Description
Hope Walks is seeking an experienced, senior-level technology leader to serve as a Fractional Technology Advisor (vCIO) during a critical period of organizational growth. Hope Walks now operates with the digital complexity of a much larger organization, supporting clubfoot treatment and holistic family care across 15 countries, a growing fundraising technology stack (Virtuous/Salesforce), a child-level data system (PATH on DHIS2), and emerging AI applications.
This is a strategic, roadmap-building role, not a day-to-day operations role. The Advisor's job is to help Hope Walks think clearly about priorities: to translate a long list of legitimate technology needs into a realistic, sequenced plan the organization can actually afford and execute, given that Hope Walks is spread across 15 countries and cannot responsibly pursue full compliance or enterprise-grade security everywhere at once.
The Advisor will work in close partnership with the Manager of Technology & Data (a full-time hire), co-executing the roadmap's foundational infrastructure work directly alongside that person before transitioning into a coaching and advisory role. The engagement is intended to be front-loaded —intensive during the assessment, roadmap development, and initial build period—before stepping back gradually into a lighter, ongoing advisory capacity.
Technology & Data Roadmap Development
- Assess Hope Walks' current global technology, data, and vendor environment across programs, fundraising operations, and administrative functions.
- Develop a 3-year technology and data roadmap connecting organizational strategy to program delivery, patient/impact data, finance, HR, development and donor reporting, data protection, cybersecurity, and AI.
- Deliver a detailed, actionable first-year implementation plan; provide a directional (not fully scoped) investment strategy for years two and three.
- Identify and prioritize the organization's most significant technology and data risks, including a clear articulation of the cost and risk of inaction.
Identity, Access & Infrastructure Strategy
- Co-execute the initial identity and access rollout directly alongside the Manager of Technology & Data, rather than only handing off a completed design.
- Define a target-state model for centralized identity, access management, and multi-factor authentication across all offices and country teams.
- Recommend organizational standards for systems of record, user onboarding/offboarding, administrative account controls, and device-management foundations.
- Prioritize which foundational infrastructure gaps must be closed before more advanced cybersecurity or compliance tools can be responsibly deployed.
Realistic, Risk-Based Data Protection Prioritization
- Develop a risk-based data protection framework that identifies which of the 15 countries carry the highest exposure, rather than assuming uniform compliance is achievable everywhere at once.
- Provide strategic direction for PATH/DHIS2 optimization in partnership with Hope Walks' existing PATH consultant, and help define a minimum viable global patient and program dataset.
- Recommend a sequenced approach to data governance policy that the Manager of Technology & Data can execute and maintain.
Vendor, Managed Services & Fundraising Technology Strategy
- Assess whether the scope of Hope Walks' existing managed services provider (MSP) engagement is appropriately sized for the organization's needs, and recommend adjustments.
- Assess the Virtuous/Salesforce integration and recommend a CRM and fundraising technology roadmap.
- Support vendor requirements development, proposal evaluation, and contract negotiation for major technology engagements.
AI and Emerging Technology Governance
- Develop a practical, right-sized framework for responsible AI and emerging technology adoption across Hope Walks.
- Recommend governance guardrails the Manager of Technology & Data can apply when evaluating new AI tools requested by staff.
Executive & Board Reporting
- Present the roadmap, prioritized risks, and investment recommendations to senior leadership and, as requested, the Board.
- Provide periodic advisory check-ins during the post-roadmap phase to support the Manager of Technology & Data and senior leadership as priorities evolve.