What does a chief technology officer do?

The job of chief technology officers (CTOs) is to oversee the technological needs and research and development of an organization. The CTOs, who are like chief information officers, make decisions for a company's technology infrastructure that aligns with the organization's business goals. They must ensure that they are updated on new and existing technologies for them to guide the company's future endeavors. Other responsibilities include fixing issues related to information technology, developing and managing the company's technological resources, and participating in management decisions on corporate governance.
Chief technology officer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real chief technology officer resumes:
- Implement, manage and customize Salesforce, a CRM system, allowing the company to convert sales leads into opportunities.
- Manage windows and linux servers.
- Manage patches and security on windows and RHEL/CentOS systems.
- Develop and manage a complete network solution featuring EMC, Cisco and VmWare solutions.
- Design, manage, and analyze PPC, SEO, strategies for internet marketing.
- Manage computer operations, end-user computing, PC support, network systems and voice telecommunication systems.
- Design and implement JSON message base API and infrastructure for integration with mobile applications.
- Deliver a prototype next generation OTT video service base on AWS infrastructure and open source/3rdparty components in 4 months.
- Design the enterprise cloud base architecture addressing all aspects of investment advisory practice management inclusive of insurance illustration and administration processing.
- Implement the solution afterwards to the desktop.
- Create processes and procedures base on the ITIL framework.
- Serve as CTO, program director and development manager.
- Implement incentives for staff and management to become ITIL certify.
- Represent CTO office on cross bank web and mobile initiatives.
- Reformat bracket page - includes custom css for each bracket generate.
Chief technology officer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 8% of Chief Technology Officers are proficient in Infrastructure, Cloud, and Architecture. They’re also known for soft skills such as Management skills, Problem-solving skills, and Time-management skills.
We break down the percentage of Chief Technology Officers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Infrastructure, 8%
Worked with a client to re-architect their identity and access management infrastructure, including the identification of implementation phases and design.
- Cloud, 7%
Designed the enterprise cloud based architecture addressing all aspects of investment advisory practice management inclusive of insurance illustration and administration processing.
- Architecture, 7%
Redesigned distributed systems and database-driven architecture.
- Python, 6%
Develop dealer management system in Python.
- Java, 5%
Developed or directed development of improvements to existing mobile applications for Droid using Java and Eclipse.
- C++, 5%
Web based applications on WebLogic/J2EE and Call Center applications in C++, which combined CTI on a thick client server model.
Common skills that a chief technology officer uses to do their job include "infrastructure," "cloud," and "architecture." You can find details on the most important chief technology officer responsibilities below.
Problem-solving skills. Many chief technology officer duties rely on problem-solving skills. "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization," so a chief technology officer will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways chief technology officer responsibilities rely on problem-solving skills: "operated as product development lead on parallel multi-million dollar java software engineering projects / solutions. "
Time-management skills. This is an important skill for chief technology officers to perform their duties. For an example of how chief technology officer responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a chief technology officer: "designed and developed algorithmic options volatility trading software using java & interactive brokers on time and within budget. ".
Communication skills. A big part of what chief technology officers do relies on "communication skills." You can see how essential it is to chief technology officer responsibilities because "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical chief technology officer tasks: "design overall technology vision, commercial software product development for telegea inc., servicing the telecommunication service providers sector. "
Leadership skills. Another common skill required for chief technology officer responsibilities is "leadership skills." This skill comes up in the duties of chief technology officers all the time, as "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." An excerpt from a real chief technology officer resume shows how this skill is central to what a chief technology officer does: "provided technical leadership to account management team and worked with clients on integrating our saas solution with their in-house systems. "
The three companies that hire the most chief technology officers are:
- Oracle158 chief technology officers jobs
- Deloitte37 chief technology officers jobs
- Snowflake Computing34 chief technology officers jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable chief technology officer resume templates
Build a professional chief technology officer resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your chief technology officer resume.Compare different chief technology officers
Chief technology officer vs. Director of software development
A director of software development is primarily in charge of overseeing the workflow and the workforce involved in the entire software development process. Their responsibilities also include creating strategies for optimal performance, coordinating with different teams and departments to identify strengths and weaknesses, implementing training and workshop programs, and liaising with external agencies, including key clients. Furthermore, as a director, it is essential to lead and encourage the team to reach new heights.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between chief technology officers and director of software development. For instance, chief technology officer responsibilities require skills such as "architecture," "digital transformation," "technology strategy," and "technology solutions." Whereas a director of software development is skilled in "software engineering," "tcp ip," "debugging," and "continuous integration." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Directors of software development earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $163,503. On the other hand, chief technology officers are paid more in the telecommunication industry with an average salary of $183,468.The education levels that directors of software development earn slightly differ from chief technology officers. In particular, directors of software development are 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a chief technology officer. Additionally, they're 2.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Chief technology officer vs. Director of information management
A director of information management is an information technology expert in charge of spearheading the efforts to manage and develop information systems. Their responsibilities revolve around setting goals and objectives, handling budgets, identifying the company's needs, and performing research and analysis to determine the best practices to optimize business operations. They must also keep up with the latest trends in technology and data security for continuous innovations. Furthermore, as a director of information management, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, chief technology officer responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "python," "java," "c++," and "c #." Meanwhile, a director of information management has duties that require skills in areas such as "oversight," "patients," "portfolio," and "risk management." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, directors of information management earn a lower salary than chief technology officers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, directors of information management earn the most pay in the health care industry with an average salary of $137,507. Whereas chief technology officers have higher pay in the telecommunication industry, with an average salary of $183,468.directors of information management earn similar levels of education than chief technology officers in general. They're 4.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Chief technology officer vs. Director, network operations
As a network operations director, you will be responsible for overseeing the availability and overall performance of a company's network. You will perform varied tasks that include analyzing the network and recommending changes or upgrades, ensuring compliance to best practices, promoting continuous information operations, and overseeing other technical resources. A network operations director is expected to provide expertise in networking and operating system and project management. You are responsible for managing all vendor-related support contracts for software, hardware, and connectivity.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a chief technology officer is likely to be skilled in "infrastructure," "cloud," "architecture," and "python," while a typical director, network operations is skilled in "network management," "network development," "ipa," and "gap analysis."
Directors, network operations earn the highest salary when working in the hospitality industry, where they receive an average salary of $150,612. Comparatively, chief technology officers have the highest earning potential in the telecommunication industry, with an average salary of $183,468.When it comes to education, directors, network operations tend to earn similar degree levels compared to chief technology officers. In fact, they're 0.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 3.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Chief technology officer vs. Vice president of engineering
A Vice President Of Engineering manages all aspects of the company's engineering product development activities. They are responsible for strategic planning, production designing, quality assurance, and problem resolution.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between chief technology officers and vice presidents of engineering, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a chief technology officer might have more use for skills like "digital transformation," "technology strategy," "web services," and "sql server." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of vice presidents of engineering require skills like "ul," "customer service," "sql," and "product management. "
Vice presidents of engineering enjoy the best pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $141,200. For comparison, chief technology officers earn the highest salary in the telecommunication industry.In general, vice presidents of engineering hold similar degree levels compared to chief technology officers. Vice presidents of engineering are 1.3% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 1.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of chief technology officer
Updated January 8, 2025











