NDBC IT Manager

Overview

The Lynker NDBC IT Manager serves as the primary contractor leader responsible for overseeing the IT infrastructure, network operations, software development, and cyber security supporting the NDBC which maintains the world's largest real-time marine observation network dedicated to maritime safety and environmental observations for now and the future.  NDBC's network includes moored-ocean buoys, fixed coastal stations, and mobile observing platforms that observe, report, and disseminate atmospheric, oceanographic, meteorological, and tsunami measurements. The observations gathered by NDBC support operational and research programs at the  and other organizations, as well as the understanding and predictions of patterns in weather, oceans, and coasts.  In addition to the data from a network of approximately 240 stations, NDBC obtains and distributes observations from partner organizations across the world.

 

The Lynker NDBC IT Manager leads a multidisciplinary team of approximately 20 systems/database/ network administrators, software developers, helpdesk technicians, and cybersecurity specialists to ensure 24/7/365 availability of real-time oceanographic and meteorological data streams.  This role acts as the operational bridge between contractor IT task performance and government NDBC leadership. 

 

 

Responsibilities

Duties of the NDBC IT Manager will include the following:

• Lead and mentor a multi-disciplinary IT team overseeing Windows/Linux server infrastructure, networks, database systems, custom software development, helpdesk operations, and cybersecurity.
• Maintain an effective operational interface with Government NDBC IT leadership to understand tasking requirements, priorities, and to communicate level of effort estimates, and workload impacts.
• Coordinate with Lynker management team for cross-departmental projects.
• Establish resource schedules, assign tasks, evaluate team performance, and ensure alignment with contract requirements.
• Lead strategic discussions to drive effective solutions to meet contract requirements.
• Deliver high-quality customer service by ensuring responsive support, proactive stakeholder communication, and rapid resolution of technical issues across all operational groups.
• Serve as the main Point of Contact (POC) for all IT operations, incidents, and strategic planning.
• Ensure the NDBC mission of 24/7/365 data flow is met for NDBC and partner stations.
• Communicate service outages promptly, providing regular updates and post-resolution root cause analysis.
• Manage IT infrastructure in AWS, Azure, and a local data center.
• Coordinate planned hardware/software maintenance windows, vendor support, and hardware lifecycle refreshes.
• Ensure all IT assets strictly adhere to NOAA/NWS, DOC, and NIST SP 800-53 security controls.
• Lead contractor support for annual Assessment & Authorization (A&A) audits, STIG compliance, vulnerability remediation, and POA&M resolution to maintain an Authority to Operate (ATO).

Qualifications

The NDBC IT Manager should have the following:

 

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

 

Experience:

• 6+ years of progressive IT experience, with at least 3 years in a managerial or lead capacity on Federal Government contracts (NOAA, DoD, NASA, or DHS preferred).
• Proven track record overseeing comprehensive IT operations, encompassing software development, systems infrastructure, and IT help desk operations.
• Experience with supporting 24/7/365 operations.
• Experience with supporting IT security requirements in a government environment
• Excellent verbal and written communication, strong leadership capabilities, and the ability to manage competing priorities.

Clearance / Site Access

• Must be able to successfully complete a NOAA (Stennis Space Center)/NASA background investigation for site/system access.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain facility credentials/authorization. Must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance.  Note: US Citizenship or a valid Green Card is required for facility credentials/authorization at this work location. 

 

 

The Ideal NDBC IT Manager will have the following:

 

Education: Master’s degree in a technical or business/management discipline.

 

Certifications: PMP, ITIL v4 Foundation, and/or DoD 8570/8140 cybersecurity certifications (e.g., CISSP, CISM, Security+).

 

Technical & Modernization Capabilities

• Strong knowledge of software development and cloud native technologies.
• Knowledge of cloud environments, particularly AWS and Azure.
• Hands-on experience with agile methodologies.
• Experience driving IT modernization, including leveraging Artificial Intelligence to streamline software development and optimize IT operations.