IT Infrastructure Manager

Daniels Health; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 125,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

Daniels Health in Chicago seeks an experienced IT Operations Manager to lead design, operation, security, and continual improvement of the core technology infrastructure. You will own the enterprise network, servers, hybrid infrastructure, and Microsoft Azure tenant, ensuring reliable, secure, scalable services for global entities.

This role blends leadership with hands-on depth, vendor management, and governance.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years hands-on experience supporting enterprise infrastructure.
• Minimum of 2 years in an infrastructure/IT operations management role.
• Experience leading technical teams and vendors.

Responsibilities

• Own operational performance, availability, security, and lifecycle of hybrid infra.
• Lead infrastructure personnel, contractors, and MSPs with clear priorities.
• Design and improve network services including LAN/WAN/SD-WAN, VPN and firewalls.
• Manage Windows and Linux servers, virtualization, storage, and AD services.
• Own Azure tenant, governance, networking, compute, and backup.
• Ensure change management, testing, and documentation for infra changes.

Skills

Infrastructure management

Team leadership

Vendor management

IT governance

Security practices

Disaster recovery

Azure expertise

Networking

Windows/Linux servers

Incident management

Change management

Compliance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in IT / CS / Engineering

Tools

Power BI

Microsoft Excel

Freshservice

ServiceNow

Azure Monitor

Job description

We are seeking an experienced IT Operations Manager to lead the design, operation, security, and continual improvement of Daniels Health's core technology infrastructure. This role owns the enterprise network, server and hybrid infrastructure environment, and Microsoft Azure tenant, ensuring these platforms are reliable, secure, scalable, well-governed, and aligned with business requirements across global entities.

This IT Operations Manager is accountable for the operational health and strategic evolution of on-premises, cloud, and hybrid infrastructure. This includes network connectivity, firewalls, wireless, servers, virtualization, storage, backup and disaster recovery, Microsoft Azure services, identity and access integrations, monitoring, patching, and infrastructure lifecycle management. The role partners closely with Cybersecurity, Service Desk, Applications/Development, and business stakeholders to provide secure, resilient technology services for field, operations, and office personnel, both remote and onsite.

This position combines people leadership, hands-on technical depth, vendor management, operational governance, and project delivery. The successful candidate will establish clear ownership, standards, documentation, performance measures, and roadmaps for the infrastructure estate.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the operational performance, availability, capacity, security, and lifecycle management of enterprise network, server, cloud, and hybrid infrastructure.
• Lead and develop infrastructure personnel, contractors, and managed service providers; establish clear priorities, expectations, accountability, technical standards, and development plans.
• Design, implement, maintain, and continually improve resilient network services, including LAN, WAN, SD-WAN, VPN, internet connectivity, firewalls, wireless, routing, switching, DNS, DHCP, and network segmentation.
• Own server and compute platforms, including Windows and Linux servers, virtualization, storage, file and print services, directory services, and supporting infrastructure components.
• Own the Microsoft Azure tenant and associated platform services, including subscriptions, resource organization, governance, networking, compute, storage, backup, monitoring, cost management, and role-based access controls.
• Manage hybrid connectivity and integrations among Azure, on-premises infrastructure, Microsoft 365, Entra ID, SaaS platforms, and business applications.
• Establish and maintain infrastructure monitoring, alerting, health checks, performance baselines, capacity planning, and operational reporting.
• Ensure infrastructure changes are properly planned, reviewed, tested, documented, communicated, and implemented in accordance with change-management and security requirements.

Security, Resilience, and Compliance

• Partner with the Cybersecurity team to implement and operate secure infrastructure configurations, identity controls, network segmentation, vulnerability remediation, logging, endpoint/server hardening, and privileged-access practices.
• Ensure timely patching and remediation for servers, network devices, Azure services, and supporting infrastructure, using risk-based prioritization and documented exceptions where necessary.
• Own backup, recovery, and disaster-recovery capabilities for infrastructure services; conduct and document regular restoration and failover tests.
• Develop, maintain, and test business continuity and disaster-recovery procedures for critical infrastructure platforms.
• Maintain accurate network diagrams, infrastructure inventories, configuration standards, runbooks, recovery procedures, and technical documentation.
• Ensure infrastructure practices support applicable company security, privacy, compliance, and audit requirements.

