Information Technology Manager

Applications International Corporation; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K match

Medical coverage

Life insurance

Dental & Vision

Vacation

Holidays

Wellness program

Training & growth

Office snacks

Dog-friendly office

Job summary

Applications International Corporation in San Diego, CA is seeking an Information Technology Manager to lead a small IT team and oversee infrastructure, security, and operations for a SaaS environment. This on-site role reports to ownership and requires hands-on leadership in a fast-paced setting.

The ideal candidate has 7–10 years of IT leadership, expertise in Windows Server, Exchange in a DAG, virtualization, Azure, and vendor management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Information Technology or equivalent
• Microsoft certifications related to messaging or infrastructure are valued
• Security or networking certifications preferred

Responsibilities

• Lead and direct IT operations with one direct report and serve as technical escalation point
• Manage on-site infrastructure, security, and day-to-day IT operations for a SaaS environment
• Oversee server virtualization, backups (immutable on‑premises and cloud), and SAN health
• Administer Windows Server, Active Directory, and group policies; maintain runbooks and documentation
• Manage Exchange Server in a production DAG, email security, and failover readiness
• Oversee firewall, VPN, WAF, network design, and security patching across multi-site environment
• Own IT projects from scoping to delivery and manage vendor relationships

Skills

Leadership

IT leadership

Cloud & Azure

Security

Backup & restore

Exchange

Active Directory

Virtualization

Networking

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/IT

Certifications in security/networking

Tools

Azure

Veeam

Exchange DAG

Active Directory

VMware

Job description

We are a dynamic SaaS company building innovative software solutions that make a difference in the Environmental Health Risk and Safety industry. Our collaborative team is passionate about technology and committed to excellence. We are looking for a talented Information Technology Manager to join our team in San Diego, CA and help drive our technical vision forward.

THIS IS AN ON-SITE POSITION IN SAN DIEGO, CA 92127.

Important Note: This is a full-time, on‑site with benefits role in San Diego,CA. We are only considering local candidates at this time. Relocation assistance is not available.

• Competitive Salary Range: $125,000-$145,000 per year DOE

The Opportunity

The Information Technology Manager is a primarily hands‑on execution role and is responsible for the day‑to‑day aspects of IT infrastructure, security, and operations to support the company’s SaaS environment. This role involves managing technology projects, maintaining system performance, ensuring compliance with security standards, and collaborating with cross‑functional teams to align IT strategies with business objectives.

Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership and Management

• Lead, coordinate, and provide day‑to‑day direction to one direct report (small team)
• Assign and prioritize tasks between yourself and your direct report based on skill set and workload
• Serve as the primary technical escalation point for your direct report
• Provide informal coaching and support the professional development of your teammate
• Report directly to business ownership on all IT operations, projects, and incidents

Infrastructure & Systems

• Manage and maintain our virtualized server environment (installation, patching, and troubleshooting end to end)
• Create, monitor, and verify backup jobs including immutable on‑premises and cloud‑based targets; execute restores when needed
• Maintain SAN storage environment including installation, patching, and ongoing health monitoring
• Administer Windows Server and Active Directory domain — group policies, access controls, and overall domain health
• Maintain and update network diagrams, runbooks, and IT documentation on an ongoing basis
• Administer identity, access management, endpoint management, and self‑service tools
• Manage, maintain, and support our on‑premises Microsoft Exchange Server environment in a production DAG configuration
• Monitor DAG replication health, mailbox database copies, and failover readiness; perform and validate failover testing
• Perform Exchange upgrades, cumulative update (CU) patching, and capacity planning
• Troubleshoot mail flow, transport rules, connectors, and delivery issues end‑to‑end
• Manage email security including anti‑spam, antivirus, and email threat protection policies
• Maintain Exchange integration with Active Directory including recipient management and address policies
• Manage and support VoIP/cloud phone system provisioning and troubleshooting for staff

Networking & Security

• Own firewall policy management, VPN administration, and network threat monitoring across the environment
• Manage and maintain web application firewall (WAF) environments protecting externally facing systems
• Configure and maintain switching infrastructure across sites (routing, VLANs, network segmentation, and DMZ design)
• Maintain wireless access infrastructure and ensure secure, reliable connectivity
• Administer zero‑trust VPN access and manage site‑to‑site tunnel configurations
• Manage and apply security patches across servers and endpoints on a defined cadence
• Monitor and respond to security events using our ITSM and log management platform; investigate incidents and take corrective action
• Maintain endpoint protection, email security filtering, and intrusion detection tooling
• Administer and maintain our cloud infrastructure environment (Microsoft Azure experience highly preferred)
• Support hybrid identity and connectivity between on‑premises and cloud environments

