NEW Director of Information Technology

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, computer science, management information systems, cybersecurity, business administration, public administration, or a related field.
• At least seven years of progressively responsible information technology experience, including at least three years of supervisory, management, or significant project leadership experience.
• Experience in several areas of information technology, such as network and systems administration, cybersecurity, infrastructure, enterprise applications, cloud services, budgeting, technology procurement, vendor management, and end-user support.
• An equivalent combination of education, professional certifications, training, and experience may be considered.

The Information Technology Department operates with an annual budget of more than $2 million and a five-person team, including the Director. The department supports 13 network-connected City locations, including Police and Fire operations and the City’s own 911/dispatch center. The City completed a major server refresh in 2025, with a network refresh budgeted for the current year. Forest Park also follows an established five-year computer replacement program designed to keep end-user equipment current and avoid the problems associated with aging technology. The department has experienced no employee turnover during the past five years and has received 100% positive results on internal IT customer surveys for the past two years. A managed services agreement provides additional expertise and capacity for specialized projects and escalated technical support. Most core City applications have moved to hosted or cloud-based environments. The primary exception is the public safety CAD/RMS environment, which remains on premises. SharePoint has been implemented Citywide, and an updated IT policy was recently approved by the Mayor and City Council.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a related field.
• Previous municipal, county, or other public-sector technology experience.
• Experience managing a small, multifunctional IT operation.
• Experience developing an IT strategic plan and multi-year technology replacement program.
• Experience with cybersecurity planning, incident response, disaster recovery, and business continuity.
• Experience with municipal enterprise systems, GIS, cloud environments, public safety technology, and related applications.
• Experience managing technology budgets, contracts, vendors, and major projects. • Professional certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CGCIO, PMP, ITIL, Security+, or similar credentials.

Challenges and Opportunities

1.Building on a Strong Foundation The next IT Director will not be walking into an organization that needs to rebuild its basic technology infrastructure. Much of that work has already been completed. The opportunity is to assess what has been accomplished, preserve what is working well, and determine where Forest Park should go next.

2.Cybersecurity and Resiliency Cybersecurity will remain an ongoing priority. With many core safeguards already in place—including SIEM, MFA, endpoint protection, mobile device management, network monitoring, and active security monitoring—the next Director can focus on continually strengthening the City’s security posture, testing preparedness, improving employee awareness, and keeping pace with changing threats.

3.Long-Range Technology Planning With an annual IT budget exceeding $2 million, the Director will have an opportunity to develop a longer-range technology roadmap that connects future investments to the City’s operational and financial priorities. The upcoming network refresh and established hardware replacement program provide a strong starting point.

4.Public Safety Technology Forest Park operates its own 911/dispatch center and supports both Police and Fire technology. The City’s CAD/RMS environment remains on premises. Maintaining reliable and secure public safety systems, while evaluating their longer-term technology needs, will continue to be an important responsibility.

5.Getting More from Technology With much of the City’s infrastructure modernized and many applications now hosted or cloud-based, the next phase can increasingly focus on getting more value from the systems and resources already in place. Working with the Technology Innovation Engineer and departments throughout the organization, the Director can identify practical opportunities for process improvement, automation, better use of data, system integration, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies.

6. Developing and Retaining a Strong Team The incoming Director will inherit an experienced and stable IT team, with no staff turnover in the past five years. Preserving this stability while supporting professional development, expanding cross-training opportunities, and effectively leveraging the City’s managed-services partner should remain a key priority.