IT Director

Position Overview

Kern Energy is seeking an experienced and forward-thinking IT Director to lead our enterprise technology strategy and ensure the reliability, security, and modernization of our refinery operations. In this high-impact leadership role, you will align our technology roadmap with business objectives, drive modernization across enterprise systems, and strengthen our cybersecurity posture. You will oversee IT operations, guide a talented team, and champion best practices that enhance safety, efficiency, and resilience across the organization. We value Kern’s core principles of Teamwork, Safety, Excellence, Integrity, and Connection in every decision and action. If you’re ready to shape the future of technology in California’s clean energy sector, we want to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic IT and cybersecurity leadership by developing and executing an enterprise technology roadmap aligned with business objectives, risk priorities, and continuity requirements.
• Advise senior leadership on emerging threats, technology trends, and decisions impacting operational reliability, security posture, and business resilience.
• Lead enterprise cybersecurity, business continuity, and disaster recovery (BCP/DR) programs to safeguard refinery operations and ensure compliance with frameworks such as NIST CSF 2.0 and CISA CPGs.
• Foster a culture of cyber accountability and operational readiness by conducting regular reviews to assess cyber risk and recovery progress.
• Oversee IT operations, infrastructure, and enterprise systems to maintain availability, scalability, and secure recovery while implementing structured service management practices.
• Champion digital transformation initiatives—including ERP evolution, cloud integration, and data analytics—ensuring solutions are secure-by-design and support efficient decision-making.
• Identify, evaluate, and deploy emerging technologies to improve operational performance and deliver measurable business outcomes.
• Collaborate with business and operations leaders to optimize processes and align technology with functional goals.
• Manage IT budgets, vendor relationships, and technology contracts to ensure cost-effective and high-quality service delivery.
• Integrate IT, OT, and industrial IoT systems securely by applying ISA/IEC 62443 principles to protect process control and safety systems.
• Embed supplier risk and recovery requirements into vendor SLAs to strengthen overall operational resilience.
• Develop and track performance metrics to measure IT’s contribution to reliability, security maturity, and continuity preparedness.
• Provide vision, leadership, and professional development for the IT team, including managers, system administrators, and support personnel.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement within the IT department.
• Mentor and develop IT leaders to ensure effective succession planning and organizational resilience.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Experience Required: Minimum of 10 years of progressive IT leadership experience, including at least 5 years in a senior management role.
• Demonstrated expertise in strategic IT planning, digital transformation, and innovation management, including hands-on experience with ERP evolution, cloud integration, and data analytics.
• Proven ability to develop business cases, financial models, and ROI analyses for technology investments.
• Strong understanding of IT governance, risk management, and compliance frameworks (e.g., ITIL, COBIT).
• Exceptional leadership, interpersonal, and project management skills with high emotional intelligence.
• Robust technical foundation across enterprise applications, networks, cloud platforms, and cybersecurity.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at various levels.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a related field is preferred.
• Experience in the refining or energy industry.
• Familiarity with cloud migration and hybrid IT environments.
• Certifications such as PMP or ITIL are a plus.
• Experience with industrial IoT integration and adherence to cybersecurity frameworks such as NIST CSF 2.0 and CISA CPGs.