IT Operations Manager

About the Role

We are seeking a highly experienced and proactive IT Operations Lead / IT Manager to lead and optimize the technology environment supporting a 500-person IT organization. The role combines strategic IT leadership with hands-on operational ownership across infrastructure, IT service management, end-user computing, cloud, DevOps, cybersecurity, compliance, vendor management, automation, and technology governance. The successful candidate will lead a team of 5–8 IT professionals, ensure stable and secure day-to-day operations, and drive continuous improvement, automation, cost optimization, and exceptional service delivery.

IT Operations, Service Management & Service Delivery

• Lead day-to-day IT operations, ensuring availability, performance, reliability, resilience, and security of infrastructure, systems, applications, networks, cloud services, and end-user technology.
• Own IT Service Management processes covering Incident, Problem, Change, Request, and Service Management through the IT ticketing platform.
• Establish, govern, and continuously improve SLAs, KPIs, ticket ageing, response/resolution targets, and user satisfaction.
• Act as the escalation point for critical and major incidents; coordinate troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, and post-incident reviews.
• Drive continuous service improvement aligned with ITIL best practices and business priorities.
• Develop monthly SLA and operational reports covering Internet uptime, service uptime, ticket volumes, ageing, resolution performance, and recurring issues.

Team Leadership & People Management

• Lead, mentor, coach, and develop a team of 5–8 IT support and infrastructure professionals.
• Assign work, establish priorities, monitor performance, manage escalations, and ensure timely resolution of IT issues.
• Define objectives, KPIs, development plans, knowledge-sharing practices, and operational ownership across the team.
• Foster a collaborative, supportive, accountable, and continuous-improvement-oriented culture.

IT Infrastructure, Network & End-User Computing

• Oversee enterprise infrastructure including networks, servers, storage, virtualization, wireless, firewalls, cloud environments, and end-user devices.
• Manage wireless access points, hardware firewalls, switches, network equipment, Internet circuits, and associated vendor services.
• Manage the complete lifecycle of laptops, desktops, mobiles, peripherals, and accessories from procurement and provisioning through refresh and secure disposal.
• Own user onboarding, role changes, access provisioning, offboarding, asset recovery, and access-card coordination with HR.

Cloud Management & Cost Optimization

• Manage and optimize cloud resources across AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), where applicable.
• Track monthly cloud bills, analyze consumption trends, forecast spend, and drive FinOps-style cost optimization.
• Define cloud adoption standards and ensure appropriate governance, tagging, access controls, backup, and lifecycle management.

DevOps, Git & CI/CD Operations

• Provide operational leadership and governance for DevOps tooling and practices.
• Manage and support Git, GitLab, Jenkins, GitHub Actions, and Azure DevOps environments as applicable.
• Lead infrastructure-as-code and configuration-management practices using Terraform and Ansible where applicable.
• Support containerization and orchestration platforms such as Docker and Kubernetes.

Cybersecurity, Risk & Compliance

• Define and implement IT security policies, standards, procedures, and operational controls.
• Conduct vulnerability checks and coordinate remediation of identified vulnerabilities.
• Maintain the Information Security Management System (ISMS) and support ISO 27001 certification and audit requirements.
• Coordinate cybersecurity incidents, containment, investigation, recovery, and lessons learned.

Enterprise Architecture, Technology Strategy & Governance

• Define and govern enterprise IT architecture standards, technology reference models, and infrastructure principles.
• Establish vendor evaluation frameworks and technology selection criteria.
• Partner with C-suite and executive leadership to translate business objectives into technology roadmaps and investment priorities.

AI, AIOps & Automation

• Lead adoption of AIOps capabilities such as ML-based event correlation, anomaly detection, predictive monitoring, and automated first-line remediation.
• Identify opportunities to automate repetitive IT operations, support processes, monitoring, reporting, and remediation activities.

Procurement, Vendor & Contract Management

• Own procurement of IT hardware, software, licenses, accessories, network equipment, and technology services.
• Manage vendor, MSP, telecom, cloud, and technology-partner relationships.
• Lead vendor evaluations, commercial negotiations, renewals, and corrective actions in collaboration with procurement and leadership.

IT Budget & Financial Management

• Own IT CapEx and OpEx planning, forecasting, budget tracking, and financial reporting.
• Optimize software licensing, infrastructure, telecom, support, and vendor costs without compromising service quality or security.

Client & Stakeholder Interaction

• Participate in client calls and technical discussions as required.
• Translate technical issues into clear business impact, resolution status, risk, and next steps for non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications & Certifications

• ITIL 4 certification.
• ISO 27001 Lead Implementer or Lead Auditor; CISSP or CISM is advantageous.
• AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud certifications.
• CompTIA or other infrastructure/security certifications.
• TOGAF or equivalent enterprise architecture certification.
• PMP/PRINCE2 or equivalent project-management certification.
• Terraform, Kubernetes, or DevOps-related certifications.

Key Competencies

• IT Operations Leadership
• Infrastructure & Network Management
• Cloud & FinOps
• IT Service Management & ITIL
• Cybersecurity & Compliance
• DevOps & Automation
• AI/AIOps & Intelligent IT Operations
• Enterprise Architecture & Technology Strategy
• Vendor & Contract Management
• Budget & Cost Management
• Team Leadership & People Development

Role Impact

The IT Manager / IT Operations Lead is accountable for building a stable, secure, scalable, cost-effective, and business-aligned IT environment. The role combines strong operational discipline with strategic technology leadership, proactive service improvement, automation, cybersecurity governance, cloud optimization, and people leadership.