IT Operations Manager

Responsible for leading the IT Operations function, including the Help Desk and midrange systems teams, and for the day-to-day delivery, performance, and reliability of the company’s end-user, infrastructure, and enterprise platform services. This role owns the vendor and contract portfolio for IT (including software licensing, renewals, and circuit/connectivity services), manages the IT operating budget, supports audit and regulatory engagements, and partners with Security, Network, and Application teams to drive enterprise initiatives, new site build-outs, and modernization—including the responsible adoption of AI-enabled tooling within IT.Minimum Qualifications:Bachelor’s degree in a related field, or equivalent professional experience8+ years of progressive experience in IT Operations, including infrastructure, end-user services, or enterprise platform administration.3+ years in a management or supervisory capacity leading IT teams, including remote staff.Demonstrated experience managing IT vendor relationships, software licensing, and a multi-line operating budget (including renewal portfolios of 100+ items).Experience supporting external and internal audits (e.g., PCI, SOC 1/SOC 2, NYDFS, internal financial and operational audits).Experience coordinating network circuit lifecycles (orders, installs, upgrades, renewals) and working with carriers, contractors, and on-site teams.Working familiarity with enterprise platform administration across categories such as endpoint/unified endpoint management, secure web gateway / SSE, data classification and DLP, MFA and identity, and conferencing/meeting room systems.Working familiarity with midrange/legacy enterprise platforms; ability to provide oversight and escalation support (deep hands-on expertise not required).Licensure, Certification, and/or RegistrationOne or more preferred: ITIL v4 (Foundation or higher), PMP or equivalent project management certification, cloud administrator/architect certification (AWS, Azure, or GCP), and/or a current network certification (CCNA-level or equivalent).Vendor-neutral endpoint management, identity, or service-management certifications a plus.Primary Job Functions:Team Leadership & People ManagementDirect and coordinate the activities of IT Operations staff, including the Help Desk team and midrange systems administrator(s); manage remote team members across multiple locations.Establish direction, standards, and best practices for the function; provide technical leadership and escalation guidance.Hire, develop, evaluate, and coach staff; complete performance evaluations and recommend salary adjustments, performance improvement plans, or disciplinary actions as appropriate.Hold recurring 1:1 and team meetings with the Help Desk Manager and other direct reports; participate in weekly cross-functional meetings, including security.Review and refine documentation and procedures produced by the team; promote knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.Service Delivery & OperationsDevelop and maintain policies, procedures, and runbooks for IT Operations, including incident, problem, and change management practices.Review daily logs, monitoring data, and reports to detect recurring slowdowns, errors, or capacity issues; drive root-cause analysis and remediation.Meet with internal users and business stakeholders to evaluate service quality, gather requirements, and identify present and future needs.Manage integrated testing environments as part of the overall change management process.Coordinate with internal departments and peer IT service groups to assess the impact of hardware, software, or platform changes on operations and end-user service.Vendor, Financial & Contract ManagementLead annual budget planning and ongoing budget tracking for IT Operations, including a renewal portfolio of 100+ recurring items.Negotiate, review, and approve IT contracts, quotes, and vendor proposals; coordinate vendor setup, onboarding, and offboarding.Own the IT software licensing program, including enterprise productivity suite licensing, license audits, true-ups, and right-sizing.Coordinate accounts payable activities for IT, including invoice review, approval, filing, and documentation.Serve as the primary escalation point for vendor performance issues; lead vendor calls, meetings, and written communications.Network & Circuit ManagementManage the lifecycle of network circuits across the enterprise, including new installs, upgrades, renewals, and ongoing support, in partnership with the Network team and on-site staff.Coordinate contractor labor for circuit-related work, including identification, sourcing, scheduling, and oversight.Enterprise Platform Administration & InitiativesProvide oversight and hands-on support for enterprise platforms used across the organization, including (but not limited to): unified endpoint management, secure web gateway / SSE, data classification and DLP, MFA / identity verification, conferencing/meeting room systems, and the enterprise productivity suite.Manage platform policies, configurations, and standards — including patch management policies, elevated-access settings, IP allow-listing, AI access reviews, DLP rule modifications, encryption rules, file review and exception handling, and policy promotions across environments.Generate and review platform reports for stakeholders (e.g., authentication and access logs for HR investigations)Lead and support enterprise IT initiatives, including domain consolidation, audit and security compliance projects, policy and procedure development, and enterprise technical documentation.Manage internal IT communications and corporate announcements related to IT systems and changes.Audit, Compliance & RiskPrepare for and respond to internal and external audits, including PCI, SOC 1, NYDFS, and other regulatory or contractual reviews.Partner with external audit firms to provide evidence, coordinate walkthroughs, and remediate findings.Integrate new business lines and enterprise initiatives into existing audit and control frameworks.Participate in weekly security meetings and partner with the Security team to enforce policy, address findings, and support compliance objectives.Business Continuity & Disaster RecoveryProduce and maintain annual Business Continuity Plan (BCP), Business Impact Analysis (BIA), and workspace/site recovery documentation.Provide technical support and project management for annual workspace recovery and DR exercises, including backup and recovery testing.Site & Facility Technology SetupLead IT setup for new office locations and major site reconfigurations, including conferencing/meeting room build-outs and circuit orders and installations.Source and direct contractors for site build work; manage vendor approvals, purchase orders, invoice processing, and payment coordination.Midrange / Legacy Platform OversightProvide consulting and oversight for moderate-to-large projects involving the company’s midrange/legacy enterprise platform.Provide escalation support for complex, high-impact technical issues affecting midrange systems.Coordinate platform upgrades, fixes, and related maintenance with the midrange systems administrator and broader IT teams.AI Adoption & IT ModernizationEvaluate and selectively adopt AI-enabled IT operations capabilities (e.g., intelligent alerting, automated triage and remediation, log and event summarization, AI-assisted service desk, knowledge-base generation) to improve service quality and team productivity.Review AI features introduced by existing vendor platforms before they are enabled; coordinate access reviews, data-handling reviews, and DLP rule adjustments with the Security team.Help define and enforce internal guidance for the use of AI tools within IT Operations, including acceptable use, data handling, and human review of AI-generated output.Identify automation and scripting opportunities (with or without AI assistance) to reduce repetitive operational work and improve consistency.The duties and responsibilities above describe the general nature and level of work performed. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities that the incumbent may be expected or asked to perform.Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or assume sponsorship of employment visas at this time. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and national originsRecruitment Updates:Fortegra has recently been made aware of unauthorized communications regarding career opportunities by individuals not associated with Fortegra or our recruitment team. Fortegra will only contact you from the Fortegra domain address (@fortegra.com). If you receive a message from someone posing as a Fortegra recruiter via text message, WhatsApp, Telegram or other messaging platform, please report it as phishing and block the sender.Fortegra is not accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms for this position.#LI-OnsiteJob SummaryRequisition Number: ITOPE001697Job Category: ManagerSchedule: Full-Time