Senior IT Manager –/Hands-On IT Operations & Infrastructure /Onsite OC

Motion Recruitment; Lake Forest (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits and insurance

401(k) Plan with employer match

Paid time off

Job summary

Motion Recruitment is seeking a highly hands-on Senior IT Manager for a global IoT company, with headquarters in South Orange County. You will oversee daily IT operations, end-user support, and security, while mentoring a small team and staying actively involved in technical work.

The role is roughly 80% hands-on and 20% leadership, vendor management, and strategic planning, with four onsite days per week in Lake Forest, CA.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in IT operations, infrastructure, or technical support with hands‑on background.
• Experience leading a small IT team and handling end-user support and infrastructure.
• Proven ability to resolve complex hardware/software/network issues hands‑on.
• Knowledge of Windows environments, Microsoft 365, AD, and cloud apps.
• Solid networking, VPNs, firewalls, and endpoint management understanding.
• Experience managing vendors and offshore technical teams across locations.
• Ability to prioritize daily requests while handling security duties.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily IT operations including end-user support, infrastructure, and systems administration.
• Serve as hands-on escalation point for hardware, software, network, and system issues.
• Mentor a small IT team of ~2–3 and stay involved in technical support.
• Maintain corporate IT infrastructure, including servers, networks, and cloud apps.
• Oversee IT security, access management, and system updates.
• Manage user accounts, onboarding/offboarding, and tech needs.
• Coordinate with vendors and offshore IT resources to resolve issues.
• Support IT projects, upgrades, deployments, and infrastructure improvements.
• Maintain IT policies, asset management, and operational procedures.
• Identify opportunities to improve IT efficiency, security, and user experience.
• Provide IT support across global offices.

Skills

IT operations leadership

Hands-on technical work

Windows systems

Microsoft 365

Active Directory

Cloud applications

Networking and VPNs

Endpoint management

Vendor management

Team mentoring

Security fundamentals

Global IT operations

Tools

Windows Server

Microsoft 365

Active Directory

Azure

Intune

Entra ID

Job description

Our client is a global leader in the IoT space, specializing in retail loss prevention, operations management, and analytics, with its headquarters based in South Orange County, California. The company maintains a strong global presence, with offices in the UK, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Germany, France, and Canada.

They are seeking an experienced, highly hands-on Senior IT Manager to oversee daily IT operations for a growing global technology organization. This individual will be responsible for ensuring reliable internal IT support, maintaining a secure technology environment, and managing a small IT team while remaining actively involved in day-to-day technical responsibilities.

The ideal candidate is a strong technical problem-solver who enjoys being hands-on rather than solely managing people. This role will be approximately 80% hands-on technical work and 20% team leadership, vendor management, and strategic planning.

This positoin is 4 days a week onsite

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily IT operations, including end-user support, infrastructure, systems administration, and troubleshooting.
• Serve as a hands-on technical escalation point for complex hardware, software, network, and system issues.
• Manage and mentor a small internal IT team of approximately 2–3 employees while remaining directly involved in technical support.
• Maintain and support corporate IT infrastructure, including servers, networks, cloud applications, and employee devices.
• Oversee IT security, including endpoint protection, access management, system updates, and security best practices.
• Manage user accounts, permissions, onboarding/offboarding, and employee technology needs.
• Coordinate with third-party vendors, managed service providers, and offshore IT resources to ensure timely issue resolution.
• Support IT projects, system upgrades, software deployments, and infrastructure improvements.
• Maintain IT policies, documentation, asset management, and operational procedures.
• Identify opportunities to improve IT efficiency, security, reliability, and overall user experience.
• Provide IT support and coordination across the company's global offices.

Must Have Skeills / Tech

• 7+ years of experience in IT operations, infrastructure, systems administration, or technical support.
• Previous experience leading or managing a small IT support or infrastructure team.
• Strong hands-on technical background with the ability and willingness to resolve issues personally.
• Experience supporting corporate IT environments, including Windows systems, Microsoft 365, Active Directory, and cloud-based applications.
• Solid understanding of networking, VPNs, firewalls, endpoint management, and IT security fundamentals.
• Experience managing IT vendors, external service providers, and offshore technical teams.
• Experience supporting users and IT operations across multiple locations, ideally within a global organization.
• Ability to prioritize daily support requests while managing infrastructure and security responsibilities.
• Strong troubleshooting, communication, and organizational skills.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment where the IT Manager must balance leadership responsibilities with direct technical execution.

Nice to Have

• Experience working in an IoT, SaaS, hardware, or connected-device technology company.
• Experience with Azure, Intune, Entra ID, or similar enterprise management tools.
• Familiarity with cybersecurity compliance, vulnerability management, and security audits.
• Experience supporting geographically distributed teams and remote employees.
• Experience implementing IT automation and process improvements.

The Offer

• Attractive total compensation package between 140-155k
• Comprehensive healthcare benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage; Life/ADD/LTD insurance; FSA/HSA options
• 401(k) Plan with employer match
• Generous paid time off policy
• Observance of 11 paid company holidays

Posted By: Kevin Gabrielson