Vice President of Information Technology

Position Summary: Vice President of Information Technology

Heritage Bank is a dynamic and innovative organization committed to fostering a positive and engaging workplace culture. We believe that our team members are our greatest asset, and we are dedicated to creating an environment where they can thrive both personally and professionally.

The Vice President of Information Technology serves as the senior technology leader, responsible for defining the technology strategy, driving operational excellence, and ensuring that technology capabilities align with Heritage Bank’s mission, regulatory obligations, and long-term business objectives. This role encompasses oversight of core banking and financial systems, digital banking platforms, enterprise applications, infrastructure, cybersecurity, integrations, and cloud services, along with general IT operations.

This position also functions as Heritage Bank’s de facto Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), governing security policies, controls, and risk management frameworks in alignment with regulatory requirements. The Vice President leads a multidisciplinary IT organization and is accountable for IT OPEX and CAPEX planning, vendor management, and strategic technology partnerships.

Core Responsibilities

• Technology Leadership & Strategy: Define, communicate, and execute Heritage Bank’s enterprise technology roadmap. Lead modernization initiatives across core banking platforms, digital banking, enterprise applications, infrastructure, security, and cloud services. Serve as the primary authority for cybersecurity governance, information security policy, and technology risk management. Evaluate emerging technologies and operational improvements to enhance efficiency, security, and scalability. Provide executive-level guidance to support growth, innovation, customer experience, and regulatory compliance. Establish governance frameworks to guide responsible adoption of automation, data, and advanced technologies.
• Core Systems, Enterprise Applications & Integrations: Oversee the performance, roadmap, and governance of core banking systems, digital banking platforms, CRM, loan origination and servicing systems, Microsoft 365, and other critical banking applications. Partner with business leaders to improve processes, strengthen data quality, and drive system adoption across all lines of business. Govern enterprise integrations, API strategy, automation solutions, and data exchange frameworks between internal and third-party systems. Ensure application lifecycle management, including upgrades, security, compliance, vendor management, and long-term architectural planning.
• Infrastructure, Security & Operations: Set enterprise architecture standards supporting availability, scalability, and regulatory compliance. Define performance benchmarks, uptime targets, and service levels for critical banking systems. Govern information security posture, risk frameworks, vulnerability management, and incident response. Direct business continuity, disaster recovery, and resiliency planning. Manage strategic vendor relationships and negotiations related to infrastructure, cloud, cybersecurity, and managed services, including servers, storage, networking, cloud platforms, backup/DR, identity and access management (IAM), and communications.
• Team Leadership, Budgeting & Governance: Lead, mentor, and develop IT staff across infrastructure, security, applications, and operations. Establish performance metrics and promote cross-training and succession planning. Manage IT operating and capital budgets in alignment with strategic priorities. Refine intake, prioritization, and project governance processes to ensure transparency and alignment with business objectives.
• Risk, Security & Compliance Support: Adhere to established cybersecurity, data security, and regulatory standards as defined in the FFIEC IT Examination Handbook. Support audits, regulatory exams, and documentation related to technology, data, and vendor controls. Identify and escalate risks, data issues, or system gaps and assist with remediation efforts.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with business units to align technology and data initiatives with operational needs and customer demands. Communicate technical concepts and data insights effectively to non-technical stakeholders. Support strategic planning and decision-making through the application of technology and data solutions.

Secondary Responsibilities

• Participates in all required BSA training and demonstrates knowledge of BSA relative to job responsibilities.
• Responsible for security as it applies to this position.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 12+ years of progressive IT experience, including 7+ years in senior leadership roles.
• Extensive experience with banking or financial services systems, Microsoft 365, identity management, and cloud platforms.
• Strong background in cybersecurity governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance.
• Familiarity with banking regulations, vendor management, and data security requirements.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple initiatives independently in a regulated environment.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and project management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior information security or security governance leadership experience.
• Experience overseeing application development or system implementation teams.
• Relevant certifications such as ITIL, CISSP, CISM, or PMP.
• Experience with core system modernization, digital banking transformations, or cloud migrations.
• Experience establishing governance frameworks for automation, data, or advanced technologies.

Key skills/competency

• IT Strategy
• Cybersecurity Governance
• Risk Management
• Regulatory Compliance
• Core Banking Systems
• Digital Banking Platforms
• Infrastructure Management
• Vendor Management
• Team Leadership
• Project Management