Director of Infrastructure and IT Operations

Are you looking for more than just a job? Do you want to have a voice and feel a sense of belonging? At ICW Group, we hire innovative people who consistently adapt, grow and deliver. We believe in hard work, a fun work environment, and embracing creativity that only comes about when talented people collaborate to develop solutions. Our mission is to create the best insurance experience possible.Headquartered in San Diego with regional offices located throughout the United States, ICW Group has been named for seven consecutive years as a Top 50 performing P&C company offering the stability of a large, profitable and growing company combined with a small-company entrepreneurial spirit. Our purpose-driven ethos provides team members with opportunities to contribute, develop, and belong.PURPOSE OF THE JOBThe Director of IT Infrastructure and Operations is responsible for ensuring the seamless functionality of IT services in alignment with the organization’s strategic objectives. This role provides visionary leadership, operational oversight, and team management to enhance business-critical systems and deliver value across all IT services.The role encompasses managing a robust and dynamic technology stack, including Nutanix, Palo Alto, Juniper, and other technologies in a multicloud environment. It also involves overseeing data centers in California and Texas, with connections to SaaS platforms such as ServiceNow, Guidewire, Insurity, Snowflake, and others critical to the organization’s operations.ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIESDrives strategic development and portfolio management.

Leads IT infrastructure and operations (I&O) strategic planning, including resource allocation, project planning, and budget oversight to ensure cost-effective and high-performing technology solutions.

Collaborates with senior stakeholders across departments to identify, recommend, and implement transformative technology solutions that advance mission-critical business operations.

Directs the development of I/O departmental portfolios, managing service level agreements (SLAs) across all business units to meet organizational requirements.

Manages and optimizes IT operational activities, reengineering infrastructure support as needed to align with evolving business processes and strategic vision.

Establishes project milestones, SLAs, and resource allocation plans, ensuring alignment with business goals and transparent communication across executive, support, and end-user teams.

Benchmarks and reviews IT systems to assess performance, productivity, and upgrade needs, driving continuous improvement across infrastructure and systems.

Develops and monitors budgets across IT departments, ensuring compliance with organizational goals and financial guidelines.

Prepares business cases and cost-benefit analyses to support IT investments, technology upgrades, and new initiatives, promoting financially sustainable decision-making.

Oversees vendor and consultant contract negotiation, management, and compliance, fostering partnerships that align with IT and business objectives.

Manages the procurement process for hardware and software upgrades, setting bid requirements and awarding contracts based on compliance and value.

Collaborates with other IT leaders as needed to establish implement, and enforce IT policies for architecture, security, disaster recovery, procurement, and service delivery.

Ensures adherence to data quality, security protocols, and risk management measures across IT teams to safeguard organizational assets and maintain compliance.

Provides team leadership and development.

Leads, mentors, and develops a high-performing team of IT professionals, setting performance standards that prioritize excellence in customer experience and service delivery.

Drives departmental engagement by fostering a culture of development, recognition, and accountability; actively develops leadership pipelines within the I&O team.

Oversees recruiting, onboarding, and performance management processes, ensuring alignment with organizational values and talent standards.

Directly leads managers and I&O specialists, handling recruitment, training, performance evaluations, salary reviews, and development planning.

Provides coaching, problem-solving support, and growth opportunities for team members to enhance skills and prepare for future responsibilities.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIESLeads managers and teams of specialists and administrators and carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with company policies and applicable laws. These responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; conducting performance and salary reviews; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems; coaching, mentoring, and developing team members to further their skills and knowledge; creating and monitoring development plans; setting performance expectations/goals; forecasting staffing needs and planning for peak times and absences; enforcing department policies and procedures.EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field required.

15+ years of IT experience with a focus on infrastructure and operations.

10+ years in management, including directing IT operations and systems design from requirements analysis through daily management.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Demonstrates strong proficiency in IT infrastructure strategic planning, budgeting, and policy development, supported by extensive project management experience.

Expertise in managing hybrid environments with Nutanix, Palo Alto, Juniper, AWS, Azure, ServiceNOW, Microsoft O365 Suite and SaaS platforms like Guidewire and Snowflake.

Skilled in the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) leveraging these tools to enhance departmental functionality.

Exceptional communication skills to collaborate effectively across all organizational levels, fostering alignment and effective information sharing.

Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, manage large-scale projects, and drive meaningful organizational change.

Experience leading operations for Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Mobile Device Management (MDM), ensuring secure and streamlined access across the organization.

Ability to manage infrastructure with Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) tools and implemented Software-Defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WAN) for optimized connectivity.

Oversight of storage technologies, including Storage Area Networks (SAN) and Network Attached Storage (NAS), and secured remote access via Virtual Private Networks (VPN).

Experience directing hybrid IT strategies using Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) while enhancing performance through Content Delivery Networks (CDN).

Proven strength in cybersecurity with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Security Operations Centers (SOC), Network Access Control (NAC), Data Loss Prevention (DLP), and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

Ability to streamline IT operations with IT Service Management (ITSM), leveraging Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) frameworks, Configuration Management Database (CMDB) systems, and Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) tools.

Demonstrates compliance with industry standards, including ISO 27001, NIST, GDPR, and HIPAA, while developing policies for governance and regulatory adherence.

Experience integrating emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations (AIOps), Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) to enhance innovation and operational efficiency is a plus.

PHYSICAL DEMANDSMay need to sit in front of a computer for a period of time. While performing the duties of this job, may occasionally need to reach, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. May need to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.WORK ENVIRONMENTThis position operates in an office environment and requires the frequent use of a computer, telephone, copier, and other standard office equipment. The noise level in the office is usually moderate.#LI-TP1 #LI-HYBRIDThe current range for this position is$150,229.81 - $268,914.42This range is exclusive of fringe benefits and potential bonuses. If hired at ICW Group, your final base salary compensation will be determined by factors unique to each candidate, including experience, education and the location of the role and considers employees performing substantially similar work.WHY JOIN ICW GROUP? Challenging work and the ability to make a difference You will have a voice and feel a sense of belonging We offer a competitive benefits package, with generous medical, dental, and vision plans as well as 401K retirement plans and company match Bonus potential for all positions Paid Time Off with an accrual rate of 5.23 hours per pay period (equal to 17 days per year) 10 paid holidays throughout the calendar year Want to continue learning? We’ll support you 100%ICW Group is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. ICW Group will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex/gender, age, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.At ICW Group we offer a work environment that encourages entrepreneurialism and celebrates success. Our team members are hands-on contributors who are given the opportunity to make an impact. It's our people who make us an employer of choice and the vibrant company we are today.