Senior Technology Operations Manager

SWCA Environmental Consultants is seeking a Senior Technology Operations Manager - to join our Technology Group. Reporting directly to the Chief Digital and Information Officer (CDIO), this role serves as a key business partner to Technology leadership, providing the operational discipline and business management capabilities needed to effectively manage technology investments, strengthen financial transparency, optimize vendor performance, and ensure appropriate governance of technology purchases and assets.

In this role, you will lead and mature four critical operational functions across the Technology organization: IT Finance, IT Procurement and Contracts, IT Vendor Management, and IT Asset Management . You will connect technology strategy and operating plans with budgeting, forecasting, procurement, contracting, software licensing, hardware asset management, and vendor oversight to support the successful delivery of technology services across the enterprise.

The ideal candidate will bring strong financial and commercial acumen, operational excellence, and experience working across Technology, Finance, Accounting, Legal, Procurement, and business leadership teams. You will play a critical role in establishing scalable processes, controls, reporting, and performance measures while helping drive continuous improvement, accountability, and operational effectiveness across SWCA's technology portfolio. This position offers the opportunity to influence strategic decision-making, mentor team members, and contribute directly to the organization's technology and business success.

This is a full-time, regular (with benefits), salaried/exempt position that is distributed (=remote) based anywhere in the domestic United States. Priority will be given to applicants in Denver, Colorado metro area. Depending on business needs, this position may require 5-10% travel to support stakeholder engagement, vendor relationships, leadership planning, and cross-functional initiatives.

About SWCA

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a 100% employee-owned environmental consulting firm providing full spectrum environmental services across the United States. Our North Star is to be the best place to work and a leader in sustainability, delivering sound science and creative solutions to complex environmental challenges.

We are guided by our core values every day. We collaborate as #OneSWCA, we are #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle, and we #GiveBack to our communities. With offices nationwide, SWCA offers a collaborative, team focused environment where employees can build meaningful and long-term careers.

What you will accomplish

IT & Finance:

• Own and continuously improve financial management practices for the Technology Group.
• Lead technology budgeting, forecasting, and multi-year financial planning in partnership with Technology leadership.
• Monitor technology spend, commitments, forecasts, and financial risks, providing regular reporting and variance analysis.
• Partner with Finance and Accounting on accruals, capitalization, allocations, controls, and compliance for technology expenditures.
• Manage forecasting for recurring technology investments, including software, hardware, maintenance, services, and vendor agreements.
• Develop business cases, total cost of ownership analyses, and financial recommendations to support technology investment decisions.
• Identify opportunities to optimize spending, improve cost transparency, and enhance financial management practices

IT Procurement & Contracts:

• Manage the lifecycle of technology purchases, contracts, and renewals in partnership with key stakeholders.
• Coordinate technology sourcing, purchasing, contracting, and renewal activities.
• Establish and maintain processes for purchase requests, evaluations, approvals, contracting, and renewals.
• Maintain visibility into contract terms, obligations, pricing structures, renewal timelines, and vendor commitments.
• Support vendor evaluations and negotiations related to pricing, licensing, service levels, and commercial terms.
• Partner with Legal, Security, Privacy, Procurement, and Finance to facilitate appropriate contract reviews.
• Proactively manage renewal planning and identify opportunities for contract consolidation and cost savings.
• Develop and maintain a disciplined approach to managing strategic technology vendors and service providers
• Maintain a vendor portfolio based on spend, risk, business impact, and strategic value.
• Establish governance practices and conduct regular business reviews with key vendors.
• Monitor vendor performance, contract compliance, service levels, and commercial commitments.
• Maintain vendor performance metrics and coordinate resolution of significant service or contractual issues.
• Partner with Technology leadership on vendor strategy, renewals, sourcing opportunities, and risk mitigation.
• Build strong vendor relationships while protecting SWCA's operational and commercial interests.

IT Asset Management:

• Lead processes and controls related to software licensing and technology asset management.
• Software Asset & License Management:
  • Maintain accurate records of software licenses, subscriptions, costs, usage, contractual terms, and renewal dates.
  • Monitor license utilization and identify opportunities to eliminate unused, duplicative, or underutilized software.
  • Coordinate license reassignment, compliance efforts, audit readiness, and software rationalization initiatives.
  • Provide licensing and utilization insights to support purchasing decisions, renewal negotiations, and future demand planning
• Hardware Purchasing & Inventory Management:
  • Coordinate purchasing, inventory management, and lifecycle tracking of Technology-managed hardware assets.
  • Maintain accurate asset records, including assignment, location, warranty, lifecycle, and disposition information.
  • Support inventory controls, reconciliations, refresh planning, reuse programs, and asset recovery processes.
  • Provide demand and cost forecasts and identify opportunities to improve purchasing efficiency and lifecycle economics

Operational Leadership & Governance:

• Provide leadership and governance across Technology operations, financial management, vendors, contracts, and assets
• Establish policies, procedures, controls, operating rhythms, and accountability across CDIO Operations functions.
• Develop dashboards, KPIs, and reporting that provide leadership with insight into financial and operational performance.
• Create and maintain a reliable system of record for technology spend, vendors, contracts, licenses, and assets.
• Drive process automation, data quality improvements, and operational efficiency initiatives.
• Partner with Technology leaders to translate operational data into business decisions and strategic actions.
• Lead and develop team members supporting CDIO Operations.
• Support audit, compliance, and governance activities related to technology financials, contracts, licensing, and asset controls.
• Drive continuous improvement and operational maturity across the Technology organization.

