Chief Information Officer

PRIMARY PURPOSE OF JOB

The Chief Information Officer (CIO) will serve in a senior leadership role, driving Southern Bank’s (Bank) information technology (IT) strategy to support and enable business development and customer experience initiatives, enhance operational efficiencies, and provide operational excellence to our team members, while protecting the Bank’s data and information systems. The CIO will align, develop, and deliver on the Bank’s Strategic Plan regarding information and communication technology, manage and enhance   existing infrastructure and robotic process automation, and lead bank committee(s) overseeing technology strategy and governance.

EXPECTATIONS OF ALL SOUTHERN BANK TEAM MEMBERS

• Southern Bank team members exhibit Southern Bank’s values, which can be remembered with the acronym FIRSTS. We teach our team members about our “values in action,” which give further examples of how we can live out Southern Bank’s values.
  • We act as a FAMILY – We know we’re not a related family, but we really care about people, both personally and professionally. We like knowing that our skills, our time, and our efforts contribute to the overall success of those we spend time with every day.
  • We move with INNOVIATION – We push for better ways to solve problems. We are not afraid of a challenge; we’re driven to develop new ideas and solutions using creativity and experience. We are committed to leading, devising new solutions for all kinds of obstacles.
  • We are ROOTED – We’re from here. These communities are our homes, and we are deeply invested in making our hometowns the best that they can be. We are firmly committed to success in the places where we’ve known people our whole lives.
  • We prioritize SERVICE – We put others above ourselves. We make intentional decisions and take action to benefit others, be it in our daily work with our customers and fellow team members, or in volunteering our time, money, and energy in our communities.
  • We build TRUST – We strive to be reliable and trustworthy, honest and transparent. We are dedicated to doing what’s best for our team members, our customers, and our communities, and they can be confident that we are who we say we are.
  • We are a source of STRENGTH – We have a capacity and resilience that has come through years of experience and growth. We are able to support those who count on us, and those who need us can rely on us.
• Ensures the confidentiality of customer non-public personal information and secures information systems to comply with bank regulations.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND PERFORMANCE AREAS

• Develop and implement the company’s information technology strategy in alignment with the bank’s strategic plan, business goals, and objectives;
• Participate in Board meetings, senior leadership team meetings, and strategic planning sessions, providing technology-related advice to assist in driving informed decision-making;
• Oversee the management of information technology operations, including policies, infrastructure, applications, cybersecurity and data management, to achieve consistent and reliable performance;
• Collaborate with other senior leaders to identify and prioritize technology initiatives that drive business value and improve customer and team member experience;
• Collaborate with other senior leaders and departments to ensure data is used effectively;
• Enhance and develop automation and RPA to drive operational efficiencies and enhance application delivery solutions for a positive team member experience;
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, industry standards, and best practices in information technology governance and data security;
• Manage information technology budget, resources, and vendor relationships to maximize technology investments and performance;
• Analyze current IT spend and identify opportunities to enhance existing platforms or evaluate new solutions that will support the Bank’s overall strategic initiatives;
• Oversee the organization’s data strategy, ensuring data quality and adherence to governance standards, and driving business value through data analytics;
• Is a leader in the Bank’s digital transformation including the migration to cloud platforms, API-driven architectures and other emerging technologies, cost reduction, and revenue generation;
• Develop KPIs to monitor and govern IT resources, security, productivity, and performance trends to prioritize initiatives;
• Recruit, retain, and develop the IT team, fostering a culture that reflects Southern Bank’s values;
• Oversee the development and testing of disaster recovery and business continuity plans to ensure minimal disruptions in service during crisis;
• Serves as the IT team leader in bank acquisitions; identifies technology gaps and ensures seamless transitions for customers and team members;
• Serves as the IT team leader in external reviews (audits, exams) and other engagements.
• Evaluates the technological impact of new programs, projects, and regulatory changes, advising on both risks and benefits; and
• Ensures rollout of new systems have the appropriate timelines and training plans.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Thorough knowledge of relevant data technologies and regulatory expectations of financial institutions;
• Strong understanding of information technology and IT systems, including core banking systems;
• Strong understanding of IT infrastructure, applications, cybersecurity, data management and data protection best practices in the regulated financial services industry;
• Demonstrated ability to: lead banking organizations through systems mergers; lead large-scale digital transformation initiatives in a financial services organization; lead organizations in use of cloud computing and API architecture; utilize robotic process automation to drive efficiency improvement;
• Excellent strategic thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills, including the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all organizational levels;
• Excellent leadership and mentoring skills;
• Excellent program management skills; and
• Embraces change. Ability to lead IT team and other teams through change.

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum of bachelor’s degree, master’s degree preferred in information technology management, computer science, business administration with appropriate emphasis, or other highly relevant field; or an appropriate combination of education and demonstrated experience and leadership may be considered in lieu thereof; and
• Minimum 10 years of experience in administration of information systems and technology within a growing financial institution, preferably in a larger financial institution ($5 billion or more), with increasing levels of responsibility throughout tenure, to include demonstrated leadership, management, and communication responsibilities.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Exhibits Southern Bank’s values, as further described through our values in action.

Building a Successful Team – Using appropriate methods and a flexible interpersonal style to help build a cohesive team, facilitating the completion of team goals.

Lending Through Vision and Values – Keeping the organization’s vision and values at the forefront of associate decision making and action.

Strategic Decision Making – obtaining information and identifying key issues and relationships relevant to achieving a long-range goal or vision; committing to a course of action to accomplish a long-range goal or vision after developing alternatives based on logical assumptions, facts, available resources, constraints, and organizational values.