IT Operations, Senior Director

Job Summary

The Senior Director of IT Operations is responsible for leading the strategic direction and operational excellence of the organization’s IT infrastructure, service delivery, and systems. This role focuses on ensuring scalability, reliability, and alignment with business objectives while collaborating closely with the security team to ensure compliance and risk mitigation. The Senior Director oversees the day-to-day operations of IT systems and services, providing leadership to ensure optimal performance, continuous improvement, and adherence to organizational goals.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute the IT operations roadmap to align with organizational objectives and growth.

• Establish policies, processes, and performance metrics for IT operations that enhance service delivery and operational efficiency.

• Partner with other IT and business leaders to drive digital transformation and innovation.

2. IT Infrastructure Management

• Functions:

• Oversee the design, deployment, and maintenance of enterprise IT infrastructure, including on-premises and cloud-based environments.

• Manage hardware, software, networking, storage, and virtualization platforms.

• Ensure uptime and reliability of IT systems through proactive monitoring, capacity planning, and incident response.

• Collaboration:

• Partner with application development teams to ensure infrastructure supports business-critical applications.

• Work with the security team to implement access controls, system hardening, and secure configurations.

3. IT Service Delivery

• Functions:

• Manage IT service delivery teams to meet or exceed service-level agreements (SLAs).

• Drive the adoption and optimization of ITIL-based processes (incident, problem, change, and configuration management).

• Continuously improve service desk operations and end-user support experiences.

• Collaboration:

• Collaborate with business units to understand and prioritize IT service needs and provide effective solutions.

4. Team Leadership

• Functions:

• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing IT operations team, including infrastructure, service desk, and operations staff.

• Define roles, responsibilities, and career development plans for team members.

• Collaboration:

• Foster a collaborative culture across IT teams and business units to ensure alignment on operational priorities.

5. Budget and Vendor Management

• Functions:

• Develop and manage the IT operations budget, optimizing costs while maintaining high service quality.

• Evaluate and negotiate contracts with vendors and service providers.

• Oversee procurement, asset management, and vendor performance reviews.

• Collaboration:

• Work with procurement and finance teams to ensure alignment with organizational purchasing policies and goals.

6. Cybersecurity and Compliance (in collaboration with the security team)

• Functions:

• Implement operational controls to align with organizational security policies and compliance requirements.

• Conduct periodic risk assessments of IT operations and infrastructure in collaboration with the security team.

• Collaboration:

• Work closely with the security team to ensure secure configurations, threat monitoring, and incident response plans.

• Support adherence to compliance frameworks (e.g., SOC2, ISO 27001, GDPR) as guided by the security team.

7. Performance Monitoring and Reporting

• Functions:

• Implement monitoring systems to track IT infrastructure performance, availability, and capacity.

• Analyze trends and prepare reports for executive leadership, highlighting key achievements, risks, and areas for improvement.

• Collaboration:

• Partner with business leaders to ensure IT performance metrics align with business outcomes.

Key requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field. MBA or advanced degree preferred.

• 10+ years of experience in IT operations, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.

• Demonstrated success managing large-scale IT infrastructure and service delivery.

• Strong knowledge of ITIL or similar service management frameworks.

• Expertise in managing hybrid infrastructure environments (cloud and on-premises).

• Excellent leadership, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills.

• Familiarity with cybersecurity frameworks and operational controls.

Key Competencies

• Strategic thinking and execution.

• Ability to lead and motivate diverse teams.

• Customer-focused approach to IT service delivery.

• Analytical and results-driven mindset.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in transitioning organizations to modern cloud-based solutions.

• Knowledge of DevOps practices and agile methodologies.

• Certification in ITIL, PMP, or other relevant frameworks.