Sr. Manager, System Administrator

Gildan Activewear Inc; Montreal; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career development

Benefits package

Mentorship

Job summary

Gildan Activewear Inc. seeks a Sr. Manager, System Administration to oversee Windows Server and Wintel infrastructure globally.

You will lead a team of systems engineers, manage vendor relationships, and drive uptime, scalability, and security for an enterprise environment. This role requires 12–15+ years in IT infrastructure, 5+ years in a leadership capacity, and strong English/French communication. The position offers a growth‑focused IT culture with comprehensive benefits and international

Qualifications

• University degree in IT with 12-15+ years in IT infrastructure/architecture.
• Minimum 5+ years in a supervisory or management role.
• Deep hands-on experience with enterprise technologies including Windows Server, AD, SCCM/MECM, Office 365 hybrid environments, VMware, Pure Storage, Azure, and enterprise storage/security.
• Strong leadership, collaboration across functions, and ability to drive process improvements.

Responsibilities

• Manages the global engineering team responsible for backups, virtualization, Wintel, and storage design, implementation, and 24/7 operational support.
• Owns ITIL procedures, patching cycles, performance metrics, root cause analysis, disaster recovery plans/tests, and security controls for in-house and cloud services.
• Owns the annual Wintel infrastructure budget, forecasting CAPEX/OPEX and cost-saving opportunities across hardware lifecycles and software licensing renewals.
• Manages strategic relationships with third-party service providers, suppliers, and consultants, including vendor selection and contract evaluation.
• Collaborates with PMO and cross-functional IT teams to design, build, and implement enterprise-wide capabilities.
• Partners with business areas to ensure infrastructure solutions scale with needs.
• Hires, trains, mentors, and evaluates system engineering talent, with clear performance expectations.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Project management

Communication

Education

University degree in Information Technology

Tools

Windows Server

Active Directory

SCCM/MECM

Office 365

VMware

Pure Storage

IBM Metro Mirror

Azure

Networking

Security

Cisco UCS

Brocade switches

Commvault

Okta MFA

CrowdStrike

Job description

Who we are

Gildan is a leading manufacturer of everyday basic apparel, with a strong portfolio of brands, including Gildan®, Hanes®, Comfort Colors®, American Apparel®, ALLPRO™, GOLDTOE®, Peds®, Bali®, Playtex®, Maidenform®, Bonds®, as well as Champion® which is under an exclusive licensing agreement for the printwear channel in the U.S. and Canada.

Gildan owns and operates vertically integrated, large-scale manufacturing facilities which are primarily located in Central America, the Caribbean, North America, and Asia. Gildan operates with a strong commitment to industry-leading labour, environmental and governance practices throughout its supply chain in accordance with its comprehensive ESG program embedded in Gildan's long-term business strategy. Together with our global team of dedicated employees, Gildan is united in its vision of Making Apparel Better®. Discover the full scale of Gildan and prepare to be surprised at gildancorp.com.

The opportunity

We are seeking a skilled and proactive Sr. Manager, System Administration to oversee the strategy, deployment, maintenance, and security of our Windows Server and Intel-based physical and virtual infrastructure. In this role, you will lead a global team of systems engineers, manage vendor relationships, and ensure maximum uptime, scalability, and security for our enterprise-level Wintel environment. This is a dynamic opportunity to drive technical excellence and shape the future of our infrastructure landscape.

• Department: IT Infrastructure
• Reporting Into: Director of Infrastructure

The role

• Manages the global engineering team responsible for backups, virtualization, Wintel, and storage design, implementation, and 24/7 operational support.
• Ensures continuous, secure operations by owning ITIL procedures, patching cycles, performance metrics, root cause analysis, disaster recovery plans/tests, and security controls for both in-house and cloud-based services.
• Owns the annual Wintel infrastructure budget by forecasting and maintaining capital and operational expenditures (CAPEX/OPEX), tracking monthly adherence, and identifying cost‑saving opportunities across hardware lifecycles and software licensing renewals.
• Manages strategic relationships with third‑party service providers, suppliers, and consultants, including vendor selection, contract evaluation, and critical incident escalation.
• Collaborates directly with our PMO and cross‑functional IT teams to design, build, and implement robust, enterprise‑wide capabilities.
• Partners with functional business areas to ensure all infrastructure solutions meet and scale with current and future business requirements.
• Hires, trains, mentors, and evaluates system engineering talent, establishing clear performance expectations and fostering professional growth.

The requirements

• Education & Experience: A University degree in Information Technology; 12‑15 + years of experience in IT infrastructure/architecture, with a minimum of 5+ years in a supervisory or management role.
• Core Technical Expertise: Deep, hands‑on experience with the following enterprise technologies:
  • Operating Systems & Systems Management: Windows Server (2016 through 2025), Active Directory, Group Policies, SCCM/MECM and Office 365 hybrid environments (OneDrive, SharePoint, Exchange SE).
  • Virtualization & Storage: VMware (6.5 through 9.x), Pure Storage, IBM Metro Mirror, and VM stretch clusters.
  • Cloud Infrastructure, Networking & Security: Strong experience in designing and operating enterprise Azure environments. Including Azure networking, hybrid connectivity, identity and Access Management, Workload Management, cloud security and operational governance.
  • Hardware Ecosystems: HP, Dell, IBM, Cisco UCS servers, UCS Fabric Interconnects (FI), and Brocade switches.
  • Availability & Data Protection: Enterprise backup and disaster recovery planning (DRP) solutions, specifically Commvault.
• Security & Networking (Preferred): Good working knowledge of Cisco ACI, Okta MFA, proxy servers, server hardening, LAPS, CrowdStrike.
• Leadership & Professional Attributes:
  • Thrives as a hands‑on manager in a fast‑paced, changing environment with the ability to multitask effectively.
  • Demonstrates strong capacity and project planning capabilities to accurately anticipate future infrastructure needs.
  • Operates with complete transparency and collaborates seamlessly across functions to find the best solutions for the organization.
  • Excels at troubleshooting complex systems and possesses a natural curiosity to uncover root causes and drive process improvements.
  • Proven ability to mobilize, motivate, and influence technical teams, proactively bringing the right stakeholders into the conversation.
• Language Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills in both English and French.

What's in it for you

• Join a publicly traded company dual‑listed on NYSE and TSX with great potential
• Be part of a workplace where meaningful connections and teamwork are celebrated
• From local to international, be ready to work alongside a diverse group of colleagues
• Benefit from mentorship and continuous development opportunities
• Take advantage of our attractive benefits packages

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

Find your fit with us

We are committed to ensuring that everyone, across every background and identity, feels respected, supported, and able to thrive. Come as you are and #FindYourFit at Gildan. Tailor the future of your own career.