Architecture, Projects, and Continuous Improvement

• Develop and maintain a multi-year infrastructure roadmap covering network modernization, server and virtualization lifecycle, Azure adoption, security enhancements, resilience, and technical debt reduction.
• Lead infrastructure projects from requirements through design, implementation, transition to operations, and post-implementation review.
• Evaluate infrastructure technologies, service providers, licensing models, and architecture options; recommend solutions based on business value, reliability, security, scalability, and total cost of ownership.
• Manage infrastructure vendors, carriers, cloud providers, hardware suppliers, and managed service partners; hold vendors accountable to contractual obligations and service levels.
• Drive standardization, automation, and operational maturity through infrastructure-as-code where appropriate, scripting, repeatable deployment practices, and streamlined support processes.
• Establish and report meaningful operational KPIs, including platform availability, incident trends, patch compliance, backup success, recovery testing, capacity, project delivery, service performance, and Azure spend.
• Collaborate with the Service Desk to ensure effective escalation paths, knowledge transfer, service transition, and timely resolution of infrastructure-related incidents.

Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of hands‑on experience supporting enterprise infrastructure, including network, server, cloud, or hybrid environments.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in an infrastructure, systems, network, cloud operations, or IT operations management capacity.
• Demonstrated experience leading technical teams, vendors, managed service providers, or complex infrastructure projects.
• Experience designing, implementing, and supporting enterprise network services across multiple sites and remote users.
• Experience administering and governing Microsoft Azure environments in a production enterprise setting.
• Experience with server administration, virtualization, storage, backup, disaster recovery, monitoring, patch management, and infrastructure lifecycle planning.
• Experience effectively communicating cross‑functionally and with stakeholders at varying levels of the organization.

Technical Proficiencies

• Proven experience as an IT Infrastructure, Network, Cloud, or Operations Manager, with the ability to lead, mentor, and hold technical personnel accountable.
• Strong knowledge of enterprise networking, including routing, switching, firewalls, VPN, wireless, WAN/SD-WAN, DNS, DHCP, network segmentation, and network troubleshooting.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Azure, including tenant/subscription governance, resource groups, virtual networks, network security controls, Azure Virtual Machines, storage, backup, monitoring, policy, cost management, and role‑based access control.
• Strong knowledge of Windows Server, Active Directory and Entra ID integrations, Group Policy, virtualization platforms, storage, backup and recovery, and core infrastructure services.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft 365, identity and access management, endpoint management, and hybrid cloud architecture.
• Experience with infrastructure monitoring and management tools, log management, vulnerability‑management processes, and reporting platforms such as Power BI and Microsoft Excel.
• Experience with IT service management processes, including incident, problem, change, configuration, and service‑transition management. Experience with Freshservice, ServiceNow, or similar platforms is preferred.
• Experience managing infrastructure vendors, telecommunications providers, cloud service providers, licensing, contracts, and renewals.
• Ability to translate business requirements into secure, supportable, and cost‑effective infrastructure solutions.

Professional Competencies

• Ability to see the broader contribution of infrastructure services to business continuity, productivity, customer service, cybersecurity, and growth.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, prioritization, and decision‑making skills in a fast‑paced operational environment.
• Ability to work under pressure, manage competing priorities, meet deadlines, and lead coordinated responses to major incidents.
• Clear and effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate technical risks, options, and recommendations to non‑technical stakeholders.
• Dynamic and innovative approach to problem solving, operational improvement, and technology modernization.
• Diligent in following and improving security, compliance, documentation, and change‑control processes.
• Commitment to high‑quality service, operational excellence, ownership, and continual improvement.

Preferred Certifications

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, or comparable Azure certification.
• Cisco CCNA, CCNP, or comparable network certification.
• ITIL Foundation or higher.
• Security, cloud, virtualization, or disaster‑recovery certifications relevant to the environment.

$125,000 - $145,000 a year