The Infrastructure Manager leads the people, processes, and technologies that support SM Energy's infrastructure services across corporate, cloud, data center, and field environments, including servers, storage, networking, cloud, database administration, virtualization, collaboration, backup/disaster recovery, and field site/OT networking. This role may be filled at the Supervisor or Manager level based on the incumbent's experience and is accountable for operational excellence, service reliability, and the development of a high-performing infrastructure team that enables secure, scalable, and resilient business operations.
Reporting to the IT Operations Manager, this role leads a team of 8-10 infrastructure professionals across multiple technical disciplines, providing coordination, coaching, and direction while partnering with IT leadership and business stakeholders to support current operations and execute infrastructure roadmap priorities. Role may also encompass technical responsibilities of an individual contributor at a comparable IT Specialist level.
The Infrastructure Manager works closely with various IT departments and business leaders to deliver infrastructure support that is dependable, secure, and efficient, translating business requirements into practical, scalable technology solutions.
Essential Roles and Responsibilities
Team Leadership & Development
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of 8-10 direct reports across infrastructure disciplines, fostering an accountable, service-oriented culture.
• Manage staffing, priorities, performance reviews, and professional development plans.
• Set clear expectations and performance standards; mentor team members and support cross-team collaboration.
Infrastructure Operations & Reliability
• Lead day-to-day operations across servers, storage, networking, cloud, virtualization, database administration, collaboration, and backup/DR systems.
• Ensure infrastructure services meet or exceed agreed service levels; manage escalations and drive resolution of critical incidents.
• Ensure infrastructure reliability, availability, and performance across corporate and field/OT environments.
• Support the team directly with incident resolution, service requests, and project execution as needed.
Architecture & Roadmap
• Implement infrastructure architecture and platform standards across servers, storage, networking, cloud, and virtualization, as directed by the IT Operations Manager.
• Maintain infrastructure standards, patterns, and documentation to ensure consistency and supportability.
• Execute infrastructure roadmap priorities set by the IT Operations Manager, including capacity, lifecycle, and modernization initiatives.
Data Protection, Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity
• Execute backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity procedures for infrastructure systems.
• Ensure backup and DR solutions meet recovery point/recovery time objectives; lead recovery testing and improvement efforts.
Field Site / OT Networking
• Oversee networking and infrastructure supporting field sites and operational technology (OT) environments, including field network design, radios, and cellular/modem connectivity.
• Serve as liaison between corporate IT and field network support groups on connectivity and monitoring needs.
Governance, Compliance & Vendor Management
• Ensure infrastructure aligns with SOX, IT General Controls (ITGC), and applicable security and compliance requirements.
• Respond to internal and external audit requests and coordinate audit activities within the infrastructure function.
• Support vendor relationships and provide technical input to contract and renewal reviews.
• Monitor and coordinate infrastructure activities in accordance with approved budget; contribute to IT budgeting, forecasting, and infrastructure investment planning.
Continuous Improvement & Metrics
• Track and report on infrastructure performance metrics and key indicators.
• Drive continuous improvement across infrastructure people, processes, and systems.
• Support the Technology team's AI initiatives by helping maintain a secure, reliable infrastructure foundation (compute, storage, networking) for AI-enabled tools; stay current on evolving AI and automation tools that can drive day-to-day operational improvement.
• Maintain SOPs, runbooks, and knowledge base documentation.
Role Specific Technical Knowledge & Skills
• Servers & Virtualization: Cisco UCS, Hyper-V, Nutanix
• Storage & Backup: Pure Storage, Dell Isilon/PowerScale, NetApp, Commvault, Cohesity
• Cloud & Identity: Azure/AWS, Entra ID, Active Directory
• Database Administration: SQL Server and enterprise database platforms
• Networking & Security: PaloAlto firewalls, Arista switches and WAPs, SDWAN
• Collaboration & Productivity: Microsoft 365, Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, Shared Drives
• OT/Field Networking: Industrial network segmentation and field site connectivity
Key Competencies
• People Leadership & Coaching: Demonstrated ability to supervise, develop, and motivate a technical team. Skilled at building team culture and individual accountability. Balances hands-on technical execution with day-to-day supervision, coaching, and team accountability.
• Change Management: Ability to help a team adapt to operational change, reinforcing direction set by leadership, managing day-to-day uncertainty, and bringing people along as the support model evolves.
• Technical Credibility: Strong technical depth across infrastructure domains to execute design decisions, troubleshoot complex issues, and perform hands-on work directly when needed.
• Agentic & AI Acumen: Curiosity and working knowledge of AI agent concepts and automation frameworks. Able to recognize opportunities for agentic solutions and support execution within a support context.
• Process Design: Ability to assess current-state workflows, identify inefficiencies, and recommend and implement process improvements.
• Stakeholder Communication: Clear, direct communicator who can translate technical issues and solutions for non-technical business audiences and communicate priorities and status to leadership.
• Prioritization & Judgment: Comfortable managing competing demands across support and project work; able to make sound triage decisions under pressure.
• Resilience & Adaptability: Thrives in a fast-changing environment where tools, platforms, and priorities evolve rapidly.
• Experience with or demonstrated curiosity toward agentic AI platforms such as Copilot, Gemini, or Claude and a drive to explore how emerging tools can modernize support operations.
Experience & Education
• 8+ years of progressive IT infrastructure experience across servers, storage, networking, cloud, and virtualization.
• 3+ years of leadership or management experience.
• Bachelor's degree in information technology, computer science, or a related discipline preferred, or equivalent practical experience.
SM Energy offers competitive compensation and benefits programs which include, but are not limited to, variable pay, health care coverage, retirement plan, protection coverage, time off and leave programs, training and development opportunities and a range of allowances connected to specific work situations. Details are available at Careers :: SM Energy Company (SM) (sm-energy.com).
Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
