Payments Canada: Powering the Canadian Economy

Payments Canada stands at the heart of the Canadian financial system, an essential pillar underpinning the nation's economy. They are the organization responsible for owning and operating Canada's critical payment clearing and settlement infrastructure. This encompasses the intricate systems, by-laws, rules, and standards that ensure financial transactions across the country are carried out safely, securely, and efficiently every day.

Payments Canada is a public purpose organization that owns and operates Canada’s payment clearing and settlement infrastructure, including associated systems, and creates the supporting by-laws, rules and standards governing the use of this infrastructure.

Oversight

Payments Canada’s systems, Lynx and ACSS, are designated by the Bank of Canada as systemically important and prominent payment systems, respectively. The designation brings Payments Canada under the oversight of the Bank of Canada. The Canadian Payments Act outlines the oversight responsibilities of the Department of Finance.

The Opportunity

Purpose of the Position

Reporting to the President and Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Information Officer (“CIO”) is a key member of the executive leadership team responsible for setting the strategic direction and evolution of Payments Canada’s technology infrastructure. Through the leadership of a team of 60 FTEs, the CIO enables scalable and future-ready products and services ensuring investments are aligned with business goals and that technology advancements contribute to the organization's continued growth and maturity. This role is focused on building and integrating technology that supports nationally critical and globally competitive payment systems and services.

The CIO will be responsible for maturing our end-to-end technology capabilities across Payments Canada’s systems, platforms and operations. The CIO will bring a deep understanding and knowledge of our broader payments ecosystem, including but not limited to; our vendors, consultants, members and stakeholders, industry trends and technology strengths and capabilities across the payments ecosystem. The CIO will work with and across industry to ensure a deep understanding of key players needs and capabilities and align those insights with Payments Canada’s organizational strategy and technology build and integrate plans. In doing so, the CIO will balance thoughtful build-versus-buy decisions to ensure quality, efficiency and scalability.

Key Responsibilities

Executive Leadership Team Member

• As a member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), significantly contribute to defining the vision and determining the values at an organizational level.

• Demonstrate Payments Canada’s core values in all actions and promote commitment to the organization.

Technology and Engineering Strategy Development and Maintenance

• Develop and maintain Payments Canada’s long-term technology strategy and roadmap, anticipating future trends, emerging technologies, and aligning the vision to the organization’s strategic objectives.

• Lead the identification, evaluation, and piloting of emerging technologies, establishing a culture of modernization and innovation across the organization.

Enterprise Architecture, Technology Service Delivery, Data Analytics and Governance

• Provide strategic direction to define and maintain the organization’s enterprise architecture framework by partnering with the Chief Architect and Chief Data Officer.

• Ensure the architecture supports scalability, operational efficiency, and alignment with future technology strategy and service delivery needs.

• Guide the transition of the Architecture function from a solution-specific focus to a robust enterprise capability.

Strategic Partnerships and External Engagement

• Serve as Payments Canada’s primary technology leader, engaging with internal and external stakeholders, including the payments industry, member-based forums, FinTechs, consulting firms, and regulators (e.g., Bank of Canada, Department of Finance).

• Maintain a collaborative partnership with the Chief Technology Operations Officer and the VP, Chief Information Security Officer to ensure alignment between technology, operations, and cybersecurity.

Leadership, People and Team Development

• Provide leadership to the Vice President, Chief Data and Information Officer.

• Be accountable for the leadership and development of:

• Director, Technical Service Delivery
• Director, Enterprise Architecture
• Director, Enterprise Data and Technology Governance

• Uplift and deepen the skill sets across all technology functions, fostering a high-performance culture and building a mature, resilient, and innovative technology organization.

The Candidate

Experience and Professional Qualifications

Payments Canada is seeking a seasoned and visionary payments technology executive to lead the organization’s technology strategy and modernization efforts. The ideal candidate will bring a deep understanding of the Canadian payments ecosystem, a proven ability to influence across a complex stakeholder landscape, and the leadership acumen to mature internal capabilities while driving innovation.

Specifically, the successful candidate would bring:

• A minimum of 15+ years of progressive experience in technology leadership roles, spanning domains such as enterprise IT, infrastructure, software development, and data management.

• At least 10 years of experience leading enterprise-level IT strategy, aligning technology with business objectives, and delivering measurable outcomes.

• Deep expertise in the payments ecosystem, including the banking system, vendor landscape, and regulatory environment. The candidate will possess the credibility and network to influence externally and the insight to guide internal modernization.

• A track record of maturing technology organizations, including building high-performing teams, fostering innovation, and scaling capabilities to meet evolving service levels and business needs.

• Experience with multi-organization system testing and integration, particularly in complex, regulated environments.

• Strong knowledge of enterprise IT architecture, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and data governance, with the ability to assess when to build in-house solutions versus partner with vendors or members.

• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and collaborate effectively with executive leadership, board members, and external stakeholders.

• A strategic mindset, capable of navigating and shaping the future of payments modernization in Canada, with a focus on resilience, scalability, and innovation.

• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, actionable insights for diverse audiences.

• A presence that commands respect and influence, capable of representing Payments Canada in forums such as councils of DSIB (Domestic Systemically Important Banks) CIOs and other high-level industry groups.

• Eligibility for Government of Canada Level II Secret Clearance.

Leadership Qualities

The ideal candidate will also demonstrate the following leadership attributes:

• Develop and Mentor Others: Cultivates talent, fosters a learning culture, and builds organizational capability through coaching and recognition.

• Demonstrate Mature Confidence: Leads with emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and authenticity to inspire trust and drive performance.

• Think Strategically: Synthesizes complex information, anticipates future trends, and builds frameworks to guide long-term decision-making.

• Make Decisions: Applies critical thinking and sound judgment to make decisions in ambiguous and high-stakes environments.

• Drive Success: Navigates organizational dynamics and external ecosystems to deliver results and advance strategic objectives.

• Apply Business Acumen: Continuously seeks opportunities to enhance performance, transform operations, and create value for stakeholders.

Education

• A Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, or a closely related field is required.

• An MBA or equivalent graduate degree is preferred.

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Korn Ferry shall provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified candidates, and will refer candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected basis.