Sr Manager Core Technologies Connectivity Platforms

Academy Sports and Outdoors; Katy (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Academy Sports + Outdoors seeks a senior IT Network Architect to lead enterprise connectivity across corporate, retail, and supply chain with a focus on secure, scalable networking. You will drive platform strategy, operations, and budgets while guiding a high-performing technical team.

Responsibilities include overseeing firewall, telecom, and cloud networking, defining roadmaps, and coordinating with vendors and security teams to ensure service levels and compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor-level or higher in a STEM field or equivalent work experience.
• 10+ years progressive IT infrastructure experience with a deep focus on enterprise network and telecom engineering.
• 4+ years of proven managerial and leadership experience, including managing other managers.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing technology roadmaps aligning with business goals.
• Proven architecting and managing scalable, fault-tolerant network architectures.

Responsibilities

• Lead connectivity platforms across corporate, retail, and supply chain objectives.
• Oversee network, firewall, cloud networking, SD-WAN, and voice services.
• Develop the annual operating plan and technology roadmap for platforms.
• Drive incident response, root cause analysis, and problem management.

Skills

Enterprise network architecture

Network security

Fortinet/ FortiGate

Cloud networking

Vendor management

Team leadership

Budgeting

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related

10+ years IT infrastructure

4+ years leadership/management

Certifications (CCNP/CCIE, PCNSE, cloud certs)

Job description

Who We Are

At Academy Sports + Outdoors our vision is to be the best sports + outdoors retailer in the country - but what truly sets us apart is our people. We’re a passionate, purpose-driven team that’s as committed to each other as we are to our customers. We’ve spent over 80 years building a culture that puts people first. We believe in creating opportunities for growth, fostering meaningful connections, and supporting every Team Member’s journey. What fuels us? Our belief in the power of fun. Here, you won’t just help customers gear up for their next adventure — you’ll launch one of your own. Whether you're starting out or leveling up, Academy is a place where fun can’t lose!

Academy Sports + Outdoors is one of the nation’s largest sporting goods and outdoor retailers. It’s no surprise that we not only know how to create experiences for our customers, but for our team members as well. Understanding our people and the things that matter to them the most has been at the core of the Academy culture for over 80 years. With more than 22,000 team members, we take pride in creating a workplace environment that values hard work, commitment, and growth.

What You Will Work On

In this role, you lead the connectivity platforms that support corporate, retail, and supply chain objectives. Your work provides a resilient, secure, and reliable foundation across enterprise network, firewall, cloud networking, wireless, SD-WAN, and voice services. By connecting platform strategy, service delivery, and operational performance, you help the business operate effectively while advancing scalable and cost-conscious technology solutions. Working across strategy and execution, you develop and deliver the annual operating plan and technology roadmap for network, firewall, and telecom platforms. You oversee solution evaluation and design, monitor platform health, drive automation and process improvement, and lead major incident response, root cause analysis, and problem management. You also manage budgets, vendors, service levels, success metrics, project portfolios, cross-functional technical programs, compliance, stakeholder communication, and executive reporting while building and developing a high-performing technical team.

Who You Will Work With

You will partner with IT and business leadership to understand objectives and translate them into scalable, secure, supportable, and cost-effective connectivity solutions. You will work across Security, Cloud, Store Operations, and other IT teams, coordinating with business stakeholders to plan and execute projects, manage risks, and align technical priorities with operational needs. You will lead network engineers and analysts, define team structure and resource priorities, and support recruitment, onboarding, performance evaluation, and professional development. You will also manage strategic and tactical relationships with vendors and managed service providers, establish performance expectations, negotiate contracts and statements of work, and hold partners accountable to service level agreements.

What You Bring

Bring your energy, your ideas, and your love for sports and the outdoors.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related discipline, or equivalent work experience
• 10+ years of progressive experience in IT infrastructure, with a deep focus on enterprise network and telecom engineering
• 4+ years of proven managerial and leadership experience, with a track record of building, mentoring, and leading high-performing technical teams; experience managing other managers is strongly preferred
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing annual technology roadmaps and strategies that align with core business goals
• Proven track record of architecting, implementing, and managing innovative, highly available, and fault-tolerant network architectures
• Proven experience in leading IT operations, incident response, and problem management functions at scale
• Extensive experience in strategic and tactical vendor and Managed Service Provider management, including contract negotiation, defining statements of work, and driving partner performance to defined service level agreements
• Demonstrated experience directly linking technical operations and infrastructure investments to financial outcomes, including budget, total cost of ownership, and return on investment
• Advanced industry certifications are highly preferred, such as CCNP or CCIE, PCNSE, or cloud-specific networking certifications
• Expert-level knowledge of enterprise network architecture, including switching, routing, BGP or OSPF, VLANs, firewalls, and wide-area networking such as MPLS and SD-WAN
• Deep knowledge of modern wireless networking, including Wi-Fi 6 or 6E, mobility, and BYOD, for large-scale retail and corporate environments
• Deep understanding of cloud networking across GCP, Azure, and AWS, including hybrid-cloud connectivity, VPC design, transit gateways, and cloud-native security
• Advanced knowledge of network security principles and systems, including next-generation firewalls, network access control, Zero Trust concepts, and SASE
• Direct experience with the Fortinet platform, including FortiGate and FortiManager, is highly desired
• Expertise in modern voice platforms and a comprehensive understanding of telecom infrastructure and cost management
• Proficiency in leveraging network monitoring and observability tools, such as SolarWinds and Dynatrace, to drive operational stability and rapid root cause analysis
• Excellent communication skills, with a proven ability to report technical status, project delivery, and incidents to leadership
• Strong understanding of IT governance frameworks and experience managing environments subject to regulatory compliance, including PCI and SOX
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing large operational and capital budgets
• Methodical problem-solving skills, with the ability to lead high-stakes incident response and drive root cause analysis
• A team-first attitude; while your core duties are your priority, you're happy to step in wherever you're needed

Work Style and Physical Requirements

• Up to 5% travel required
• Regular in-office attendance is required
• Acceptable level of hearing and vision to perform job duties
• Ability to adhere to company policies and professional standards

Key Skills

• Budgeting and Forecasting
• Coaching and Developing Others
• Negotiations
• Management
• Process Improvement
• Project and Program Management
• Root Cause Analysis

Equal Employment Opportunity

Academy Sports + Outdoors is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate with regard to employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by law.