IT Operations, Projects and Business Relations

• Own and execute IT projects including hardware/software upgrades and system improvements (from scoping to delivery)
• Build, maintain, and regularly test our disaster recovery plan; lead incident response when issues arise
• Manage the IT operations and track expenses, optimize costs, and prepare reports for ownership
• Own vendor relationships and contracts from renewals, negotiations, and day‑to‑day coordination
• Work cross‑functionally with team management to understand technology needs and deliver practical solutions
• Contribute to long‑term IT planning in support of business growth
• Other duties as assigned.

The Ideal Candidate

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field preferred
• Equivalent combination of hands‑on experience and technical leadership will be considered
• Microsoft certification aligned to messaging or infrastructure strongly valued given the Exchange DAG requirement (Preferred)
• Security or networking certifications (ex. CISSP, Security+, Network+, ITIL) (Preferred)

Work Experience:

• 7–10 years of progressive, hands‑on IT experience with direct ownership of infrastructure, networking, and security — not just participation
• Experience operating day‑to‑day IT operations in a small or mid‑sized company (highly preferred)
• Demonstrated success leading and developing at least one direct report IT team member
• Demonstrated success owning IT operations end‑to‑end (not just participating), including security, uptime, and incident response
• Experience partnering with various teams to support deployments, troubleshoot production issues, and improve system reliability
• Strong background in incident response, disaster recovery, and business continuity planning
• Experience managing multi‑site network environments and secure infrastructure
• Prior experience with vendor management and cost optimization

Technical Expertise

• Windows Server administration and Active Directory (domain health, group policy, and access controls)
• Microsoft Exchange Server in a DAG configuration
• Enterprise virtualization platform administration (installation, patching, and troubleshooting in production)
• SAN storage management (installation, patching, and health monitoring)
• Backup and disaster recovery — job creation, immutable target management, and restore execution (Veeam or equivalent)
• Microsoft Azure — administration and hybrid identity/connectivity Preferred
• AWS or other cloud platform familiarity
• Network architecture including routing, switching, VLANs, and DMZ design across multi‑site environments
• Enterprise next‑generation firewall administration (policy management, VPN configuration, and threat monitoring)
• Web application firewall (WAF) configuration and ongoing policy management
• Site‑to‑site VPN tunnel configuration and zero‑trust remote access administration
• DNS administration and complex network connectivity troubleshooting
• Endpoint security, email threat protection, and intrusion detection/prevention tooling
• Patch management and structured vulnerability remediation processes
• Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policy configuration and incident management
• ITSM platform experience (log management, network monitoring, and endpoint management tools)
• Security event monitoring, alert triage, and structured incident response documentation
• Experience supporting or operating within a SOC 2 or similar compliance framework

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Ability to lead, direct, and develop a small IT team while remaining a hands‑on technical contributor
• Clear, direct communicator and able to translate complex technical issues for non‑technical business owners and department leads
• Comfortable reporting directly to ownership and operating with a high degree of autonomy and accountability
• Discreet and trustworthy and able to handle sensitive business information and privileged system access with professionalism
• Organized self‑starter and able to manage competing priorities, shifting timelines, and unexpected incidents without losing sight of planned work
• Strong problem‑solving instincts finding the root cause, not just the symptom
• Project management discipline and able to scope, plan, and deliver IT initiatives on time and within budget
• Financial literacy for IT and comfortable tracking and justifying expenditures, and identifying cost‑saving opportunities.

Competitive Salary and Benefits Package

• Competitive salary range: $125,000-$145,000 per year DOE
• 401K Retirement with a generous 6% employer match – 100% vested immediately
• Medical Coverage (HMO & PPO options) – 100% paid by employer for employee and their dependents
• Employer‑paid life insurance
• Dental and Vision coverage
• Vacation Hours
• Paid Holidays
• Wellness Program including weekly chair massage and in‑office gym
• Training and advancement opportunities
• Company‑provided daily office snacks
• Dog‑friendly office

Work Schedule & Location

• Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM; occasional weekends depending on business needs

Physical Requirements

• This position primarily involves computer work in an office environment and may occasionally require lifting/moving items up to 50 pounds.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and value diversity at our company. The statements above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or physical requirements. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodation.