Director of Network Operations

Director of Networking & Telecommunications

Location: New York City, NY (Hybrid - Mid-Town East)

Department: Information Technology

Reports To: AVP, IT Operations

Position Overview

A leading New York City health system is seeking an experienced Director of Networking & Telecommunications to provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for enterprise voice, data, and communications infrastructure across a complex healthcare environment. This individual will lead a team of approximately 20 network and telecommunications professionals responsible for supporting critical infrastructure that enables patient care, clinical applications, business operations, and organizational growth.

The Director will be responsible for the design, implementation, security, reliability, and modernization of the organization's networking and telecommunications ecosystem, including LAN/WAN infrastructure, cloud networking, unified communications, contact center platforms, and enterprise network security. This leader will partner closely with executive IT leadership to develop infrastructure roadmaps, drive transformational initiatives, and ensure a highly available and resilient technology environment capable of supporting a world-class healthcare system.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Planning

• Develop and execute the long-term vision, strategy, and roadmap for enterprise networking and telecommunications services.
• Lead infrastructure modernization initiatives, including cloud adoption, software-defined networking (SDN), automation, and next-generation communications technologies.
• Align network and telecom investments with organizational priorities, clinical objectives, and business goals.
• Partner with senior IT leadership to establish technology standards, governance frameworks, and operational best practices.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and provide recommendations to improve service delivery, scalability, and operational efficiency.

Network Infrastructure Leadership

• Provide overall leadership for enterprise networking services, including:
• LAN/WAN infrastructure
• Routing and switching
• Wireless networking
• SDN technologies
• DNS, DHCP, and VPN services
• Network performance management and monitoring
• Ensure enterprise network availability, performance, scalability, and reliability across all facilities.
• Establish proactive monitoring, capacity planning, and performance optimization programs.
• Lead network architecture reviews and approve strategic infrastructure designs.

Telecommunications & Unified Communications

• Direct enterprise telecommunications operations, including:
• Voice infrastructure
• Unified communications platforms
• Contact center and customer experience technologies
• Call routing and voice messaging systems
• Collaboration and conferencing platforms
• Drive modernization of communication systems to support patient engagement, operational efficiency, and workforce productivity.
• Ensure service reliability and high-quality customer experiences across all communication channels.

Infrastructure Security & Compliance

• Collaborate closely with Information Security leadership to maintain a secure infrastructure environment.
• Ensure networking and telecommunications systems comply with healthcare security, privacy, and regulatory requirements.
• Implement network segmentation, access controls, monitoring solutions, and security best practices.
• Support cybersecurity initiatives and incident response activities as necessary.

Operations & Service Management

• Oversee day-to-day operations of network engineering, telecommunications, and infrastructure support teams.
• Establish and maintain ITIL-aligned processes for:
• Incident Management
• Change Management
• Problem Management
• Release Management
• Define performance metrics, service-level objectives, and operational KPIs.
• Drive continuous service improvement initiatives focused on reducing downtime and improving customer satisfaction.

Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity

• Ensure network and telecommunications infrastructure supports enterprise disaster recovery and business continuity plans.
• Develop, test, and maintain infrastructure recovery procedures.
• Lead business continuity readiness efforts for critical communication and networking services.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of approximately 20 engineers, administrators, and technical specialists.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and customer service.
• Establish succession planning, workforce development, and technical training programs.
• Manage both full-time employees and external contractors.

Vendor & Financial Management

• Manage strategic relationships with technology vendors, service providers, and consulting partners.
• Negotiate contracts, licensing agreements, and service-level agreements.
• Develop and manage capital and operational budgets related to networking and telecommunications services.
• Evaluate investments and ensure effective utilization of organizational resources.

Required Qualifications

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive IT leadership experience.
• 7+ years leading complex networking and infrastructure organizations.
• Demonstrated success managing large technical teams including both employees and contractors.
• Proven experience developing and executing enterprise infrastructure strategies and technology roadmaps.
• Experience supporting both on-premises and cloud-based infrastructure environments.
• Strong track record delivering large-scale infrastructure projects and organizational modernization initiatives.

Technical Expertise

• Deep expertise in:
• Enterprise networking (LAN/WAN, routing, switching)
• Software-Defined Networking (SDN)
• Cloud infrastructure and networking (public, private, and hybrid cloud)
• Unified communications and enterprise voice systems
• Contact center and customer experience platforms
• Network security, monitoring, and automation technologies
• High availability architectures
• Disaster recovery and business continuity planning
• Strong understanding of enterprise infrastructure operations and service management practices.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Information Technology, Engineering, Business Administration, or related discipline.
• Healthcare, hospital, or academic medical center experience.
• Experience supporting mission-critical clinical environments.
• Strong financial planning, budgeting, and vendor management experience.
• Experience negotiating complex technology contracts and service agreements.
• Familiarity with automation platforms, advanced cloud networking solutions, and next-generation customer experience technologies.
• Experience leading enterprise transformation and modernization programs.
• Proven ability to build governance models, technical standards, and operational metrics programs.
• Exceptional executive communication and stakeholder management skills.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinker with strong business acumen.
• Executive presence and ability to communicate effectively with senior leadership.
• Collaborative and relationship-driven leadership style.
• Strong change management and organizational transformation capabilities.
• Continuous improvement mindset focused on service excellence.
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into business value and operational outcomes.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to lead a critical technology function within one of New York City's premier healthcare organizations. You will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of network and communications infrastructure that supports patient care, clinical innovation, and organizational growth across a complex healthcare enterprise. Based on similar internal requirements for NYC hospital infrastructure leadership roles, this position combines strategic influence, operational ownership, and the opportunity to build and modernize enterprise-scale technology services.