IT management has shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic with the move toward virtual operations. Chief digital officer is among the emerging new positions.

That’s according to Janco Associates. The chief information officer has been the technology leader at many businesses. Now there are more than a half-dozen positions driving and managing technology within corporations.

Some of the key new positions are chief digital officer, chief experience officer and digital brand manager.

Decentralizing the CIO

Businesses are decentralizing the CIO role as their operation management wants and needs to play a more critical role in technology, said Janco CEO Victor Janulaitis.

Janco’s Victor Janulaitis

“We have seen a significant increase in queries about the roles, responsibilities and compensation levels for these C-level positions,” he said. “There is significant overlap with the tradition roles and responsibilities with the CIO and the new positions.”

However, companies are creating and budgeting for the new positions. That’s because of more virtual operations and the impact of technology on the strategic direction of many operations.

Janco said this is a long-term trend. Furthermore, CEOs will demand expertise in how the new virtual world will be developed and managed.

Janco has unveiled a new bundle of job descriptions focused on C-level positions that are now the rule. These include chief mobility officer, chief data officer and more.

Median total compensation for those positions ranges from $92,000-$221,000. Moreover, CIO, CTO and chief digital officer are at the high end in terms of maximum salary.

The number of chief data officer positions has grown from two in 2002 to 4,500 in 2020.

“We have talked with many CEOs and CFOs, [and] they all have focused on the new direction of virtual operations as drivers in the paradigm shift in the management of IT within their corporations,” Janulaitis said.