Deputy Chief Information Officer

Barnes & Thornburg · Indianapolis

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Summary:

The Deputy Chief Information Officer (Deputy CIO) serves as the operational anchor of the firm's Information Technology organization. Working in close partnership with the Chief Information Officer, this leader assumes responsibility over day-to-day technology operations, enabling the CIO to focus on artificial intelligence, technology strategy, knowledge management, innovation, and firm-wide digital transformation.

This is an externally visible, high-accountability role for a seasoned technology executive who brings both the operational discipline to run a complex, geographically distributed IT environment and the strategic acumen to position the firm for continued growth. The Deputy CIO directly leads the day-to-day operations of the firm and serves as the CIO's principal delegate across vendor relationships, budgeting, compliance, and staff development.

The ideal candidate has deep experience in legal technology environments and is energized by the unique operational demands of a top-tier AmLaw 100 firm — where speed, confidentiality, and service excellence are not optional.

Responsibilities:

Operational Leadership & Execution

• Exercise independent authority over IT operations across all 26 firm offices, ensuring consistent, reliable, and secure technology services for approximately 1,800 users.

• Serve as acting CIO in the CIO's absence, maintaining decision-making continuity across all IT functions.

• Establish and enforce operational standards, SLAs, and performance metrics across all four director-led teams.

• Drive IT incident response, business continuity planning, and disaster recovery across the firm's global footprint.

People & Director Leadership

• Provide direct leadership, mentorship, and performance management to four directors:

  • Director, Software Services — enterprise application portfolio including practice management, billing, and legal-specific platforms

  • Director, Systems — infrastructure, systems architecture, and integration services

  • Director, End User Support — helpdesk and deskside support across all offices

  • Director, Project Management Office — portfolio governance, project delivery, and resource planning

• Foster a high-performance, collaborative IT culture aligned with the firm's service expectations and professional standards.

• Partner with HR on workforce planning, succession planning, and talent acquisition across the IT organization.

Legal Technology Stewardship

• Oversee the firm's legal technology ecosystem, including but not limited to iManage (document management), Elite 3E (financial management), and related integration layers.

• Partner with Software Services and Systems Directors to manage platform lifecycles, upgrades, and vendor relationships for core legal systems.

• Evaluate emerging legal technology tools in coordination with the CIO and the Knowledge Management & AI group to ensure operational readiness precedes deployment.

• Maintain working knowledge key functions and solutions to inform prioritization and investment decisions.

Budget, Vendor & Contract Management

• Support IT operational budget development and management, including forecasting, cost management, and variance reporting in coordination with firm Finance leadership.

• Participate in vendor selection, contract negotiation, and ongoing relationship management for major technology providers.

• Identify cost optimization opportunities without compromising service quality or security posture.

Security, Risk & Compliance

• Coordinate with the firm's Information Security function, ensuring alignment with client security requirements and applicable data privacy regulations related to IT operational tasks.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Communication

• Act as the primary IT operational liaison to firm administration, including Finance, Human Resources, Client Growth, Integration and other operational teams

• Collaborate with the Knowledge Management & AI group to ensure that AI-powered tools integrate seamlessly into the operational technology stack.

• Communicate IT performance, project status, and risk posture to firm leadership in clear, non-technical terms.

• Represent IT at firm management meetings, partner retreats, and relevant industry forums as directed by the CIO.

Qualifications:

• 20+ years of progressive IT leadership experience, with at least 5 years in a senior director, deputy CIO, or equivalent operational leadership role.

• Demonstrated experience in an AmLaw 100 or 200 law firm, or a large professional services firm with comparable technology complexity.

• Hands-on familiarity with core legal technology platforms, including iManage or comparable DMS, Elite 3E or similar financial management systems, and supporting integrations.

• Proven track record managing multi-site, enterprise-scale IT operations (25+ locations preferred).

• Experience directly managing a team of directors or senior managers across heterogeneous technology disciplines.

• Strong financial acumen with experience owning multi-million-dollar technology budgets.

• Excellent executive communication skills — able to translate technical complexity for attorneys, firm leadership, and non-technical stakeholders.

• Deep understanding of cybersecurity principles and legal industry-specific compliance requirements.

• This role requires 4-5 days in office.

Preferred

• Experience operating in an environment where IT has a formal AI or digital transformation initiative underway.

• Familiarity with AI-adjacent operational challenges, including data governance, model deployment infrastructure, and AI tool evaluation frameworks.

• Relevant certifications such as PMP, ITIL, CISSP, or equivalent.

• Experience with iManage Cloud, Intapp, or other leading legal SaaS platforms.

• Prior exposure to legal industry groups such as ILTA (International Legal Technology Association).

Leadership Competencies

• Operational Excellence — Brings rigor, consistency, and accountability to complex, multi-site technology environments.

• Executive Presence — Commands credibility with firm leadership and serves as a trusted operational partner to the CIO.

• People Leadership — Develops and inspires director-level talent; creates clarity and alignment across the IT organization.

• Strategic Awareness — Understands how operational decisions enable or constrain AI and strategic initiatives led by the CIO.

• Judgment Under Pressure — Makes sound, timely decisions in high-stakes situations, including security incidents and major system outages.

• Collaborative Influence — Builds productive relationships across firm administration, practice groups, and vendors without direct authority.

Career Development

This role is explicitly designed as a pathway to the Chief Information Officer position. The firm is committed to developing the Deputy CIO through meaningful exposure to AI strategy, client-facing technology initiatives, and executive leadership forums. The Deputy CIO will participate in CIO-level briefings, firmwide strategic planning, and relevant peer networks to accelerate their readiness for the next step.

The above is intended to describe the general content and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of essential functions, responsibilities, or requirements.

Equal Employment and Opportunity Statement:

Barnes & Thornburg is committed to equal employment opportunity in both principle and as a matter of policy. We will recruit, hire, train, promote, compensate and provide benefits to all applicants and employees without regard to ancestry, sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, gender, age, religion, religious creed, mental and/or physical disability, medical condition, military and/or veteran’s status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state and local laws. This policy applies to all recruiting, hiring, promotions, upgrades, layoffs, compensation, benefits, terminations and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment. The firm complies fully with all federal, state and local equal employment opportunity laws.

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