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.

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