Director of IT (Chicago)

Title: Director of ITSalary: $180,000 - $245,000 - Depending upon ExperienceLocation: Downtown Chicago, IL - Hybrid Founded in 1911, this global electrical equipment and grid technology organization employs approximately 1,000 to 5,000 people worldwide, with more than 2,000 employees based in its Chicago headquarters and manufacturing campus. For over a century, the company has designed and manufactured advanced switching, protection, and control solutions for electric power transmission and distribution systems, helping utilities and industrial customers build safer, more reliable, and intelligent electrical infrastructure. The Chicago location serves as the company's primary innovation, engineering, and manufacturing hub, where teams develop and produce medium- and high-voltage switching equipment, smart grid automation systems, energy storage solutions, and power quality technologies. This facility also houses advanced R and D capabilities focused on grid modernization, automation, and resiliency technologies designed to support a more sustainable and outage-resistant power grid. The organization supports customers across electric utilities, renewable energy providers, commercial and industrial operations, data centers, and government and military applications that depend on reliable and resilient electrical power systems.Position OverviewWe are seeking an experienced Director of IT to lead and evolve our technology infrastructure, security, and operations. This role will define IT strategy, drive cloud migrations and modernization efforts, ensure high availability and security of systems, and manage crossfunctional teams and vendor relationships to support business objectives and regulatory compliance.Key ResponsibilitiesDevelop and execute a multiyear IT strategy and roadmap aligned to business goals, emphasizing infrastructure architecture, cloud adoption, reliability, security and cost optimization.Lead end-to-end cloud migration projects (Azure, AWS, GCP) and hybrid infrastructure initiatives; design target architectures and migration plans using Infrastructure as Code where appropriate (CloudFormation, Terraform).Own the enterprise infrastructure stack including Windows Server, Linux administration, Active Directory, identity and access management (Okta), virtualization (HyperV, VMware), storage (SAN, NAS), load balancing, CDN and application delivery.Define and operate network architecture and security: LAN/WAN, VLANs, TCP/IP, SDWAN, firewalls/NGFW (including Cisco ASA), VPNs and network segmentation.Build and manage a robust cybersecurity program: security architecture, vulnerability management, patch management, PKI/SSL/TLS, encryption, endpoint management (Intune), Mobile Device Management, SIEM (Splunk, QRadar), incident response and threat detection.Oversee monitoring and observability platforms (Datadog, Prometheus, Nagios), ITSM tooling (ServiceNow), capacity and performance planning, and production incident management to meet SLAs.Define and maintain Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity plans, runbooks, testing, and backup/recovery solutions (Commvault or equivalent).Drive DevOps and automation practices across teams: CI/CD, containers and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes), scripting and automation (Python, Bash, PowerShell, Ansible), and apply infrastructure as code for repeatability and governance.Manage enterprise applications and platforms including ERP/CRM, databases (SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle), and provide guidance on application delivery, tuning and scalability.Lead vendor and contract management, procurement and third party risk assessments; negotiate SOWs and manage relationships with MSPs, cloud providers and hardware/software vendors.Ensure compliance with relevant regulations and standards (SOC2, GDPR, HIPAA) and partner with legal and compliance functions to complete audits and remediation.Own IT budget planning and forecasting, optimize costs across cloud and on prem environments, and report technology metrics to executive leadership and board as required.Recruit, mentor and grow a high performing IT organization; set goals, perform performance reviews, and create career development plans for team members.QualificationsBachelors degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering or related field; advanced degree preferred.10+ years of progressive IT experience with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role managing cross functional infrastructure, operations and security teams.Proven track record leading cloud migrations and hybrid infrastructure programs (Azure strongly preferred; experience with AWS and GCP a plus).Hands on technical expertise in infrastructure architecture: Windows Server, Linux administration, Active Directory, identity and access management (Okta), LAN/WAN, VLAN, TCP/IP, SDWAN, firewalls/NGFW/Cisco ASA, HyperV, VMware, SAN/NAS storage, load balancing and CDN.Demonstrated experience with monitoring & observability (Datadog, Prometheus, Nagios), SIEM (Splunk, QRadar), ITSM/ServiceNow, backup solutions (Commvault), and enterprise database administration (SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle).Strong security and compliance background including vulnerability and patch management, PKI & encryption, SSL/TLS, incident response, SOC2, GDPR and HIPAA requirements.Proficient in DevOps, automation and scripting: Terraform, CloudFormation, Ansible, Python, Bash, PowerShell, Docker and Kubernetes.Experience with application delivery, ERP/CRM platforms, telephony/VoIP/unified communications and endpoint management (Intune).Track record managing vendor relationships, negotiating contracts, and overseeing budgets and cost optimization for cloud and on prem resources.Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills; ability to translate technical concepts for executives and business partners.Relevant certifications preferred: CISSP, CISM, CCNP/CCIE, Microsoft Azure/AWS certifications, ITIL, PMP or equivalent.Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast paced environment, with strong problem solving, strategic thinking and decision making skills.Benefits- 401K with up to 6% matching and an additional 3% added even if nothing has been contributed- Bonus paid annually based on company and individual performance - 10%- 10 days of PTO- 5 Sick Days- 16 Paid Holidays 9 of which are during the Christmas holiday season.- Health Insurance- Vision Insurance- Dental Insurance