Role Overview

Job Title: Chief Information Officer (CIO)

Organization: Lions SightFirst Eye Hospital (Loresho)

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Direct Reports: Heads of Infrastructure, Applications, Health Informatics, Cybersecurity, and IT Service Desk

Location: Nairobi

Employment Type: Full-time, permanent

Job Summary

The CIO leads all information and communication technology (ICT) for [Organization name], with a clear focus on clinical and health information systems. The role sets ICT strategy, keeps critical systems safe and available around the clock, and uses technology to improve patient care, staff productivity, and financial performance. The CIO is a member of the executive team and works closely with clinical, finance, and operations leaders to turn organizational goals into a practical digital roadmap.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

• Strategy and Leadership: Develop and deliver a 3–5 year ICT and digital health strategy aligned with organizational goals. Advise the CEO and Board on technology risks, investments, and opportunities. Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing ICT team, including succession planning. Promote a culture of innovation, accountability, and customer service across ICT.
• Healthcare Systems: Own the selection, implementation, optimization, and support of the Electronic Medical Records (EMR/EHR) system. Oversee the Hospital Information System (HIS) and related clinical systems: laboratory (LIS), radiology (RIS/PACS), pharmacy, and theatre. Ensure systems exchange data reliably using standards such as HL7 and FHIR, including links to national health platforms and insurers. Work with clinicians to improve workflows, clinical decision support, and data quality. Support telemedicine, patient portals, and other digital patient services.
• Infrastructure and Operations: Ensure 24/7 availability of networks, data centres, cloud services, and end-user devices. Maintain tested business continuity and disaster recovery plans for critical clinical systems. Set and track service levels for the IT service desk and support teams.
• Cybersecurity and Compliance: Lead the information security program, including risk assessments, incident response, and staff awareness. Protect patient data and ensure compliance with applicable data protection and health information laws and standards. Manage audits and maintain policies on access control, data retention, and acceptable use.
• Data and Analytics: Establish data governance and a single trusted source of clinical, operational, and financial data. Deliver dashboards and reports that support management decisions and regulatory reporting.
• Finance and Vendors: Prepare and manage the ICT capital and operating budgets. Lead procurement, negotiate contracts, and manage vendor performance. Deliver ICT projects on time, within budget, and to agreed quality.

Qualifications and Experience

• Required: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Health Informatics, or a related field. At least 10 years of ICT experience, of which a minimum of 5 years in an ICT leadership role (Head of ICT, IT Director, Deputy CIO, or equivalent). Demonstrated experience with healthcare systems, including EMR/EHR and HIS implementation or management in a hospital or health network. Working knowledge of health data standards (HL7, FHIR, ICD-10/11) and health data privacy requirements. Proven record of managing large ICT budgets, teams, and multi-vendor projects.
• Preferred: Master's degree in Information Systems, Health Informatics, or an MBA. Professional certifications such as CISM, CISSP, CISA, PMP, PRINCE2, ITIL, or TOGAF. Experience with cloud migration, interoperability with national health systems, or insurance claims integration. Membership in a recognized professional ICT or health informatics body.

Skills and Competencies

• Strategic thinking: links technology choices to patient outcomes, cost, and growth.
• Clinical awareness: understands hospital workflows and earns the trust of doctors, nurses, and allied health staff.
• Change leadership: drives adoption of new systems across clinical and administrative teams.
• Communication: explains technical issues clearly to the Board, executives, and frontline staff.
• Risk management: balances innovation with patient safety, security, and regulatory compliance.
• Commercial skill: negotiates contracts and holds vendors to account.
• Integrity: handles confidential patient and organizational data with discretion.

Key Performance Indicators

• Availability: Uptime of EMR/HIS and critical clinical systems ≥ 99.9%
• Security: Major data breaches or reportable incidents Zero
• Projects: Strategic ICT projects delivered on time and on budget ≥ 90%
• Service: IT tickets resolved within agreed service levels ≥ 95%
• Adoption: Clinical staff actively using the EMR ≥ 95%
• Finance: ICT spend within approved budget ± 5%
• Recovery: Disaster recovery plan tested At least twice a year

LSEH is an equal opportunity employer.