Director IT Operations

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee the day-to-day operation and performance of all IT infrastructure components, including servers, networks, storage, security systems, backup platforms; operating systems, virtualization, replication, and utility software; server-based applications and database environments; and all network-attached peripheral devices and applications critical to investment banking operations.
• Plans and manages the support of new infrastructure technologies and associated performance and reliability. Responsible for coordinating troubleshooting server, network, and storage problem events for timely resolution.
• Works with third party outsourced service providers and operations vendors to develop and implement standards, procedures, processes for the operations group.
• Works across the department to develop, document, and improve service delivery, enhance operational efficiency, and foster technical and procedural innovation around cloud technology.
• Stays current on emerging IT infrastructure technologies and best practices.
• Participate in the development and implementation of IT strategic initiatives.
• Owns the selection, configuration, and ongoing management of IT infrastructure monitoring tools to ensure optimal system performance, real-time insights, and continuous operational improvements
• Analyze monitoring data to identify trends, root cause problems, and opportunities for improvement.
• Champion and drive continuous improvement through the adoption and implementation of ITSM and ITOM best practices.
• Implement reporting and analytics tools to track key performance indicators (KPIs) and measure service delivery effectiveness for both run-the-business activities and project delivery and execution.
• Interacts with vendors and service providers to ensure efficient service delivery and accountability.
• Lead and mentor an IT Operations Team, ensuring alignment with operational objectives and firm goals while fostering a culture of operational excellence, accountability, and innovation.
• Set clear expectations for team performance, provide timely feedback, and manage team dynamics to achieve optimal results.
• Take ownership of crisis management and respond effectively to outages and disaster recovery situations
• Recruits, retains, develops, coaches, and conducts periodic performance reviews for staff as appropriate.

SKILLS:

• Demonstrated experience managing IT infrastructure operations in a complex technical environment.
• Broad working knowledge of current and emerging infrastructure, systems, storage, and software technologies as well as the policies, procedures, and current technologies applicable to managing and maintaining firm operations.
• Strong leadership, customer service, and communication skills -- as well as the analytical and financial skills necessary to direct resources and interact with internal staff and vendors.
• Hands-on experience with crisis management and ability to influence and manage at all levels of the organization.
• Strong supervisory and people management skills, including the demonstrated ability to accurately and fairly assess candidates and staff; the ability to coach and execute development opportunities; the capacity to foster a high-performance culture by aligning individual strengths to team goals; and the ability to manage team dynamics effectively while promoting collaboration, inclusivity, and accountability
• In-depth knowledge and experience with major cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or GCP (Azure preferred).
• Expertise in cloud security best practices and compliance regulations.
• Proven experience with ITSM methodologies (ITIL) and ITOM tools and concepts.
• Experience with IT monitoring and visualization tools (e.g., Splunk, Grafana, ELK Stack, LogicMonitor, Datadog).

Education and Experience

4 year college degree preferred.

5 years of relevant hands-on IT Operations leadership experience.