The Department of Defence has found a new permanent chief technology officer (CTO) within its ranks.

Justin Keefe has been acting in the role since the departure of long-serving former Defence CTO Aiyaswami Mohan in June 2019.

Mr Keefe has now been promoted to fill the vacancy, ending a five-month search for the chief information officer group (CIOG) second-in-command.

He will be in charge of the CTO division, which runs Defence’s IT strategy, technology roadmaps, architecture and oversees the delivery of IT systems and applications.

Mr Keefe will also be asked for strategic guidance and technical direction for Defence IT, and to ensure appropriate commercial arrangements are created and maintained.

Mr Keefe has been with the department for just under four years, working as enterprise technology operations assistant secretary and applications sustainment branch assistant secretary.

Prior to this, he spent six years at the Attorney-General’s Department and over two years at what is now the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities.