Chief Technology Officer

Job Description Summary

To directly oversee the operations of several departments which provide mission services and facilitate the smooth functioning of the entire operations of Young Life. This is a key member of the Operations Lead Team, reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and is instrumental in Young Life’s continued growth and opportunity for global impact. This role is responsible for guiding Young Life’s overall technical strategy, leading the technical teams, and works closely with key internal and external stakeholders, including the executive team, board, and influential donors. Oversees departments and titles such as: VP of IT, Enterprise Architect, Product Lead, Support Lead, IT Development, etc.

Essential Prerequisites for all staff members (from Young Life’s Bylaws – Article VII):

“Because of Young Life’s exclusive Christian purposes of evangelism and discipleship as set forth in its Articles of Incorporation and in these Bylaws, and to reflect what has always been and will continue to be the position of Young Life, specifically the Christian belief that each and every employee and volunteer of the corporation should minister as a servant of God with the primary responsibility of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and, as such, is an integral part of the Christian mission and ministry of the corporation, Young Life shall only employ individuals or enlist volunteer leaders who: (a) profess a belief in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord; and (b) subscribe to the statements and policies required of all Young Life staff, including the Young Life Statement of Faith. Therefore, employees and volunteers of Young Life, during working and nonworking hours, shall: (i) be ready, willing and able to fulfill such ministry functions as may be required by the organization; (ii) refrain from conduct and statements that detract from the biblical standards taught and supported by Young Life, and (iii) abide by all policies and practices of Young Life including, without limitation, those related to religious belief or ministry activities.”

Essential Tasks & Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

• Develop, maintain, and communicate a clear multi-year technology strategy aligned to organizational goals for a global ministry
• Serve as a thought partner to the COO, CEO, and Executive Team, translating mission objectives into actionable technology and product plans
• Integrate technology vision into the broader enterprise architecture and planning efforts
• Cultivate and steward relationships with technology-minded donors, connecting their passion for innovation with Young Life’s missional needs

Organizational Development

• Foster a globally minded technology culture that balances standardization with flexibility to meet the distinct needs of Young Life’s ministries around the world, including 6,500+ staff and 40+ physical properties
• Structure and resource technology teams for scale and effectiveness, including Corporate IT, Product Development, and Production Operations
• Evaluate and manage team capacity, implementing strategies to reduce cognitive load and expand capabilities for future growth
• Sets appropriate annual goals and monitors progress of key staff
• Prepares the technical department’s annual operating budget, monitors department’s performance on a monthly basis, and maintains an on-going forecast for year-end projections

Operational Excellence

• Define, measure, and improve service levels for critical systems (e.g. 99.95% uptime), and develop incident management procedures with clear accountability, response protocols, and performance metrics
• Build and operationalize a scalable security, risk, and compliance program (e.g., ISO 27001 readiness) tailored to the complexities of a global ministry, ensuring resilient systems across diverse infrastructures and regulatory environments
• Develop and execute a roadmap to reduce redundant platforms
• Lead business continuity planning and execution by developing strategies to mitigate risks that could disrupt technology access, including geopolitical events, natural disasters, and regulatory changes.
• Conduct regular vendor and partner reviews to ensure alignment with strategy and cost-effectiveness
• Ensure consistent communication and rollout execution around changes implemented at the global, department, and intra-team levels
• Design and scale a global technology practice that fuels Young Life’s mission in 110+ countries and serves the unique needs of staff, volunteers, donors, and alumni worldwide

Talent Development

• Attract, equip, and inspire high-performing teams through thou