Director of Information Technology

Job Description

Director of Information Technology

Flying Horse Capital | Dallas, TX (Remote U.S. considered) | Full-Time

About Flying Horse Capital

Flying Horse Capital is a Dallas-based permanent capital firm that acquires and holds founder- and family-owned lower-middle-market businesses. Unlike traditional private equity, we have no exit timeline. We buy good companies from owners who care about what happens after they sell, preserve the legacy they built, and invest in the people, processes, and systems that allow those businesses to thrive for decades.

Our portfolio currently includes two operating companies, with a third acquisition under LOI. We expect to continue acquiring businesses over the coming years, and we are building the shared infrastructure needed to support that growth.

The Opportunity

Every company we have acquired, and the one we are acquiring now, came to us without a true in-house IT function. Historically, IT was handled by outside providers, a part-time vendor, or whoever in the office "knew computers." Systems were often outdated, undocumented, and built up piecemeal over many years.

Since acquiring our first two businesses, we have upgraded their core systems and engaged an outsourced partner for support. That approach has served us well at our current size. As we grow, we are bringing the function in-house.

You will be Flying Horse Capital's first true IT hire. You will own technology across the entire portfolio, support our companies directly, and build a shared-service IT function that serves every business we own today and every business we acquire in the future.

This is a hands-on role. You will set strategy, and you will also configure the firewall, onboard the new hire's laptop, and sit with the office manager to walk through a new system. We need a builder and a doer who is energized by starting from zero.

What Makes This Role Different

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• You are building, not inheriting. There is no existing IT department, playbook, or team. You will design the function, the standards, and the operating model.
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• You will work across multiple companies. Each portfolio company has its own culture, history, and technology environment. You will bring consistency without losing sight of what each business needs.
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• Budgets are real. Our companies are lower-middle-market businesses. Every dollar matters, and every investment must earn its place. We need someone who knows how to get the most out of limited resources.
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• Change management is half the job. Many employees have used the same systems and processes for years. Success depends on earning trust and bringing people along, not simply deploying technology.
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• The horizon is long. We are not building for a three-to-five-year exit. We want someone who will help build this with us for the next 10 to 20 years.
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Key Responsibilities

IT Strategy and Shared-Service Build

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• Develop and execute a multi-year IT strategy for Flying Horse Capital and its portfolio companies
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• Design a shared-service IT operating model that scales efficiently as we add companies
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• Define portfolio-wide technology standards for hardware, software, security, and support
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• Determine which services should be in-house, shared across companies, or outsourced, and build the roadmap to get there
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• Build the IT function over time, including future hiring, as the portfolio grows
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• Serve as the primary technology advisor to FHC leadership and portfolio company CEOs and CFOs
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Infrastructure and Operations

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• Own networks, servers, cloud environments, endpoints, telecom, printers, and connectivity across all company sites
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• Manage Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace environments, including email, file storage, collaboration, and licensing
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• Implement and maintain identity and access management, including single sign-on and multi-factor authentication
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• Establish reliable backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity plans for each company
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• Standardize device procurement, deployment, and lifecycle management
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• Create and maintain documentation for systems, configurations, network diagrams, and procedures, often for the first time
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Cybersecurity and Risk Management

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• Assess each company's security posture and close the most critical gaps first
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• Implement foundational controls: MFA, endpoint protection, patch management, email filtering, and access reviews
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• Develop IT policies covering acceptable use, access, data retention, and incident response
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• Lead security awareness training for employees across the portfolio
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• Coordinate with insurance carriers on cyber insurance requirements and renewals
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• Support compliance requirements specific to individual portfolio companies as needed
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Business Systems and Applications

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• Evaluate, select, and implement business systems including ERP, accounting, CRM, field service, inventory, and HR/payroll platforms
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• Partner with finance teams on system implementations, data migration, and reporting
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• Identify opportunities to consolidate or standardize applications across companies where it makes sense
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• Manage integrations between systems and reduce manual workarounds
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• Evaluate practical applications of automation and AI tools that improve productivity without adding unnecessary complexity
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M&A Technology Diligence and Integration

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• Conduct IT due diligence on acquisition targets, identifying risks, required investments, and integration costs
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• Build and refine a repeatable IT integration playbook for newly acquired companies
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• Lead Day 1 readiness and post-close technology onboarding, including account migration, security hardening, and vendor transition
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• Assess inherited vendors, contracts, and licenses at each new company and rationalize where appropriate
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• Lead the IT integration of our third acquisition as an early priority
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Vendor, Contract, and Budget Management

