Deputy Chief Technology Officer

State of Oklahoma•Oklahoma City, OK

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Deputy Chief Technology Officer (Deputy CTO) serves as the senior second-in-command within the agency’s technology leadership structure, providing executive oversight of enterprise architecture, large-scale vendor performance, and the technical integrity of OHCA’s modernization initiatives. Acting as a strategic guardian for the agency’s technical future, this role is a high-stakes partnership designed to ensure complex technology efforts are architecturally sound and executed with relentless discipline. The Deputy CTO translates the CTO's strategic "Intent" into practical "Implementation". This is achieved through three critical functions: reducing operational noise by filtering chaos, protecting the CTO's focus by serving as the primary technical escalation point for vendor risks, and ensuring execution discipline to prevent the accumulation of technical debt. The Deputy CTO is expected to pressure-test the leader’s strategy privately, but once a path is set, fully own the execution publicly without undermining the leader’s credibility.

Requirements

This position requires advanced knowledge of enterprise technology architecture, systems integration, data governance, and large-scale technology implementations within complex public-sector environments.
The role serves as a trusted thought partner who balances strategic vision with disciplined execution to support OHCA’s technology modernization initiatives.
Success in this position requires the ability to translate long-term transformation goals into actionable implementation plans (Strategic Mindset), navigate and coordinate complex multi-system and cross-agency initiatives (Manages Complexity), and maintain structured oversight of major vendors and technology initiatives to ensure accountability, compliance, and technical integrity (Ensures Accountability).
The role also requires strong technical acumen (Tech Savvy) and the ability to build alignment across diverse stakeholders to advance enterprise technology priorities (Collaborates).
To be considered for this position your application must include a resume/CV with complete work and education history.
Bachelor’s degree and 7years of relevant professional experience in information technology, systems architecture, or technology leadership, including 4 years in a supervisory or senior leadership capacity OR An equivalent combination of education and experience as permitted by agency policy.

Nice To Haves

Experience overseeing large-scale Medicaid or health-related technology systems.
Experience managing or overseeing system integrators and major technology vendors.
Strong background in enterprise architecture, data integration, and interoperability.
Experience operating in complex government or public-sector environments, using institutional knowledge and political realities to drive alignment.
Demonstrated ability to lead through influence, framing impact over preference, and serving as an executive partner.

Responsibilities

Enterprise Architecture & Modernization Oversight (The Architectural Gatekeeper)
Provide senior oversight of enterprise and solution architecture supporting agency modernization initiatives, reviewing major decisions early to prevent fragmentation.
Act as an "Architectural Gatekeeper," ensuring all systems align with the target-state architecture and preventing short-term pressures from compromising long-term sustainability.
Enforce execution discipline to specifically prevent ad-hoc patches and "one-off solutions" that create technical debt.
Ensure modernization initiatives balance innovation with operational stability, particularly within Medicaid and eligibility systems.
Large-Scale Vendor & Contract Technical Oversight
Provide day-to-day executive-level technical oversight of the agency’s largest technology vendors, including Gainwell.
Ensure deliverables meet contractual standards specifically to prevent "vendor-driven design," where a platform's limitations dictate the agency’s business processes.
Manage vendor accountability using "facts over emotion," centering performance discussions on objective technical evidence and contractual expectations.
Oversee MMIS change orders and service requests from a technical quality, integration, and risk management perspective, identifying how delays impact downstream subsystems.
Systems Integration, Data, and Platform Governance
Oversee enterprise systems integration frameworks, including standardizing how MMIS and Nexus exchange data to reduce future rework.
Coordinate complex data initiatives across multiple state agencies (including OSDH, DHS, DMH, and Corrections).
Provide governance oversight of agency technology platforms, including ServiceNow and Artificial Intelligence.
Ensure AI and emerging technologies scale intentionally by aligning with Ethical AI principles, security requirements, and agency policy.
Risk Management, Institutional Learning & Technical Readiness
Operate with a high degree of autonomy using a disciplined escalation framework based on risk tolerance, time sensitivity, and financial/political impact.
When escalating issues to the CTO, provide "options, not emergencies"—delivering clear summaries, documented assumptions, and viable mitigation paths.
Surface technical risks early to leadership before they become "go-live" emergencies.
Mandate Institutional Learning as a governance requirement by documenting the "root causes" of incidents to update future standards and ensure the organization "gets smarter".
Executive & Cross-Agency Collaboration (Influence Without Overreach)
Act on behalf of the Chief Technology Officer in executive, interagency, or vendor forums as delegated, acting with complete authority within defined guardrails.
Navigate the history and culture of OHCA by leading through "influence over authority," respecting historical constraints, and earning alignment through data and examples.
Translate complex technical issues into clear, concise, and decision-ready information for executive leadership, keeping the executive conversation focused on decision-making rather than problem-discovery.
Other duties as assigned.