CIOs in most organizations are responsible for the IT and computer systems that support enterprise goals. It is the CIO's job to innovate, collaborate, balance the IT budget and motivate IT staff.
The CIO's responsibilities include the following:
managing IT staff and developing department goals;
developing and overseeing the IT budget;
planning, deploying and maintaining IT systems and operations;
managing the organization's software development needs
developing IT policies, procedures and best practices
staying updated on IT trends and emerging technologies;
developing and enforcing IT best practices across the organization;
ensuring IT strategies and processes support company-wide goals;
overseeing relationships with vendors, contractors and service providers; and
explaining to the board of directors and other executives the benefits and risks of new IT-related projects.