Minimum Qualifications

Eight years of relevant, progressively responsible experience, including some experience managing others. Ten years of related experience is preferred; or any equivalent combination of experience, performance, training, and/or education. Knowledge normally obtained through post-secondary education or training; bachelor's degree preferred.

Experience and qualifications for success

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Information Technology, Supply Chain Management, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Eight (8) years of experience in technology operations, IT business management, IT finance, technology procurement, vendor management, IT asset management, software asset management, or related disciplines.
• Experience managing technology budgets, forecasts, purchasing activities, contracts, renewals, and vendor relationships.
• Demonstrated supervisory experience, including direct oversight, performance management, and professional development.
• Experience using AI to enable and support efficiencies in managing large data sets.
• Prior expereince developing financial analyses, budget forecasts, variance reporting, and business cases to support technology investment decisions.
• Working knowledge of software licensing, subscription-based services, SaaS agreements, and technology consumption models.
• Experience managing or overseeing hardware and software asset inventories, lifecycle management, and related governance processes.
• Experience supporting technology sourcing, purchasing, contract administration, or commercial agreement processes.
• Strong analytical and financial management skills, including budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and cost management.
• Ability to translate complex financial, contractual, vendor, licensing, and asset information into concise executive-level reporting and recommendations.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, renewals, procurements, and vendor activities simultaneously.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills, with experience partnering across Technology, Finance, Legal, Procurement, Information Security, and business leadership teams

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ten (10) or more years of experience in technology operations, IT business management, IT finance, procurement, vendor management, asset management, or related disciplines.
• Previous experience supervising procurement or contracts professionals.
• Experience supporting a complex, geographically dispersed professional services, consulting, engineering, or environmental services organization.
• Experience with Technology Business Management (TBM), IT Financial Management (ITFM), FinOps, IT Asset Management (ITAM), Software Asset Management (SAM), or related governance frameworks.
• Familiarity with SaaS licensing models, enterprise software agreements, cloud consumption models, managed services agreements, and professional services contracts.
• Experience negotiating technology contracts, software licensing agreements, renewals, pricing structures, and vendor commercial terms.
• Experience implementing or improving technology financial management, procurement, vendor management, contract management, or asset management processes and systems.
• Experience using IT asset management platforms, ERP or procurement systems, contract lifecycle management tools, financial planning platforms, and reporting or analytics solutions.
• Experience developing executive dashboards, operational KPIs, and performance reporting related to technology spend, vendors, assets, contracts, and licensing.

What Success Looks Like:

• Improves the accuracy and predictability of technology budgets, forecasts, and financial planning.
• Increases visibility into technology spend, contracts, licensing commitments, and vendor obligations.
• Identifies opportunities to optimize software licensing, vendor agreements, and technology costs while maintaining service levels.
• Establishes proactive processes for contract renewals, procurement planning, and vendor governance.
• Maintains accurate and reliable software license and hardware asset records.
• Delivers timely, actionable financial and operational reporting that supports technology leadership decision-making.
• Enhances transparency, accountability, and operational maturity across technology financial, vendor, contract, and asset management functions.

Other Job Conditions

When drug testing is required

Applicants must be willing to participate in drug and alcohol screening as part of the pre-employment process, when required by project or client requirements.

When driving is required

Applicants must possess a valid driver's license and meet SWCA's driver requirements.

When traveling is required

This position may require domestic travel, including travel by commercial airline. Candidates must be able to obtain and maintain all valid travel documents and identification required for work-related travel throughout the duration of employment.

Safety Expectations

Staff level : Adheres to the safety program and looks out for the safety of others, promptly communicating and mitigating safety hazards.

Project level : Takes responsibility for team safety, developing safety plans (when applicable), and anticipating potential safety hazards.

Lead level : Drives compliance of safety policies and reporting requirements to ensure overall team safety.

Director Level : Serve as an ambassador for SWCA’s Safety Culture and implementation

Work is regularly performed outdoors and involves hiking over uneven terrain, lifting and carrying equipment up to 25-50 pounds, and working in varying/extreme weather conditions. Employees may be exposed to vegetation, wildlife, insects, dust, chemicals, sharp or heavy tools, and other environmental conditions while following required safety procedures.

Pay Range

SWCA is committed to salary equity and transparency. The expected pay range for this US-based position is $115,689.60 to $151,632.00 per year. Actual pay may vary based on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other factors permitted by law. Eligible employees may also receive performance-based bonuses.

As a 100% employee-owned company, we invest in your future. Our Total Rewards package includes an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, 401(k) with profit sharing, medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, wellness programs, and professional development opportunities.

Closing

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Use of Technology in Hiring

SWCA may use approved technology, including AI-assisted tools, to support parts of the application and recruiting process. All selection and hiring decisions are made by SWCA employees, and candidates are not selected or rejected by automated systems. We are committed to a fair, transparent, and human-centered hiring experience.

Candidate Use of AI

Candidates may use AI tools to help prepare application materials and interviews. However, all application materials, assessments, and interview responses must accurately reflect their own experience, skills, and qualifications. AI must not be used to fabricate experience, complete assessments on their behalf, or otherwise misrepresent their background or abilities.

Equal Opportunity Employer

SWCA Environmental Consultants is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage applications from women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all employees can thrive.

SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA’s continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportunities to advance their careers.

SWCA is an Equal Opportunity / Affordive Action Employer and supports workplace diversity. Women, minorities, veterans, and disabled candidates are encouraged to apply. For more info, visit our EEO Policy