Victoria's super-department CIO resigns

Chief information officer of Victoria’s Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Alex Jones, has left the public service to oversee IT for the group behind the state’s largest electricity distribution network.

A spokesperson confirmed that Jones has resigned to become the new CIO at Victorian power companies CitiPower, Powercor and United Energy, owned by Cheung Kong Infrastructure.

Jones will replace former CIO Chris Eriksen, who left CitiPower and Powercor in September to return to mining giant Roy Hill after a year-and-a-half in the role.

The department is now in the process of searching for a new executive to lead the technology services division, which handles delivery of ICT investment and services across the entire portfolio.

The agency is responsible for dozens of government entities, including Public Transport Victoria – which is also in the process of recruiting a new CIO – and VicRoads.

The new CIO will “lead the planning and implementation of enterprise ICT systems in support of business operations in order to improve cost-effectiveness, service delivery and business development”, as well as chair the department’s information management and technology governance committee.

Jones' replacement will need to be well versed in leading “a large and complex ICT function... in a diverse and changing environment”.

The department is offering the successful applicant a five-year contract with an annual package worth up to $333,582.

Last week an audit of disaster recovery processes found that DECJTR was one of five agencies that would be incapable of recovering all its critical systems in the event of a disruption.