Trump Administration Reclassifies Federal CIO Roles to Allow Political Appointments

The Office of Personnel Management has directed agencies to shift chief information officers from career reserved to general positions, enabling broader appointee selection.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a memo instructing federal agencies to reclassify chief information officer (CIO) roles as general positions by February 14, 2025.
This change removes the previous career reserved designation, allowing these roles to be filled by political appointees, including noncareer and limited-term appointments.
The Trump administration argues that modern CIO responsibilities, including policy-making on digital and IT matters, necessitate alignment with the administration's priorities.
Critics have raised concerns about potential politicization of these traditionally nonpartisan roles, which oversee critical IT systems and budgets across federal agencies.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has played a controversial role in promoting efficiency and cost-cutting, with reported clashes over access to sensitive federal systems.