Chief Information/Technology Officer

Description

W.S. Darley & Co is seeking a Chief Information/Technology Officer (CITO) to join its leadership team. 

This role is accountable for setting direction, prioritizing initiatives, and ensuring technology investments align with business strategy across all operating divisions. The position emphasizes leadership, organization, governance, and decision-making and will play a critical role in shaping Darley’s future, serving first responders and defense customers worldwide. 

In this role, the CITO delivers decisive leadership across technology operations, people leadership, customer engagement, and vendor relations, fostering strong credibility with internal teams, Darley Executive Leadership team, and external partners. The role oversees all aspects of IT strategy, cybersecurity, ERP (JD Edwards) optimization, infrastructure, data architecture, analytics, automation, and AI-based transformation initiatives.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in people and project management, with proven experience leading teams, prioritizing initiatives, and delivering results across complex environments.

This role requires familiarity with enterprise technologies, including CRM platforms (Salesforce or similar), ERP systems (JD Edwards or similar), AI, data architecture, cybersecurity (CMMC), and automation, with the ability to align these capabilities to business goals.

About W.S. Darley & Co: Founded in 1908, W.S. Darley & Co. (Darley) remains a family owned and operated business, supplying the highest quality equipment solutions to its military and first responder customers. With origins in the equipment distribution and Midwest manufacturing, Darley offers a family of leading innovate emergency equipment brands and innovative solutions. Darley prides itself on delivering the highest quality solutions and services from its corporate headquarters in Itasca, IL and its’ ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturing operations in Chippewa Falls, WI and Janesville, IA.

Darley Defense, a division of the W.S. Darley company, specializes in using existing contracts to distribute products and services to the Federal Government. Darley Defense specializes in special operational equipment and fire and emergency services.

Requirements

Executive Leadership

• Serve as the executive owner of technology strategy and priorities, representing technology and systems to the Executive Leadership Team. 
• Communicate technology priorities, risks, and progress in clear, business-focused terms to executives and stakeholders including Board of Directors and Advisory Boards.
• Act as a trusted advisor to leadership on where technology can (and should not) be used to drive value.

Strategic Leadership & Alignment

• Develop and execute a comprehensive, multi-year technology and product strategy/roadmap aligned with the company’s      business objectives and growth plans.
•  Maintain a holistic view of technology initiatives across all business divisions, understanding operational needs, dependencies, and constraints. 
• Establish and manage a clear prioritization framework to determine what initiatives should be worked on, deferred, accelerated, or stopped. 
• Make informed tradeoff decisions between cost, risk, speed, and business value.

Financial Leadership

• Develop and manage a comprehensive technology budget (OPEX + CAPEX). 
• Implement cost optimization initiatives (cloud cost control, vendor consolidation, automation).
• Evaluate, prioritize and recommend technology investments; forecast future technology expenses based on business growth, ROI and strategy.
• Support capital investment strategy and M&A due diligence. 
• Negotiate large scale contracts; oversee licensing strategies to ensure compliance and cost efficiency.
• Maintain strong vendor relationships to optimize resources and deliver value.

People Leadership, Talent Strategy, & Organizational Development

• Create a clear technology organizational structure aligned to business strategy and future business needs.
• Shift the organization from reactive support to a proactive, product-centric delivery model.
• Foster a culture of learning, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Set performance expectations, KPIs, and frameworks for evaluating team and individual success.
• Lead and mentor IT team; develop next generation of technical leaders, emphasizing technical, leadership, and cross-functional skill development.

Technical/Operational Excellence and Risk Management

• Oversee the design, development, and deployment