Sydney Opera House to hire CTO

The Sydney Opera House is set to hire its first ever chief technology officer following a review of operations at the iconic performing arts venue.

During a review that began with the Opera House’s 40th anniversary in October 2013, the decision was made to consolidate its various technology-related teams under the new role, with existing team leaders reporting into the CTO.

The Opera House's ICT systems are currently divided between multiple teams, overseen by different executives.

The newly created executive position will be responsible for leading the management and development of ICT systems, infrastructure and operations for corporate, commercial, building and theatre-related activities.

While the Opera House previously employed a CIO, a spokesperson for the organisation said the position had been vacant for several years. Aspects of the role had been overseen by COO Claire Spencer, who left the organisation in October last year.

The spokesperson told iTnews that compared to other senior IT positions, there were many unique challenges with managing technology at the iconic venue.

“The Opera House hosts multiple performances 363 days of the year and receives about 8.2 million visitors annually,” the spokesperson said.

“Technology has an increasingly central role in all of these experiences. So the Opera House has a very broad range of technology systems, which must operate reliably and continuously to support our corporate, commercial, building and theatre-related activities.

“That ranges from the sale of tickets (on site, over the phone and online) to the delivery of shows (such as stage management desks and live streaming). The CTO must also develop innovative solutions to support our digital aspirations.”

Aside from leading the team responsible for maintaining these ticketing, show control and building maintenance platforms, the CTO will be responsible for the use of technology in other services like school education programs.

Over the longer term, a key part of the incoming CTO’s duties will be formulating a five-year technology plan for the venue.

“Technology is an essential enabler of everything we do. We want to unify our technology leadership and delivery, in line with the strategic importance of technology to our business,” a spokesperson said.

“The CTO will play an integral role in our efforts to renew the Opera House for future generations of artists, audiences and visitors.”

Full details of the position are available through the Jobs NSW website.