Director, IT (Operations/Strategy)

Aravo Solutions; Austin (TX); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% Employer Paid Medical Insurance

401K with Company Matching

Equity Participation

4 Weeks Vacation

Job summary

Aravo Solutions, Inc. is seeking a Director of IT to lead and scale our internal IT function in a hybrid work model. You will partner with Engineering, Security, Finance, and HR to support a growing SaaS organization, balancing daily operations with long-term transformation to scale our systems and processes.

You will own core IT strategy, governance, and a high-impact IT team, driving security, compliance, and a superior end-user experience for a distributed workforce.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in IT with 5+ years in a leadership role.
• Hands-on experience with modern IT stack, including AI tools.
• Automating user onboarding and offboarding with auditability and traceability.
• Experience supporting compliance frameworks such as Microsoft SSPA, SOC1, and SOC 2.
• Ability to operate both strategically and hands-on.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute IT roadmap aligned with growth and strategy.
• Lead a small IT team (helpdesk, systems, IT ops) and mentor staff.
• Establish SLAs, KPIs, and drive continuous improvement.
• Drive tool standardization and portfolio optimization; manage budget and vendor relations.
• Own internal systems strategy, onboarding/offboarding, and lifecycle management.
• Partner with Security and Engineering to support audits and compliance.
• Deliver seamless employee IT experience across onboarding, support, and tooling.
• Manage SaaS portfolio, licensing strategy, and cost optimization.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

AI tools

Tools

AI tools

Job description

• Customer-first mindset

Location: Hybrid- Employees will be required to work out of the nearest office location 2-3 days a week and for quarterly meetings 1-4 times annually. Travel may also be expected as needed.

Aravo Solutions, Inc., provides leading third-party risk management (TPRM), ESG, and vendor lifecycle management solutions powered by intelligent automation software and designed to meet the needs of TPRM teams at Global 2000 enterprises.

At Aravo, we believe that in an increasingly interconnected world, managing risk is a critical pillar of global resilience. Traditional, manual approaches to TPRM can no longer keep pace with today's scale and speed of disruption. That's why we have pioneered an Intelligence-First™ approach.

Trusted by millions of third-party users in 195+ countries, Aravo provides guidance for the most complex third-party networks in the world, helping them mitigate risk, build business resilience, and protect their reputations. We are fundamentally redesigning how organizations see, understand, and act on risk by embedding AI directly into the core of their workflows.

Joining Aravo means working at the forefront of AI in TPRM and collaborating with a team that views AI as a partner, not a replacement. You will have the opportunity to work alongside industry experts, leverage the latest technologies, and contribute to shaping the future of third-party risk management!

Position Overview

Aravo is seeking a hands-on, strategic Director of IT to lead and scale our internal IT function. This role will own corporate IT and business systems strategy and operations while partnering closely with Engineering, Security, Finance, and HR teams to support a growing, distributed SaaS organization.

This leader will balance day-to-day operational excellence with forward-looking strategy and transformation, ensuring our systems, tools, processes, and IT capabilities scale efficiently with the company as it grows.

Key Responsibilities

IT Leadership & Strategy

• Define and execute Aravo's IT roadmap, aligning it with company growth objectives, business strategy and operational needs while building stakeholder buy-in
• Lead, develop, and mentor a small, high-impact IT team (helpdesk, systems, IT ops)
• Establish and track SLAs, KPIs, and user satisfaction metrics, driving accountability and continuous improvement
• Drive tool standardization and rationalization, ensuring we are continuously consolidating toolsets and optimizing the technology portfolio
• Own IT budgeting, forecasting, vendor management, and strategic resource planning
• Establish IT operating standards, processes, and governance that support the company's growth and evolving business needs
• Serve as the senior IT leader and strategic partner to executive and cross-functional leadership

Corporate IT Operations

• Own the strategy and operational management of core internal systems, including license management
• Ensure reliable, scalable onboarding/offboarding processes and lifecycle management
• Maintain high availability, performance, and reliability of internal systems
• Support a hybrid/remote workforce across multiple locations with effective endpoint, identity, and access strategies
• Establish scalable operational processes and controls that enable IT to support continued organizational growth

Security & Compliance Partnership

• Partner with Security and Engineering to support audit and customer-driven compliance requirements
• Enforce identity, access control, and endpoint security policies
• Establish governance for onboarding AI solutions and usage that adhere to proper security and data practices
• Support audits, evidence collection, and vendor security reviews
• Drive security awareness and best practices across employees
• Partner with Security and Engineering leadership to continuously strengthen the company's overall security and compliance posture

End-User Experience & Support

• Own the IT support function with a focus on responsiveness, quality, scalability, and automation
• Deliver a seamless employee experience across onboarding, support, and tooling
• Continuously improve documentation, self-service, and internal processes
• Establish a culture of service excellence and accountability across the IT function

Vendor, Asset & SaaS Management

• Own the SaaS application portfolio, licensing strategy, and cost optimization
• Track and manage IT assets and lifecycle (procurement → retirement)
• Negotiate vendor contracts and manage third-party relationships
• Drive strategic vendor evaluation and consolidation to optimize cost, security, functionality, and employee experience

Requirements

• 12+ years of experience in IT, with 5+ years in a leadership role
• Strong hands-on experience with modern IT stack, including AI tools
• Automating user onboarding and offboarding with auditability and traceability
• Experience supporting compliance frameworks such as Microsoft SSPA, SOC1, and SOC 2
• Support FedRamp related activities and compliance
• Proven ability to operate both strategically and hands-on
• Strong project management and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Experience in a SaaS or cloud-first company (80-500 employees ideal)
• Experience scaling IT processes in a high-growth environment

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with zero trust security principles
• Exposure to customer-facing security or audit requirements

Key Competencies

• Hands-on leadership with a "roll up your sleeves" mindset
• Self-starter with entrepreneurial attitude towards managing everything IT
• Strong operational discipline and attention to detail
• Ability to prioritize effectively in a lean environment
• Clear communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Customer-first mindset

Why Join Us

At Aravo Solutions, Inc., we offer a dynamic and inclusive work environment where employees are encouraged to innovate, grow, and make a meaningful impact. We provide competitive compensation and benefits packages, opportunities for professional development, and the chance to work alongside industry experts on cutting-edge projects.

Benefits

• 100% Employer Paid Medical Insurance options for the Employee and Family
• Paid Maternity and Paternity Leave
• Life and AD&D Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• 401K with Company Matching
• Equity Participation
• 4 Weeks of Vacation
• Fully Stocked Kitchens
• Company-Sponsored Charitable Day of Giving Events
• Aravo Solutions Inc. is registered as an employer in many, but not all, states. If an applicant is not in or able to work from a state where Aravo Solutions Inc. is registered, they may not be eligible for employment. The eligible states include: FL, GA, MA, MO, NC, NH, NV, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, and UT