Interim Chief Technology Officer (CTO) — Modernization, Stabilization & Scalable Architecture
Location: Remote with travel as needed (preference for candidates located in the DFW metro area; increased onsite presence during first 45–60 days)
Engagement Length: 6-month interim engagement with extension potential
Industry: Private Equity–Backed Platform Company Undergoing Rapid Growth & System Strain
Reporting Structure: Reports to CEO & PE Operating Partner; partners closely with CFO, COO, Head of Product, IT Infrastructure Manager, and external technology vendors
Position Overview
A high-growth, private-equity–backed operating platform is seeking an Interim Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to stabilize its fragmented technology environment, modernize core systems, and build a scalable architecture capable of supporting accelerated expansion, multi-site operations, and upcoming M&A activity.
The organization is currently facing challenges including legacy systems, limited data visibility, inconsistent workflows across sites, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and a lack of unified governance around applications and infrastructure. The incoming CTO will provide immediate leadership, restore stability, reset IT discipline, and design a future-state roadmap aligned with the company’s growth strategy and PE sponsor expectations.
This engagement requires a hands-on, execution-oriented technology leader with the ability to diagnose quickly, prioritize ruthlessly, build technical alignment across functions, and deliver measurable improvements in system reliability, data quality, cybersecurity posture, and technology-driven productivity.
Key Responsibilities
Technology Stabilization & Near-Term Command
- Conduct a rapid assessment of the full tech stack — infrastructure, applications, cybersecurity, integrations, data pipelines, and IT support maturity.
- Develop a 90-day stabilization plan addressing outages, workflow bottlenecks, critical vulnerabilities, and high-impact user pain points.
- Implement change-management discipline, ticketing structure, incident-response protocols, and enterprise-wide communication standards.
Systems Modernization & Architecture Redesign
- Establish a scalable architecture to support multi-site operations, M&A integration, and increased transactional volume.
- Evaluate ERP, CRM, field-service tools, cybersecurity tools, and data-warehouse solutions; recommend modernization or replacement path.
- Lead vendor assessments for infrastructure, SaaS platforms, and managed service providers.
Data, Reporting & Business Intelligence
- Improve executive and operational visibility through standardized dashboards, KPI alignment, and automated reporting.
- Strengthen data governance, ownership, and system-of-record clarity across finance, operations, supply chain, and field teams.
- Design a roadmap for enterprise data architecture capable of supporting forecasting, cost analysis, customer insights, and operational efficiency.
Cybersecurity & Risk Mitigation
- Conduct a gap analysis of current cybersecurity posture; implement high-urgency protections including MFA, endpoint security, and SOC monitoring.
- Develop policies covering access control, vendor management, data protection, disaster recovery, and business continuity.
- Partner with legal and compliance to ensure readiness for audits, lender reporting, and PE governance reviews.
IT Team Leadership & Operating Rhythm
- Reset expectations, clarify roles, and establish an accountable operating cadence for internal IT staff and third-party providers.
- Build scalable SOPs for support workflows, project execution, system administration, and vendor management.
- Mentor and elevate IT leadership to prepare the organization for a permanent CTO or long-term technology leader.
M&A Integration Readiness
- Develop Day 1 readiness templates, integration playbooks, and repeatable frameworks for onboarding new acquisitions.
- Standardize application footprint, hardware, cybersecurity protocols, and data structures to minimize future integration complexity.
Qualifications
- 12–20+ years of progressive technology leadership, ideally within PE-backed, multi-site, or rapidly scaling environments.
- Demonstrated success stabilizing complex IT environments and modernizing core systems under time-sensitive conditions.
- Strong architectural expertise across ERP, CRM, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and integration frameworks.
- Track record of building IT operating discipline, governance structures, project management rigor, and cross-functional alignment.
- Hands-on, execution-first mindset with the ability to operate at both strategic and tactical levels.
- Experience supporting M&A integration and building repeatable technology playbooks is strongly preferred.
Engagement Model
- 6-month interim engagement with potential for extension or conversion depending on long-term needs.
- Remote with travel, with heavier onsite involvement during early assessment and key execution checkpoints.
- High visibility to CEO and PE sponsor with structured weekly KPI reviews, milestone updates, and workstream reporting.
