Airservices Australia to reintroduce CIO role

Aviation services agency Airservices Australia wants to hire a chief information officer two years after scrapping the position as part of a restructure.

The reintroduction of the role is part of a broader realignment of the agency's operating model that began with Jason Harfield’s appointment as Airservices chief executive in March.

The restructure - part of the broader 'Accelerate' transformation program - is intended to make the agency more efficient by reducing the amount of internal bureaucracy.

The change sees the number of senior executive positions directly reporting to the CEO culled from nine to six, including the newly reinstated CIO role.

The incoming CIO will be given responsibility for crafting the agency’s whole-of-enterprise future technology strategy, while also overseeing existing systems and leading the information management and technology (IM&T) group.

“A cornerstone of our new operating model is putting an enterprise information management strategy at the forefront of our business which will integrate and make changes in several key areas to build our capability to rapidly deliver relevant and reliable information-based services," a spokesperson told iTnews.

“This includes the establishment of a CIO role which is the senior executive responsible for executing this important strategy."

Currently acting in the role is aviation IT veteran and former Jetstar CIO Christopher Seller, who has held numerous senior positions at Qantas including chief architect and head of operations. Immediately prior to his appointment, he was the director of infrastructure operations at Westpac.

“The focus of Accelerate is to enable us to become a more efficient service provider, focused on being agile and responsive to the changing needs of our customers,” the agency said in an advertisement for the role.

“To help us achieve this goal, we have implemented a simpler operating model based on customer needs, with less bureaucracy and more accountability; developed new ways of managing assets and projects; and modernised our systems and technology to position for success.”

Applications for the Canberra-based position close September 4.

The agency's last CIO was Gordon Dunsford, who departed in early 2014. The agency subsequently opted to abolish the position and move responsibility for IT under the head of engineering.

The function was overseen by Mark Rodwell until October 2015, when it was taken over by risk management boss Michelle Bennetts.

Airservices Australia is responsible for 29 air traffic control towers at international and regional airports carrying 140 million passengers each year, along with aviation rescue fire fighting services at 26 Australian airports.

The agency is currently involved in a $600 million project called OneSky which will overhaul Australia's civil and military air traffic management systems.