Director, IT Infrastructure and Operations

Sr Director, IT Infrastructure and Operations

Our client is a leader in the Canadian and global public, private and commercial real estate investment business. Active investors, owners and managers of real estate assets, across Canada, the United States, and Ireland. Founded in 1999, the company has over $9.5 billion in Assets Under Management.

Join a small, motivated and highly effective team. Lots of opportunity to do a variety of things, learn and grow.

This is a full time / perm opportunity. Hybrid work 4 days in-office each week. Location is central Toronto, on the Yonge St Subway line - in one of Toronto's best neighborhoods - Summerhill area. Competitive salary, benefits and annual bonus.

About the Position:

The Senior Director, IT Infrastructure and Operations is a hands-on leader driving IT strategy and execution across infrastructure, cybersecurity, and operations. Reporting directly to the CTO, this role aligns IT initiatives with business objectives to ensure a secure, scalable, and efficient technology environment.

The Senior Director will take ownership of IT operations, identifying opportunities for growth and improvement, developing strategies, and implementing roadmaps. They will drive innovation in IT infrastructure and operations, enhance cybersecurity, and deliver cost-effective solutions to meet evolving business needs. This role requires a leader who balances strategic oversight with tactical involvement, working collaboratively with team members and ensuring the success of key initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Leadership: Lead the development of IT roadmaps for infrastructure, operations, and cybersecurity, incorporating input from team members and aligning with the CTO for strategic oversight.
2. Team Oversight and Project Management: Provide leadership and direction to the IT operations team, fostering a collaborative and results-driven environment. Oversee the successful delivery of IT projects of any scale, utilizing/managing external project management resources for highly complex initiatives as needed.
3. Cybersecurity and Risk Management: Own the evaluation and implementation of cybersecurity initiatives, including data loss prevention and vulnerability assessments, in collaboration with the IT team.
4. Operational Excellence: Manage IT policies; ensure compliance and handle audit and external due diligence requests. Actively participate in maintaining and improving IT infrastructure and operations, stepping in hands-on when necessary.
5. Vendor Management: Manage vendor relationships, negotiate contracts, and optimize IT budgets to ensure cost-effective and scalable solutions.
6. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with other departments to align IT solutions with business needs, demonstrating strong communication and high emotional intelligence.
7. Continuous Improvement and Innovation: Stay informed on emerging technologies and trends, proposing innovative tools and systems to enhance operational efficiency and scalability.

Job Requirements:

Education and Experience:

1. Post-secondary degree or equivalent experience in a computing/engineering field.
2. 10+ years of progressive experience in IT operations, cybersecurity, or related roles within midsized organizations of 300-1,500 employees.
3. CISM, CISSP or equivalent is a plus.
4. Expertise in Microsoft Office 365, Azure, SharePoint, and Active Directory.
5. Expertise in Microsoft’s identity and access management, endpoint management solutions.
6. Proven leadership experience in cybersecurity strategy and operations, such as implementing Zero Trust frameworks, EDR, data loss prevention (DLP) solutions.
7. Experience in IT policy development such as business continuity and disaster recovery planning is a must.
8. Strong Network Architecture and Optimization - expertise in WAN/LAN design, SD-WAN, and network performance tuning for distributed teams.
9. Strong negotiation skills to secure favorable terms with vendors and manage long-term strategic partnerships.
10. Industry experience in investment or property management or similar environments with widely distributed employee base is preferred but not required.
11. Prefer candidates with experience in regulated industries (e.g., finance, healthcare).
12. Demonstrated success in leading and delivering large-scale IT projects such as system migrations, infrastructure upgrades, or cybersecurity implementations.
13. Strong leadership experience, with a track record of managing and developing IT teams in a collaborative and results-oriented environment.

Other Qualifications:

1. Strong problem-solving ability and demonstrated resourcefulness.
2. Must have a combination of technical, business, and leadership skills.
3. Strong knowledge of the latest technologies, trends, and best practices such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, automation, internet of things, and cybersecurity.
4. An effective communicator and presenter, verbal, written and visual, with the ability to effectively engage stakeholders at all levels.
5. Proven ability to lead digital transformation initiatives, including project management, business analysis, requirements gathering, stakeholder communication, and change management.
6. Hands-on leader with the ability to work with employees at all levels. Adept at problem-solving and fostering an inclusive, collaborative team environment.

What Sets You Apart/Nice to Have:

1. Hands-on experience with PowerShell, Python, and Power Automate or other automation solutions.
2. MSSQL Database management and administration.
3. Data and Analytics skillset – MS Stack – T-SQL, Data warehousing, visualization tools.
4. Proven project management knowledge and leadership.
5. Proven business analysis skills.
6. Hands-on software development experience.
7. Proven change management ability to guide teams and stakeholders through significant technological changes, ensuring smooth adoption and minimal disruption.