Cloud Infrastructure & IT Operations Manager

Location: Katy, TX - Full-Time, Onsite

Compensation: $125,000 - $135,000 annualized

As the Manager of Cloud Infrastructure & IT Operations, you'll lead the team responsible for the stability, security, and performance of our Azure cloud-first enterprise technology environment. This is a full-time, onsite leadership role based at our Katy, Texas headquarters.

The Manager of Cloud Infrastructure and IT Operations is accountable for the day-to-day operations of all Azure cloud infrastructure components supporting our flagship product OfficerTRAK, and oversees our on-site campus IT Operations, Incident Response, and Program Management efforts, including office networks and end-user computing. In this role, you will manage, coach, and develop a small team of professionals. You will drive operational excellence, our SOC 2 Type 2 Program, manage IT standards and policies, work closely with our CISO, manage infrastructure vendor relationships, and ensure that infrastructure services meet the needs of the business and its users.

Key Responsibilities

Azure Cloud Infrastructure Management & IT Operations

• Oversee and lead the implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of all Azure Cloud infrastructure, primarily cloud networking, service management, and cost management; lead our Platform Engineering Team; and manage our relationship with our Cloud Service Provider.
• Oversee networking and end-user computing solutions on our campus and ensure our lifecycle management of physical infrastructure is in place and adhered to, with patching timelines, system updates, and hardware refresh cycles.
• Ensure high availability, reliability, and performance of all cloud and campus infrastructure systems and services, including uptime targets, SLA adherence, and proactive monitoring.
• Oversee Incident Response and Problem Management; ensure thorough root cause analysis of major incidents and outages for our primary applications; drive remediation and long-term resolution to prevent recurrence, in collaboration with other IT leaders.
• Maintain documentation of infrastructure architecture, configurations, procedures, and runbooks.
• Ensure adherence and compliance with established SOC 2 Type 2 controls

On-Campus Network, Systems Administration & IT Operations

• Oversee on-campus enterprise network infrastructure, including LAN/WAN, firewalls, routers, switches, and wireless-ensuring security, segmentation, and performance.
• Oversee or manage MS Entra, Active Directory/Azure AD, DNS, and identity/access management systems.
• Oversee or manage backup, replication, and recovery systems; ensure data protection standards are enforced and tested regularly.
• Evaluate and recommend end-user hardware, software, and licensing solutions that meet operational requirements and budget parameters.

Cloud Access Management & Production Infrastructure Monitoring and Support

• Monitor and support our Azure cloud environment, which serves as the backbone of the OfficerTRAK application, including resource provisioning in AKS, cost governance and reserved instances, and performance optimization.
• Oversee access to development platforms (e.g., GitHub CodeSpaces) and ensure effective use of compute resources within established budgets.
• Develop, improve, implement, and maintain cloud security controls, IAM policies, and compliance configurations.

Security, Compliance & Risk Management

• Oversee the security practice and partner with the CISO to enforce cybersecurity standards across all infrastructure components, including endpoint protection, patch management, and access controls.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory frameworks and internal IT policies (e.g., SOC 2, NIST).
• Lead or support business continuity and disaster recovery planning, documentation, and testing.
• Support security vulnerability assessments and coordinate remediation efforts with technical staff and vendors.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a small team responsible for system administration, desktop support, and platform engineering; conduct regular performance reviews and career development conversations for a handful of employees; and oversee consultants.
• Use hands-on experience to support the team if necessary. Leading by example, helping manage team roles, responsibilities, and workload priorities; allocating resources effectively across projects and operational tasks.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and knowledge sharing within the team and with peers.
• Recruit, onboard, and retain personnel; participate in hiring decisions and technical evaluations.

Vendor & Budget Management

• As needed, oversee or manage relationships with infrastructure vendors; negotiate contracts and ensure service delivery meets agreed-upon terms.
• Support the development and management of the IT infrastructure budget in collaboration with the CTO; track spending, forecast needs, and identify opportunities to optimize costs.
• Oversee infrastructure agreements, license renewals, and hardware warranties to minimize risk and unplanned expenditure.

IT Service Management & Stakeholder Engagement

• Bring your knowledge to bear and help the organization mature its IT capabilities by establishing, implementing, and promoting ITSM best practices, including incident management, change management, problem management, and request fulfillment (aligned with ITIL or equivalent frameworks).
• Serve as an escalation point for infrastructure-related service requests and incidents; maintain visibility of open issues and resolution timelines.
• Communicate infrastructure status, project progress, and risk items to IT leadership and business stakeholders clearly and proactively.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with application development, security, operations, and business units to ensure infrastructure services align with organizational needs.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in information technology, Computer Science, Network Engineering, or a related technical field. Equivalency, proven professional experience, and recent references will be considered in lieu of a degree.

Experience

• Minimum 7 years of progressive experience in cloud infrastructure, IT infrastructure, systems administration, or network engineering.
• At least 2 years managing Azure cloud infrastructure supporting a custom enterprise-level business application, with defined SLAs and uptime requirements.
• At least 2 years in a supervisory or management role overseeing infrastructure staff, operations, and IT budgets.

Technical Knowledge

• Strong Azure cloud infrastructure knowledge, preferably with strong proficiency in network fundamentals: routing, firewalls, DNS, DHCP, and TCP/IP.
• Hands-on experience with server administration in Windows Server and/or Linux environments.
• Familiarity with MS Entra, Active Directory, Azure Active Directory, Group Policy, and identity management systems.
• Working knowledge of backup and disaster recovery technologies and processes supporting office and cloud environments.
• Understanding of IT security principles and vulnerability remediation.

Leadership & Soft Skills

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Proven organizational and project management skills; ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Analytical approach to problem-solving with strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with staff, vendors, and internal stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with ITSM frameworks and tools such as ITIL, ServiceNow, or Jira Service Management.
• Experience with DevOps/infrastructure-as-code practices (e.g., Terraform, HelmCharts, Ansible, PowerShell DSC) is a big plus.
• Knowledge of containerization and orchestration platforms (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Experience supporting compliance with regulatory frameworks such as SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, or NIST.
• Relevant industry certifications such as: CompTIA Network+, Security+, or Server+; Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104); ITIL 4 Foundation or above; CCNA or higher.

***Immigration-related benefits (for example, visa sponsorship) are not available for this position.