IT Operations Manager

Description:

Come join us and help make a difference in the lives of older adults! As employees at a Verve Senior Living Retirement Residence, our primary goal is to help each person, have a great day, every day! Our employees thrive on collaboration and have a passion for excellence, achieving multiple awards including the Order of Excellence in Quality, from Excellence Canada. As part of our team, the things you do are key to helping us achieve our shared vision of helping seniors live longer, better. Oh, and you’ll also have a lot of fun doing it. Want to join us?

ROLE OVERVIEW
The IT Operations Manager is responsible for overseeing the company’s IT infrastructure and daily technology operations to ensure systems run smoothly, securely, and efficiently. This individual will be accountable for maintaining high availability and reliability of networks, servers, and enterprise applications, providing a stable technology environment for all business units. Reporting to the National Director of Information Technology, you will work cross-functionally with other departments and senior management to align IT services with business needs and strategic goals. Through proactive planning and robust operational practices, the IT Operations Manager ensures effective incident response, resource utilization, and continuous improvement of IT processes to support the organization’s objectives.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee Daily IT Operations: Manage the day-to-day IT operations and infrastructure, ensuring optimal system performance, high availability, and security of all IT systems (networks, servers, hardware, and business applications). Regularly monitor critical systems and quickly troubleshoot issues to minimize disruptions to the business.
• Service Desk Performance: Lead and monitor the IT Service Desk team’s performance, ensuring timely response and resolution of support requests and incidents. Implement measures to maintain high end-user satisfaction and efficient handling of escalated technical issues.
• Incident & Problem Management: Implement and oversee incident management processes in line with ITIL best practices, ensuring timely resolution of IT issues and minimizing downtime. Analyze incident trends to identify root causes and drive problem management efforts that prevent future recurrences.
• Infrastructure Reliability: Ensure the overall reliability and stability of IT infrastructure through proactive maintenance, system upgrades, and performance tuning. Establish monitoring and alerting to promptly detect issues and recommend improvements to enhance efficiency and capacity as the organization grows.
• Resource Planning & Projects: Plan and coordinate IT resources (staff, tools, and budgets) to meet operational needs and future growth. Develop and manage the IT operations budget and forecasts, ensuring cost-effective use of resources. Oversee IT operational projects (such as upgrades or deployments) from initiation to completion, ensuring they are delivered on time and within scope.
• Policies & Documentation: Develop, update, and enforce IT policies, standard operating procedures, and documentation to ensure consistent operations and compliance with industry standards and regulations. This includes maintaining up-to-date documentation for system configurations, processes, and troubleshooting guides for use by the IT team and end-users.
• Vendor Management: Manage relationships with external technology vendors and service providers. Provide research material to assist with contract and service level agreements (SLAs) negotiations. Regularly review vendor performance and address any gaps in service delivery.
• Cross-Department Collaboration: Liaise with business unit leaders and other departments to ensure IT operations are aligned with organizational goals. Communicate IT operational plans, outages, and improvements effectively to stakeholders, and incorporate feedback to improve service delivery.
• Team Leadership: Lead and mentor the IT operations team, including service desk technicians and infrastructure administrators. Set clear performance objectives, provide guidance and training, and foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement within the team.
• Business Continuity & DR: Ensure robust disaster recovery and business continuity plans are in place for all critical systems. Regularly test and update these plans to guarantee that the organization can maintain or quickly resume operations in the event of major disruptions or emergencies.
• Security & Compliance: Work closely with the IT security function to implement and operate security controls as part of IT operations. Ensure that all operational activities adhere to company security policies and compliance requirements (e.g., data protection policies), and support periodic audits or assessments as needed.
• Operational Improvements: Continuously identify opportunities to improve IT operational efficiency and effectiveness. Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends in IT operations and recommend innovative solutions or process improvements (such as automation or new tools) to enhance service quality or reduce operational costs.

GENERAL

• Complies with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, and Workplace Hazardous Material Information System. This includes recognizing health and safety hazards, reporting incidents, fulfilling responsibilities under the applicable legislation, as well as participating in in-services and fire drills.
• Complies with all corporate policies and procedures.
• Completes all required mandatory training/education.
• Some travel across Canada will be required
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

• University degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related technology discipline OR a two/three-year college diploma in a related field, and a minimum of 15 years of hands-on experience in IT operations, systems administration, or a similar technology discipline.
• Leadership and management capabilities (3+ years experience of leading a team)
• Strategic thinker with the ability to align IT operations with business strategy.
• High attention to detail with an eye for accuracy in all tasks.
• Proven problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to addressing technical challenges.
• Strong organization and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines.
• Ability to work under pressure and produce results in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication abilities (written and verbal), with the capacity to explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Up-to-date knowledge of technology trends and best practices in IT operations and infrastructure management.
• Familiarity with IT service management frameworks (e.g., ITIL) and experience implementing or following structured incident, problem, and change management processes (asset).
• Experience managing IT team members, including those who may work remotely or across multiple sites.
• Self-directed and motivated, with the ability to work independently and take initiative.
• Analytical mindset with strong data-driven decision-making abilities.
• Must be willing to travel to different sites on occasion.

All offers of employment are subject to a Criminal Background Check. We thank all those who apply; however only candidates under consideration will be contacted.

Verve Senior Living is an inclusive, equitable and accessible workplace. We are dedicated to building a team that reflects the diversity of the residents and communities in which we live and serve. If you require accommodation for any portion of the recruitment and hiring process, please let us know.