Director of Strategic Initiatives & Technology

Job Description

Position Summary:

LIS Solutions, a leader in federal language and intelligence support services, is seeking a dynamic and forward-thinking Director of Strategic Initiatives and Technology to lead enterprise-wide innovation, IT infrastructure, and technical strategy. This role is ideal for a strategic leader who can balance hands-on technical execution with long-term planning, drive compliance (CMMC/NIST), and serve as a bridge between business development, operations, and technology. The Director will play a critical role in modernizing LIS's technology capabilities-integrating AI, automation, and secure systems to advance both internal operations and external client deliverables. This role also includes leadership over technical teams, influence on P&L decisions related to technology, and strategic input on client-facing proposal development in collaboration with the Business Development team.

Key Responsibilities:

Technology Leadership & Infrastructure

• Oversee day-to-day IT operations, systems architecture, remote server environments, and end-user support.
• Lead the planning and implementation of upgrades, patch management, endpoint security, and asset lifecycle management.
• Develop and enforce technical standards, processes, and policies for the secure delivery of language services, including Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) environments.

Strategic Initiatives & Innovation

• Identify, evaluate, and implement emerging technologies-including AI, machine learning, and automation-to enhance translation workflows, data analysis, and internal efficiencies.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to align technical priorities with business growth and contract requirements.
• Serve as a strategic advisor for digital transformation, cybersecurity modernization, and IT scalability.

• Identify grant or public-private partnership opportunities that align with LIS's strategic innovation goals.
• Oversee enterprise digital maturity assessments and coordinate long-term technology modernization efforts across departments.
• Collaborate with academic and industry partners on research initiatives that enhance the application of emerging technologies in language services.
• Drive change management initiatives that promote organization-wide adoption of modern tools and digital practices.
• Implement data-driven decision-making frameworks to assess the value and adoption rate of new technology solutions.
• Establish an internal innovation lab to prototype, test, and validate new tools and methodologies including secure communication platforms and AI-powered language tools.
• Lead the development of technology innovation roadmaps aligned with emerging federal requirements and linguistic service delivery models.

Compliance & Documentation

• Ensure organizational readiness for CMMC 2.0, NIST 800-171, and related government contracting cybersecurity requirements.
• Maintain documentation of IT standards, procedures, and controls to support audit response and sustain compliance posture.
• Oversee the secure handling, access, and transmission of CUI in alignment with federal standards.

Proposal & Business Development Support

• Partner with the Business Development team to provide technical input for RFPs and proposals.
• Define and articulate LIS's technical capabilities to enhance competitive positioning and solutioning.
• Support technology pricing, innovation roadmaps, and system descriptions in federal proposal submissions.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Act as a liaison between departments to support system integration, vendor management, and client delivery.
• Train and guide internal stakeholders on the use of new tools, systems, and data security best practices.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field; Master's degree preferred.
• 12-15 years of experience in IT leadership roles, ideally within a federal contracting or language services environment.
• Strong knowledge of federal cybersecurity frameworks (CMMC, NIST).
• Experience integrating AI/ML or automation into business processes or service delivery models.
• Proven ability to support business development teams on proposals and technical solutioning.

Preferred Qualifications/Certifications:

• PMP, CSM, or ITIL Foundation
• CompTIA Security+, Network+, or Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
• Familiarity with FedRAMP, DFARS, or ISO 27001 is a plus