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• Manage current outsourced IT providers and lead the transition of services in-house over time
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• Negotiate and manage contracts with software, hardware, telecom, and managed service vendors
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• Develop and own IT budgets for each portfolio company and for the shared-service function
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• Track IT spend, identify savings, and eliminate redundant or underused tools and subscriptions
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• Present investment recommendations with clear costs, benefits, and priorities
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End-User Support

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• Provide hands-on support to employees across all companies, both remotely and on site
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• Establish a help desk process, ticketing system, and service expectations
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• Manage onboarding and offboarding of employees, including accounts, devices, and access
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• Build self-service resources and train employees to use their tools effectively
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Leadership and Change Management

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• Build trust with owners, operators, and employees who may be skeptical of change
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• Communicate technology decisions in plain business terms
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• Plan and lead implementations with realistic timelines, training, and support
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• Respect each company's culture and history while raising the standard over time
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Your First Year

First 90 Days

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• Meet leadership and key employees at each portfolio company and at FHC
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• Complete an IT assessment of each company covering infrastructure, security, systems, vendors, contracts, and spend
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• Identify and address the highest-priority security and operational risks
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• Take ownership of the relationship with our outsourced IT provider
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• Begin IT diligence and integration planning for our third acquisition
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First Year

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• Deliver a portfolio-wide IT strategy and shared-service roadmap
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• Establish baseline security standards across all companies
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• Complete technology integration of the third acquisition
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• Stand up a help desk process and consistent support model
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• Document systems and environments for every company
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• Deliver a repeatable IT diligence and integration playbook for future acquisitions
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Longer Term

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• Operate a mature shared-service IT function supporting a growing portfolio
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• Reduce dependence on outside providers where it creates value
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• Hire and develop additional IT team members as the portfolio grows
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• Make technology a competitive advantage for our companies and a reason sellers choose Flying Horse Capital
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Qualifications

Required

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• 8+ years of progressive IT experience, including leading the IT function for one or more small to mid-sized businesses
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• Proven hands-on technical skills across networking, infrastructure, cloud, endpoints, and security
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• Track record implementing new systems in organizations with limited or no prior IT structure
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• Experience working within constrained budgets and delivering practical, cost-effective solutions
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• Experience managing managed service providers and technology vendors
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• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft 365 and/or Google Workspace, Active Directory or Entra ID, and cloud platforms
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• Excellent communication skills with both technical and non-technical audiences
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• Willingness to travel to Dallas HQ and portfolio company sites
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Preferred

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• Experience in private equity, family office, holding company, or multi-entity environments
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• Experience leading IT due diligence and post-acquisition integration
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• ERP selection and implementation experience
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• Background in industries such as industrial services, manufacturing, distribution, construction, or home services
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• Relevant certifications such as CompTIA, Microsoft, Cisco, ITIL, CISSP, or Security+
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• Experience building an IT function from the ground up
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Who You Are

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• A builder. You see a blank page as an opportunity, not a problem.
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• A doer. You are comfortable rolling up your sleeves and fixing things yourself.
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• Resourceful. You know how to solve problems without an unlimited budget.
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• Patient and persuasive. You understand that people adopt change when they trust the person leading it.
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• Organized. You bring structure, documentation, and discipline to messy environments.
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• Humble and accountable. You own outcomes and put the business ahead of ego.
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• Long-term minded. You want to build something lasting and grow with it.
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Location and Travel

We will consider the best candidates anywhere in the United States. Preference will be given to candidates based in the Dallas-Fort Worth or Austin metro areas. This role requires regular travel to our Dallas headquarters and portfolio company sites, with additional travel during acquisitions and major implementations.

Compensation

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• Competitive base salary
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• Annual performance bonus
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• Equity participation
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• Opportunity to co-invest alongside Flying Horse Capital in future investments
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Why Flying Horse Capital

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• Be the first IT hire and shape the function from day one
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• Build a shared-service model across a growing portfolio of businesses
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• Work directly with firm leadership and portfolio company executives
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• Share in the long-term value you help create through equity and co-investment
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• Join a firm built on permanence, integrity, and respect for the businesses and families we partner with
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We are looking for someone to build this with us for the next 10 to 20 years.