Digital Operational Resilience Officer: Key skills and the role’s importance in 2026

By the International Cyber Threat Task Force (ICTTF)

In this increasingly interconnected and digitally driven world, the role of the Digital Operational Resilience Officer (DORO) is emerging as a critical leadership position in regulated financial entities. 

DOROs have the crucial mission to ensure that their organisations’ digital operations, and the ICT systems supporting them, are resilient, secure, and compliant in the face of both evolving threats and regulatory scrutiny.

Here’s a breakdown of their core responsibilities:

• Strategic oversight of digital risk: Not just firefighting or gap analysis – DOROs develop and drive enterprise-wide strategies for digital operational resilience, aligning ICT risk with business objectives.
• Compliance leadership: DOROs are fluent in regulatory frameworks like the EU DORA, UK Operational Resilience, and global standards. They ensure organisational alignment with supervisory expectations and evolving mandates.
• Third-party risk management: From cloud services to FinTech providers, DOROs assess, monitor, and govern critical third-party relationships – now explicitly required by DORA. 
• ICT incident response and continuity planning: A DORO ensures not only that response plans exist, but that they are tested, governed, and board-validated.
• Boardroom communication: DOROs translate complex risk scenarios into strategic narratives for executives, audit committees, and the board – essential in today’s risk-conscious environment.

10 reasons to become a Certified DORO in 2026

1. The market is starving for strategic resilience leaders
   With the EU DORA Regulation in force and the UK aligning its own framework, financial entities are actively recruiting leaders who can translate tech risk into board-level strategy. Certified DOROs fill that gap.
2. Launchpad for boardroom roles
   Non-executive director and audit committee positions are increasingly requiring digital risk expertise. Certified DORO positions you to bring value where traditional board members cannot.
3. Resilience = relevance
   Cyber, IT, and compliance professionals risk being siloed. The Certified DORO elevates you beyond the operational layer, anchoring your role in business continuity, strategic value, and organisational resilience.
4. Futureproof your career in an AI-driven world
   AI is reshaping operations and risks. Boards need leaders who understand both the technology and its implications for resilience. The Certified DORO role helps you lead in this next phase of digital transformation.
5. Complements and elevates existing qualifications
   Already a CISO, CISM, CRISC, or even a CFA or chartered accountant? The Certified DORO doesn’t replace – it enhances. It translates technical or audit experience into boardroom-ready expertise.
6. Significant salary uplift potential
   The average salary for roles involving operational resilience in financial services exceeds €140,000 per year, with top-tier Certified DORO-type roles reaching €200K+ in the EU and UK markets (Source: Robert Walters & Hays Executive Search, 2024).
7. Speak the language of the boardroom
   The Certified DORO curriculum equips you to align ICT risk with financial stability, regulatory compliance, and strategic planning – exactly what executive committees and boards are demanding.
8. Regulation is getting personal
   Supervisory authorities want named individuals accountable for resilience. Being certified signals you’re ready and competent to hold that responsibility.
9. The role bridges governance, risk, compliance and technology
   Few roles offer the opportunity to unify GRC with cyber and ICT risk strategy. This makes Certified DORO professionals essential for integrated risk management initiatives.
10. Differentiator in a crowded market
    Whether you're job hunting, consulting, or climbing the internal ladder, “Certified Digital Operational Resilience Officer” on your CV is a conversation starter – and a credibility booster.

What makes a great DORO?

Not everyone is cut out for this pivotal role. Here's what distinguishes the best:

• Strategic thinker: Great DOROs see the big picture – how technology, business continuity and regulation intersect. They’re proactive, not reactive. 
• Cross-functional communicator: They can speak the language of CISOs, CIOs, CROs, regulators – and the boardroom. 
• Deep governance understanding: DOROs don’t just know frameworks – they live governance, ensuring effective oversight, controls, and auditability. 
• Calm under pressure: They lead when things go wrong – during a breach, a service outage, or a regulatory inspection. Confidence and clarity are essential.
• Technically grounded, business focused: They don’t need to configure firewalls – but they do need to understand technology well enough to assess its business impact.

If the above sounds like you, check out the ICTTF DORA Certified Compliance Specialist course.