Definition: What Is a CTO? – With a CTO Job Description

We uncover which job role is commonly referred to as CTO and give an example job description, laying out what is commonly expected from a CTO.

Definition

CTO stands for Chief Technology Officer. This person is in charge of developing and delivering an organization’s strategy for best utilizing technology.

A CTO will focus on ensuring that technological resources are used efficiently, effectively and securely. This is in regard to both customer experience and costs.

To do this, a CTO will test existing systems, while also considering how new systems and other infrastructure could help their organization to better meet their business goals.

Responsibilities and Duties of a CTO

If you work as a CTO, your day-to-day activities will include:

Building the company’s technology strategy and aligning it to organizational goals
Working with other departments to ensure that they are best using their technology
Pinpointing which technologies can yield the most benefit
Testing the organization’s technology continuously and tracking key KPIs
Ensuring data protection and that the company is meeting compliance targets
Developing parts of quality assurance criteria, to ensure employees are tested on how they are using technology
Monitoring the IT budget to ensure funds are being used appropriately
Talking through the technology strategy to stakeholders and partners.

The Top 3 Skills Needed for a Call Centre CTO

Technological knowledge – A CTO must be able to understand all the systems used within the organization, while knowledge of the latest technological trends is also important.
Economic – Understanding budgets and being economical in business planning are key skills for a CTO when they are looking to maximize current technological resources.
Analytic – Having the ability to evaluate the performance of technology and run analysis is key for an aspiring CTO. A CTO will also be expected to be analytical when researching new technologies.

Other skills that organizations will look for from a CTO include good communication and leadership skills, strategic thinking and problem solving, as well as an ability to stay organized.

Experience Required

To qualify for the position of a CTO, you will be expected to hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or Engineering. This would be expected to be a first-class or upper second-class degree.

In addition, any previous experience as a CTO – or a similar position – would prove invaluable for your application.