Director of Infrastructure

Kirkland & Ellis; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 308,000 - 385,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

Paid time off

Retirement plan

Learning & development opportunities

Job summary

Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago seeks a Director of Infrastructure to shape global technology strategy and lead modernization across data centers, cloud, networks and AI-ready platforms. You will manage a ~60-person global team and partner with Security, Applications and senior leaders to deliver resilient, secure services at scale.

The role demands 15+ years in enterprise infrastructure, strong ITIL governance, cloud migrations, vendor management, and executive communication.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field.
• 15+ years of enterprise infrastructure experience with leadership.
• Experience managing hybrid cloud and on‑premises at scale.
• Proven cloud migrations and data center modernization.
• Strong ITIL‑based service delivery and governance.
• Experience managing large technology budgets and vendor relationships.
• Exceptional communication with executive leadership.
• Crisis leadership in cybersecurity incidents and outages.
• Experience in professional services or client‑facing environments preferred.
• Integrity, collaboration and discretion in handling information.

Responsibilities

• Shape Infrastructure Strategy: define and execute a multi‑year infrastructure roadmap.
• Lead Modernization Initiatives: cloud adoption, network transformation, automation.
• Enable Enterprise AI: establish foundations for AI-driven solutions.
• Deliver Reliable Global Services: 24/7 availability and performance.
• Drive Operational Excellence: ITIL governance and monitoring improvements.
• Lead Through Critical Events: escalation and recovery coordination.
• Oversee Core Technology Domains: cloud, data centers, networks, IAM.
• Strengthen Risk and Resilience: DR, ransomware readiness, governance.
• Manage Investment and Vendor Partnerships: budgets and contracts.
• Develop High‑Performing Teams: global leadership and succession.
• Influence Executive Stakeholders: communicate strategy and risk clearly.

Skills

Strategic leadership

ITIL governance

Cloud modernization

Vendor management

Executive communication

Crisis leadership

Datacenter ops

Security awareness

AI enablement

Cost optimization

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/IS/Engineering

ITIL Certification

Azure Solutions Architect

CISSP

PMP

Tools

Microsoft Azure

Microsoft 365

Data centers

Networking

Identity management

Job description

At Kirkland & Ellis, we don’t just meet the standard for legal excellence — we set it. Our culture is built on teamwork, ingenuity and an unwavering commitment to continuous growth. We tackle the most sophisticated legal challenges with bold ideas and innovative solutions, powered by the exceptional experience and ambition of our 7,000+ people, including 4,000+ attorneys, across 24 offices worldwide. Our dedicated professionals share our lawyers’ commitment to excellence and show up each day to do meaningful work that helps drive global business, investment and innovation forward.

What You’ll Do

Are you a transformational infrastructure leader who thrives on building secure, resilient, and high-performing technology environments at global scale?

As Director of Infrastructure, you will report to the Chief Information Officer and lead the strategy, delivery, and continuous improvement of the technology platforms that support more than 7,000 attorneys and business professionals across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Leading a global team of approximately 60 professionals through six functional leaders, you will oversee a diverse infrastructure portfolio spanning data centers, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, enterprise networks, telecommunications, collaboration platforms, databases, storage, compute, and identity management.

This is a highly visible leadership opportunity for a technology executive who can balance long-term strategy with operational excellence. You will partner closely with Information Security, Applications, and senior business leaders to strengthen resilience, modernize critical platforms, enable Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption, and ensure the secure delivery of world‑class technology services in a fast‑paced, client‑focused environment.

• Shape Infrastructure Strategy: Define and execute a multi‑year infrastructure roadmap that supports business growth, client service excellence, operational efficiency, and AI‑enabled innovation.
• Lead Modernization Initiatives: Drive cloud adoption, network transformation, unified communications initiatives, automation programs, and enterprise technology modernization efforts.
• Enable Enterprise AI: Partner with technology and security leaders to establish the infrastructure, governance, identity, data, and network foundations required for Microsoft 365 Copilot and other AI‑driven solutions.
• Deliver Reliable Global Services: Ensure 24/7 availability, performance, scalability, and service quality across infrastructure platforms that support business‑critical operations worldwide.
• Drive Operational Excellence: Champion Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) best practices across change, incident, problem, and configuration management while improving monitoring, automation, and service reliability.
• Lead Through Critical Events: Act as the senior escalation point during major outages, cybersecurity incidents, and recovery efforts, coordinating cross‑functional teams to restore services and minimize business impact.
• Oversee Core Technology Domains: Provide leadership across cloud and data center operations, networks, telecommunications, messaging and collaboration, storage, databases, backup and recovery, and Identity and Access Management (IAM).
• Strengthen Risk and Resilience: Lead Disaster Recovery (DR) strategy, testing, ransomware preparedness, recovery capabilities, and infrastructure governance to support security, compliance, and client expectations.
• Manage Investment and Vendor Partnerships: Oversee infrastructure budgets, technology investments, vendor relationships, contract negotiations, sourcing strategies, and cost optimization initiatives.
• Develop High-Performing Teams: Coach and inspire a global organization of infrastructure professionals, building leadership capability, succession plans, technical expertise, and a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Influence Executive Stakeholders: Communicate infrastructure strategy, operational performance, technology risks, and investment priorities clearly to senior leadership and business partners.

What You’ll Bring

• Education & Certifications: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience. Advanced degrees and certifications such as ITIL, Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect, Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), or Project Management Professional (PMP) are a plus.
• Deep Leadership Experience: 15+ years of progressive enterprise infrastructure experience, including at least seven years leading managers and multidisciplinary teams within large, globally distributed environments.
• Enterprise Infrastructure Expertise: Demonstrated success managing complex hybrid environments spanning cloud and on‑premises technologies at enterprise scale.
• Transformation Leadership: Proven experience delivering large‑scale cloud migrations, data center consolidations, network modernization programs, or unified communications transformations.
• Service Management Excellence: Strong command of ITIL‑based service delivery practices, operational governance, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Financial & Vendor Acumen: Experience managing substantial technology budgets, optimizing costs, negotiating contracts, and governing strategic vendor relationships.
• Executive Presence: Exceptional communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear business recommendations and build alignment across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Crisis Leadership & Resilience: Demonstrated ability to lead through high‑pressure incidents, cybersecurity events, and recovery scenarios with sound judgment and decisiveness.
• Professional Services Mindset: Experience in a law firm, consulting organization, Big Four firm, or other highly client‑focused, confidentiality‑driven environment is preferred.
• Integrity & Collaboration: A track record of earning trust, influencing through credibility, and handling sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.

If you’re excited to shape global infrastructure strategy, lead transformative technology initiatives, and build the resilient foundation that powers exceptional client service, we’d love to hear from you for this Director of Infrastructure opportunity.

Compensation

The base salary range below represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position in Chicago. This range may differ based on your geographic location and cost of living considerations. At Kirkland & Ellis, we consider compensation more than just a base salary. We offer an exceptional range of flexible benefits including comprehensive healthcare, paid time off, and retirement. We also offer personal support and tailored learning and development opportunities all designed to help you realize your full potential both in life and at work.

Compensation Range

Chicago: $308,000 - $385,000

All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employee’s race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law. #LI-Hybrid #LI-SM1