Senior IT Manager

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Information Technology Manager with a strong background in IT infrastructure, Operations, systems, and service delivery, preferably in the Retail and Manufacturing industry.

The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the IT team, ensuring appropriate levels of support to the Al Douri group, and the full functionality of all IT platforms within the group. The role will also be responsible for leading a team whose mission is to support, analyze, implement, and maintain our IT infrastructure and IT systems to ensure seamless operation in our retail and manufacturing environments.

Key Responsibilities

1. IT Infrastructure Management
   • Oversee the deployment, monitoring, maintenance, development, upgrade, and support of all IT systems, including servers, networks, storage, endpoints, platforms both cloud and on-prem.
   • Ensure high availability and optimum performance of mission-critical systems and applications.
   • Manage data backups, disaster recovery plans, and business continuity strategies.
2. Team Leadership and Development
   • Lead and mentor a small team of IT staff, providing guidance, training, and performance evaluations.
   • Foster a collaborative and innovative team environment.
   • Develop and implement staff training programs to keep up with the latest technological advancements.
3. Security and Compliance
   • Create, implement and enforce IT security policies, standards, and procedures to protect the organization's people, data and IT assets.
   • Ensure compliance with relevant regulations in the region, both data-privacy related and other industry-specific standards.
   • Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.
4. Vendor and Contract Management
   • Manage relationships with external vendors, service providers, and consultants.
   • Negotiate contracts, ensure service level agreements (SLAs) are met, and monitor vendor performance.
5. Budgeting and Cost Management
   • Develop and manage the IT operations, ensuring cost-effective solutions and resource allocation.
   • Track and report on IT operational expenses and identify cost-saving opportunities.
6. Incident and Problem Management
   • Oversee the incident response process, ensuring timely resolution of IT issues and minimizing downtime.
   • Implement problem management processes to identify root causes and prevent recurrence of incidents.
7. Continuous Improvement
   • Stay current with emerging technologies and industry trends to drive continuous improvement of IT operations.
   • Implement best practices and process improvements to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field. A master's degree or relevant industry certifications (e.g., ITIL, PMP, Prince2, CISCO, Microsoft) is a plus.
• Experience: Minimum of 7 years of experience in IT Infrastructure and IT systems within the retail and manufacturing industries.
• Proven experience in IT operations management, and Modern Workplace Microsoft technologies, with deep knowledge of IT infrastructure, including servers, networks, storage, and endpoints, Azure cloud and services, M365.
• Proficiency in IT security practices and technologies.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Experience with IT service management frameworks and tools, such as ITIL, FreshService.
• Strong project management skills and experience with tools such as Microsoft Project, Jira, Asana, ScreenConnect.
• Ability to manage vendor relationships and contracts.
• English Speaking.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with ERP, CRM and OMS systems in a retail and manufacturing context, with expert knowledge in the Microsoft platform ecosystem, including the Azure platform, M365 services, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O (D365 F&O).
• Knowledge of emerging technologies and trends in IT, well versed in the use of CoPilot and Agents, and other AI tools.
• Data Centre Operations.
• SD-WAN networks preferably Fortinet.
• Cybersecurity, data security and information security standards.
• Expert use of Analytical tools (Excel, Power BI, etc).
• Driving license.