Census Bureau on the Hunt for New CIO

The Census Bureau, which has ambitious plans to use technology in the upcoming 2020 count, is looking for a new IT chief.

On Monday, the agency posted an opening for an associate director for information technology and CIO to oversee the agency's IT portfolio, according to the USAJobs posting.

Specific job duties include “driving the IT investment review process and assuming responsibility over the entire Census Bureau IT enterprise,” according to the post. The individual will also be responsible for recruiting top IT talent.

The CIO search comes at a very critical time in the preparation for the 2020 count.

Earlier this month, Census released its 2020 Census Operational Plan, which outlined its tech-infused techniques for 2020. If implemented successfully, these programs could make the counting of some 320 million people more efficient and cost effective, the bureau says. 

For example, the agency plans to equip 200,000 field workers with mobile devices rather than paper and pen. (Census attempted this for the 2010 count, but ultimately scrapped those plans.) Census also plans to allow people to fill out the decennial survey using the Internet.

The next few years is full of Census-related deadlines, including a test run slated for 2016 and a plan to complete end-to-end testing on mobile devices by 2018.

Applications for the CIO position will be accepted until Nov. 25. The position includes a salary of up to $183,300 per year and requires a top secret security clearance.

In addition to submitting a resume, applicants must speak to their past experience with such duties as managing large, complex IT programs and using IT to boost the delivery of services.

A panel of senior executives plans to review the applications and will select the best-qualified candidates, according to the post.

Previous CIO Brian McGrath served in the role beginning in 2009 but moved to a new post in the Justice Department a few months ago.

(Image via Gil C/Shutterstock.com)