Chief Operating Officer
Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)

Going forward, CIRA will continue to deliver on its number one priority, the safe, stable, and secure operation of the .CA domain, while continuing to develop its flourishing cybersecurity, DNS, and registry services. In short, CIRA is doubling down on its decision to become a multi-service organization is necessary to ensure the organization’s long-term sustainability. Doing so will require a new cross disciplinary leader, capable of powering a line-of-business structure.

Titled Chief Operating Officer (COO), this role will consolidate finance, market-facing, corporate services and shared technology resources, creating a multi-disciplinary team with a mission to enable 4 lines of business:

• .CA
• Cyber & DNS
• Registry
• Community Investment

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the new COO will harness synergies created by this consolidation fueling innovation, continuity, and efficiency. Doing so will require a senior operations manager with a proven track of success leading not just a shared services organization, but rather a fully faceted team that has championing top-line revenue and the bottom line. The role will truly require both a “left and right brain” mindset. 

The Role

Together with the CEO, the Chief Operating Officer will be responsible for enabling the execution of the strategic plan at CIRA.  The COO will provide the leadership, management capability, and vision necessary to ensure that CIRA delivers through:

• Driving innovation, creativity and challenging the status quo; and,
• Proper operational controls, administrative and reporting procedures, people, and systems in place to perform effectively, and to ensure financial best practice, controlled risk, and operating efficiency.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

• Partner with the CEO and the senior team on strategic planning activities.
• Promote a culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to CIRA’s mandates.
• Work closely with the lines of business in determining business cases, product pricing and contract terms.
• The COO will be accountable for the financial leadership of the business, including all audit, reporting, and compliance activities. The COO will report to the Audit Committee enabling strong Board oversight.
• Work closely with the lines of business to translate the company’s product development efforts into go-to-market offerings in keeping with the diversification strategy.
• Deliver powerful reporting that yields sophisticated and meaningful data to the organization. The COO will deploy innovative tools and processes in this respect.
• Distill statutory and forward-looking reporting into dashboards and decision support to inform the senior team, the CEO, and the Board.
• Develop and maintain external partnerships necessary to execute on the vision and strategy
• Work across the business to ensure technology, enterprise and commercial risk is inventoried, assessed, and mitigated.
• Deliver and leverage an effective, best-in-class enterprise IT organization that accelerates the new business model. 
• Mentor and develop staff using a supportive and collaborative approach: assign accountabilities, set objectives, establish priorities, and monitor and evaluate results.

The Ideal Candidate

The COO is a results-driven, dynamic, and proactive technology executive with deep financial acumen complimented by significant exposure to and comfort in software product development and software engineering settings.

Qualifications

• BSc in Computer Engineering or relevant technical or business field of study, coupled with (ideally), an MBA.
• Relevant cross-functional leadership experience.
• Minimum of eight years of experience in a senior management role in technology-related products

Experiences and Competencies

• Strong and contemporary financial leadership experience, particularly as it relates to enabling planning and strategic planning.
• Entrepreneurial experience, with experience in growing a company with new and established markets.
• Technology industry experience.
• Proven track record of success facilitating progressive organizational change within a growing organization.
• The new COO will have had direct involvement in external audit and reporting activities.
• Proven record of sales operations and business development leadership in the global markets, likely with data technology.
• Strong mentoring, coaching experience to a team with diverse levels of expertise.
• Superior management skills, ability to influence and engage direct and indirect reports and peers
• Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills and the ability to effectively interface with senior management.
• Experience working and presenting at the board-level.

Personal Characteristics

• Gets things done, ability to self-motivate and self-goal set even with incomplete information
• Bias towards action and finding the 20% of effort that gives 80% of results
• Excellent judgment and creative problem-solving skills including negotiation and conflict resolution skills
• Entrepreneurial team player who can multitask
• Self-reliant, good problem solver, results-oriented, energetic, flexible, collaborative, and proactive
• A team leader who can positively and productively impact both strategic and tactical finance and administration initiatives.
• Must have, or be able to obtain and maintain, Government of Canada Secret security clearance.

Location

The Position is based in Ottawa, ON.