About the organisation
* Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools (DLCS) supports 45 Catholic school communities across regional NSW, from Tweed Heads to Laurieton
* Serves 18,000 students and approximately 3,500 staff across a ~$400–500 million enterprise
* Four main office hubs: Tweed Heads, Lismore, Coffs Harbour, and Port Macquarie
* A mission-driven organisation that has undergone significant transformation over the past five years
Why this role exists
* A long-serving Technology leader is retiring after 27 years' service
* This is a deliberate step-change, the organisation is seeking a genuinely strategic CIO who can elevate technology's profile at senior leadership level
Key responsibilities - more detailed brief in candidate briefing pack
* Develop and maintain IT, data governance and AI strategies
* Manage the IT capital and operational budgets, ensuring maximum value and equity of service delivery across both large urban and small regional schools
* Drive the Cyber Security Framework aligned to the ACSC Essential Eight
* Establish data frameworks enabling evidence-based decisions for school leaders
* Plan and maintain secure, scalable infrastructure including WAN/LAN, cloud, and end-user devices
* Oversee helpdesk, device management, and technical support across regional and metro campuses
* Lead, coach, and develop the Technology team
* Build and manage strategic vendor and supplier relationships
What you'll bring
* Curious about and respectful of education, willing to learn before leading
* Proven experience at CIO or equivalent level, shaping strategy, influencing senior leadership teams/boards, and leading technology functions through transformation
* Strong personal expertise in cyber security, with the ability to independently assess organisational posture
* An exceptional listener and communicator
* Proven track record in large-scale digital transformation, data integration
* Experience implementing cyber security frameworks (NIST or ACSC Essential Eight)
* Expertise managing hybrid in-house and outsourced service models
* Calm, collaborative, and relationship-oriented by nature - this organisation runs on trust built slowly
* Genuine respect and alignment with the Catholic mission and ethos
* Experience in educational or not-for-profit settings is highly regarded but not required
For more information, please contact Matthew Nicholas at *******@lansonpartners.com.