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

401(k) Plan with employer match

Generous paid time off

11 paid holidays

Job summary

Motion Recruitment's client in Lake Forest, CA is seeking a Senior IT Manager to oversee daily IT operations for a growing global technology organization. The role is 4 days onsite, with 80% hands-on technical work and 20% leadership, vendor management, and strategic planning.

You will manage a small IT team of 2–3, ensure secure, reliable internal IT support, and coordinate with offshore resources to support global offices.

Qualifications

• >7+ years in IT operations, infrastructure, or support.
• >Experience leading small IT teams.
• >Hands-on technical background with ability to resolve issues personally.
• >Experience with Windows, Microsoft 365, AD, and cloud apps.
• >Solid networking knowledge (VPNs, firewalls, endpoint mgmt).
• >Experience managing vendors and offshore teams.
• >Experience supporting global locations.
• >Ability to balance leadership with technical execution.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily IT operations including end-user support, infrastructure, and systems administration.
• Serve as hands-on escalation lead for complex hardware, software, network, and system issues.
• Mentor a small IT team of 2–3; participate directly in technical support.
• Maintain corporate IT infrastructure—servers, networks, cloud apps, devices.
• Oversee IT security: endpoints, access management, updates, best practices.
• Manage user accounts, onboarding/offboarding, and tech needs.
• Coordinate with vendors, MSPs, and offshore resources for timely resolutions.
• Support IT projects, upgrades, deployments, and improvements.
• Maintain IT policies, documentation, asset management, and procedures.
• Identify opportunities to improve IT efficiency, security, and user experience.
• Provide IT support across global offices.

Skills

IT Operations

Infrastructure

Systems administration

Team leadership

Windows environments

Microsoft 365

Active Directory

Cloud apps

Networking

VPNs

Firewalls

Endpoint management

IT security basics

Vendors management

Offshore teams

Multi-location support

Troubleshooting

Communication

Organizational skills

Tools

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