Immigration shakes up IT after CIO departs

The Department of Immigration has reshuffled its top technology ranks after former CIO Matt Yannopoulos stepped down to join Health as its new CIO.

Matt Yannopoulos

Yannopoulos' former tech counterpart Randall Brugeaud will take a sideways step into the vacant CIO role, leaving his own spot as first assistant secretary in charge of the major capabilities division open to a newcomer.

The freshly expanded Immigration department - which merged with the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service at the start of this month - is now on the lookout for a new first assistant secretary to replace Brugeaud, and four 2ICs to lead a new data-driven intelligence team.

Brugeaud was CIO at Customs before the amalgamation, and split IT duties down strategic and operational lines with Yannopoulos when the two agencies were thrown together.

His major capability role oversaw all projects pushing new IT and non-IT capabilities into production, including data analytics advances and streamlined border clearance in airports.

The portfolio features 230 projects collectively valued at $125 million.

Meanwhile, the CIO role is responsible for maintenance and running the existing IT capabilities.

An Immigration spokesperson told iTnews Brugeaud will officially begin work as CIO on Monday.

The department is looking to fill his old role with a “strong conceptual thinker” boasting senior leadership experience. 

The government's public sector hiring freeze officially ended on July 1, meaning Immigration will have the option of recruiting from the private sector and other Australian governments for the first time in two years.

In the interim, Gavin McCairns - first assistant secretary of Immigration’s research and innovation group - will temporarily fill the major capability role.

At the same time, Immigration is also hiring executives to staff a new intelligence wing that will operate under Brugeaud’s eventual replacement.

It is searching for assistant secretaries to head up an intelligence development branch in charge of creating “data-driven solutions for application to the most challenging border security risks”, and an intelligence and information branch that will build an automated risk management platform for the Immigration portfolio.

The department also plans to hire two intelligence production analysts who will deliver assessments to the heads of the organisation.

“Relevant ICT, intelligence, information management and/or data analytics experience at a senior executive level will be invaluable,” to all positions, the job ad states.