NSW Education hunts new CIO

The NSW Department of Education is looking for a new CIO to head its IT directorate after current chief information and data officer Sandie Matthews moved to a new, undisclosed organisation last week. 

Matthews joined the department in August 2021, initially as CIO, before her role was expanded to chief information and data officer late last year.

A spokesperson for the department told iTnews that the advertised CIO role is the same role Matthews vacated on 13 July but added that “the department is reviewing the role of the chief data officer.”

The spokesperson did not reveal Matthews' next career move. Matthews also declined to comment.

Group director of infrastructure, network and cloud services Josh Roberts has been appointed interim CIO while a permanent replacement is sought.

The CIO sits in the department’s operations executive team; under the leadership of COO Ruth Owen, it’s responsible for improving student outcomes through service delivery. 

The department’s IT directorate has about 1500 staff and oversees the IT needs of 2200 public schools. 

The incoming CIO will work with a "recently agreed digital strategy and enterprise architecture", according to the job posting.

NSW Education’s digital strategy  “provides an overarching direction for the department’s transformation into a modern hybrid education system enabled by technology, data and services,” according to the Department’s 2022 annual report. 

Its “six strategic investment pillars” include: “cyber secure, data-driven insights, equitable access, evolved learning, seamless services, and simplified IT.”

Prior to Education, Matthews was CIO of the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet.

She has held executive positions with the City of Darwin, the Northern Territory Officer of Digital Government and Queensland Health.