Young Life is hiring a
Remote Chief Technology Officer

📍 Remote

👤 Role Type: Full-time

Providing essential services to field staff and volunteers. Offering this support frees field staff for direct ministry with kids, optimizes financial contributions, and ensures careful stewardship of the mission's assets (both tangible and intangible).

Young Life requires all employees to sign a Statement of Faith. We recommend you read this statement before applying for any position.

Essential Prerequisites for all staff members (from Young Life’s Bylaws – Article VII):

“Because of Young Life’s exclusive Christian purposes of evangelism and discipleship as set forth in its Articles of Incorporation and in these Bylaws, and to reflect what has always been and will continue to be the position of Young Life, specifically the Christian belief that each and every employee and volunteer of the corporation should minister as a servant of God with the primary responsibility of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and, as such, is an integral part of the Christian mission and ministry of the corporation, Young Life shall only employ individuals or enlist volunteer leaders who: (a) profess a belief in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord; and (b) subscribe to the statements and policies required of all Young Life staff, including the Young Life Statement of Faith. Therefore, employees and volunteers of Young Life, during working and nonworking hours, shall: (i) be ready, willing and able to fulfill such ministry functions as may be required by the organization; (ii) refrain from conduct and statements that detract from the biblical standards taught and supported by Young Life, and (iii) abide by all policies and practices of Young Life including, without limitation, those related to religious belief or ministry activities.”

Essential Tasks & Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

Develop, maintain, and communicate a clear multi-year technology strategy aligned to organizational goals for a global ministry
Serve as a thought partner to the COO, CEO, and Executive Team, translating mission objectives into actionable technology and product plans
Integrate technology vision into the broader enterprise architecture and planning efforts
Cultivate and steward relationships with technology-minded donors, connecting their passion for innovation with Young Life’s missional needs

Organizational Development

Foster a globally minded technology culture that balances standardization with flexibility to meet the distinct needs of Young Life’s ministries around the world, including 6,500+ staff and 40+ physical properties
Structure and resource technology teams for scale and effectiveness, including Corporate IT, Product Development, and Production Operations
Evaluate and manage team capacity, implementing strategies to reduce cognitive load and expand capabilities for future growth
Sets appropriate annual goals and monitors progress of key staff
Prepares the technical department’s annual operating budget, monitors department’s performance on a monthly basis, and maintains an on-going forecast for year-end projections

Operational Excellence

Define, measure, and improve service levels for critical systems (e.g. 99.95% uptime), and develop incident management procedures with clear accountability, response protocols, and performance metrics
Build and operationalize a scalable security, risk, and compliance program (e.g., ISO 27001 readiness) tailored to the complexities of a global ministry, ensuring resilient systems across diverse infrastructures and regulatory environments
Develop and execute a roadmap to reduce redundant platforms
Lead business continuity planning and execution by developing strategies to mitigate risks that could disrupt technology access, including geopolitical events, natural disasters, and regulatory changes.
Conduct regular vendor and partner reviews to ensure alignment with strategy and cost-effectiveness
Ensure consistent communication and rollout execution around changes implemented at the global, department, and intra-team levels
Design and scale a global technology practice that fuels Young Life’s mission in 110+ countries and serves the unique needs of staff, volunteers, donors, and alumni worldwide

Talent Development

Attract, equip, and inspire high-performing teams through thoughtful recruitment and integration of leaders and specialists who elevate organizational capacity
Foster a culture of learning, mentoring and continuous improvement that honors and develops the dedication of existing staff
Design and lead structured growth programs to coach managers and empower talent to thrive within a mission-driven culture

Faith-Based Leadership

Demonstrate a faith-informed ethical framework for evaluating emerging technologies that align with the Mission’s theological and social values
Model Young Life’s Statement of Faith in all decisions and interactions
Foster a culture of respect, collaboration, and service consistent with Christian values

Key Qualifications

15+ years in senior technology leadership, ideally in global, mission-driven or nonprofit organizations
Demonstrated personal record of success in technical functions having led successful strategies and outcomes during career
Strong people development orientation – committed to mentoring, coaching, and enabling others
Deep understanding of operational practices (e.g., SLA definition, platform consolidation, security, vendor management)
Experience designing and implementing compliance frameworks (e.g., SOC 2, ISO 27001)
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to communicate across functions, cultures, and with external partners
A global orientation and knowledge of strategies and trends in global strategy
Authentic alignment with Young Life’s Statement of Faith and Christian values

Leadership Competencies & Personal Traits

A collaborative team player who will take the time to adapt and impact organizational culture within the technical team, across functions, and with the field, US & International
An inspiring communicator who can articulate vision and direction to a dynamic team and serve as the connective tissue in weaving together ideas and strategies across the mission
Possesses a strong growth mindset and is able to learn from setbacks
Comfortable with ambiguity and can break it down as part of a cross-functional team
Values diversity and takes pride in cultivating an atmosphere of inclusion of various thoughts, perspectives, identities and expressions

Education/Working Conditions