controls.
• Perform advanced financial modeling in Excel to evaluate ROI, total cost of ownership (TCO), and technology investment allocation.
• Drive vendor management, contract negotiations, and third-party risk governance to optimize technology spend.

High-Impact Executive Communication

• Deliver clear, high-level presentations to C-suite executives, Board members, and regulatory examiners using advanced PowerPoint skills.
• Simplify complex technical, architectural, and risk concepts into actionable business insights.
• Craft executive reports, board materials, and operational scorecards with quantitative depth and executive polish.

Operational Oversight & Incident Command

• Provide high-level oversight of core banking platform stability, infrastructure reliability, and IT service delivery.
• Direct major incident escalation, post-incident root cause analysis (RCA), and sustainable remediation strategies.
• Maintain oversight of Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery (BCP/DR), and operational resilience programs.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field. Master’s degree or MBA strongly preferred.
• Industry Experience: 10 to 15 years of progressive IT experience strictly within banking or regulated financial services.
• Leadership Track Record: 4+ years in senior IT leadership roles (VP, Director, or Senior IT Manager level) demonstrating executive presence and strategic influence.

Specialized Knowledge & Competencies

• Banking Domain & Platforms: Solid familiarity with core banking and financial technology platforms (e.g., Summit, Montran, SWIFT, Midas, Actimize).
• Governance Frameworks: Strong expertise in COBIT, NIST CSF, ISO 27001, ITIL, and FFIEC architecture guidelines.
• Regulatory Landscape: Deep familiarity with NYDFS (Part 500), FFIEC, FDIC, and OCC regulatory expectations.
• Core Technical Grounding: Understanding of modern enterprise infrastructure and hybrid cloud operations (Windows/VMware, Dell PowerStore, Cohesity storage/backup ecosystems, networking, and ITSM platforms). (Deep technical hands-on infrastructure administration is not required; strategic architectural fluency is required.)
• Executive Tools: Advanced expertise in Microsoft PowerPoint for C-level storytelling and Microsoft Excel for advanced financial and data analytics.