Defence seeks new CIO

Updated: Greg Farr unable to extend contract.

The Department of Defence is seeking a chief information officer to oversee the architecture, integrity and evolution of all its ICT systems, after five years with Greg Farr at the helm.

Farr joined the department in November 2007, after serving as second commissioner in the Australian Taxation Office. His five-year contract with Defence concludes this year.

A Defence spokesman told ITnews that there was "no opportunity" for Farr to extend his contract when it expires on November 18.

"He is planning on finishing the contract and will take a break and then look at opportunities next year," the spokesman said, without elaborating.

Intermedium first reported that he would leave the CIO post.

Defence has enlisted executive search firm EWK to recruit a CIO for "one of the largest and arguably the most complex ICT [roles] in Australia and the region".

In a job advertisement closing 5 August, Defence sought a CIO to lead its ongoing, whole-of-department ICT Strategic Reform Program.

"This seeks to radically reform ICT delivery to the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) as Defence moves to a Single Information Environment through a series of major innovations," it explained.

The department sought applicants with "substantial" leadership and management experience in a complex business or government technology related organisation.

It said applicants needed to have the “resilience and capability” to handle uncertainty, change and ambiguity in the formulation, integration, and implementation of ICT strategies.

The successful applicant could be contracted for up to five years.