Global Chief Information Officer (Atlanta)

Dentons is designed to be different. We are driven to always be the firm of the future, to challenge the status quo, and to provide holistic business solutions to our clients in new and innovative ways. We are the lightbulb moments. The bold ideas. We are the world's largest global law firm, with 12,000+ people across 80+ countries. Driven by the diverse perspectives of our people, our clients, and our communities, we combine local knowledge with global insight.

The Global Chief Information Officer (CIO) will lead the global technology function strategically, define a transformative vision, and provide high-impact leadership across a complex, multi-layered firm. This role is a strategic influencer tasked with aligning technology strategy to the global and regional business priorities and objectives.

The Global CIO will champion collaboration across regions, optimize business processes, enable inorganic and organic growth. They will oversee the cost-effective provision of shared services, global platforms, and vendor ecosystems, while ensuring technology security and regulatory compliance. The CIO will also work closely with the members of Global governance bodies (GMC, Global Board etc.) and all the Global Chiefs and in particular the Global Chief Finance Officer to manage complex budgets and billing structures and with the Global Chief Security Officer on technology security.

Responsibilities

Strategic Vision & Operating Model:

• Develop and implement a Target Operating Model for the firmwide Technology function(s), including clarifying accountability over governance, funding, and delivery and support frameworks.
• Create a 5-year technology roadmap aligned with the Global CEOs strategy and regional priorities.
• Influence and align regional and global stakeholders to ensure cohesive execution of technology initiatives.
• Lead and execute transformation efforts enabled by technology, as approved.

Shared Services & Global Platforms:

• Build upon the shared services already provided for the regions.
• Define and monitor SLAs for shared technologies and services provided to the regions.
• Oversee the provision and performance of global technology services, digital technologies, applications, and data services.
• Ensure seamless integration of global platforms.

Leadership & Collaboration:

• Lead and inspire a high-performing Global technology team; and align and inspire Regional IT leaders.
• Provide guidance on staffing and structuring to build upon and support the shared services delivery model.
• Foster cross-functional collaboration with practice, business, and security leaders.

Vendor & Financial Oversight:

• Manage Global vendor contracts, billing processes, and performance accountability.
• Identify opportunities to reduce costs through strategic sourcing.
• Partner with the Global Chief Finance Officer to navigate procurement and complex budget structures.

Security, Compliance & Risk:

• Collaborate with the Global Chief Security Officer to embed security and regulatory compliance into all technology initiatives and IT operations.
• Lead efforts to seek and retain compliance of managed technology assets with international cyber security standards including and not limited to ISO27001 and Soc2

Operational Excellence:

• Institute an IT Service Delivery model (e.g., ITIL) to maximize effectiveness and efficiency.
• Align tooling, policies, and standards to resolve gaps and drive modernization.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field.
• Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA), IT Management, Organizational Leadership, or Strategy; advantageous.

Required Experience:

• 15+ years in IT leadership roles, including:
• Leading firm-wide digital transformation
• Managing global IT operations and infrastructure
• Driving innovation and business process optimization
• 5+ years in executive-level roles (e.g., CIO, CTO, VP of IT) with direct reporting to C-suite leadership

Skills & Knowledge:

• Mastery of enterprise architecture, cloud platforms, and infrastructure.
• Knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks and data privacy regulations.
• Familiarity with AI and other emerging technologies.
• Experience with IT service management (e.g., ITIL), DevOps, and software development lifecycle.

Competencies & Critical Leadership Capabilities:

Strategic & Business Knowledge

• Global Strategy Alignment: Ability to align IT initiatives with both global and regional business strategies.
• Target Operating Model Design: Expertise in defining and implementing shared service delivery models.
• Technology Road mapping: Experience developing long-term technology plans (e.g., 5-year strategy).

Technical Expertise

• Enterprise Architecture: Deep understanding of scalable, secure, and compliant systems.
• Cloud Platforms: Proficiency in Azure, AWS, and hybrid environments.
• Cybersecurity & Compliance: Familiarity with global regulatory frameworks.
• Emerging Technologies: Awareness of AI., blockchain, and automation tools.
• IT Service Management: Experience with ITIL frameworks and service-level agreements (SLAs).

Operational & Financial Skills

• Vendor Management: Ability to negotiate, manage, and evaluate global vendor contracts.
• Complex Budgeting: Skilled in navigating multi-layered, cross-regional IT budgets and billing structures.
• Asset & Risk Management: Oversight of IT assets, technical debt reduction, and audit remediation.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Leading global teams and regional IT leaders in a matrixed environment.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Building trust and alignment across C-suite, regional, and functional leaders.
• Change Management: Driving transformation with empathy, clarity, and strategic foresight.
• Security Partnership: Collaborating with the Chief Security Officer to embed security into all IT operations.

Communication & Influence

• Executive Communication: Translating complex technical concepts into business language.
• Cultural Intelligence: Navigating diverse teams.
• Client-Centric Mindset: Prioritizing user experience and client outcomes in technology decisions.

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

Remuneration and benefits package will reflect the successful candidates experience and country where hired.