We are looking for an Infrastructure Manager located in Chicago to manage the infrastructure in a banking environment. 

Summary

This is the most senior role in the infrastructure and support (I&S) function within IT, accountable for IT I&S throughout the organization. The head of I&S is responsible for the delivery of all IT infrastructure and support related IT operations used to enable business capabilities and services across the enterprise.

This role reports to SVP-IT and has line management responsibilities for the infrastructure and service desk teams.

The head of I&S brings experience, knowledge, and future vision for transforming the I&SD function including its strategy, operating model, product and service offerings and workforce. The role holder is a senior stakeholder in all relationships with externally sourced infrastructure and operations capabilities and relationships for the bank.

As a key member of the IT leadership team this role contributes to the development and execution of the enterprise-wide IT strategy and is responsible for ensuring I&SD strategy is fully aligned, positioning I&S to support the needs of the bank and its customers.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Sets the strategy of the Infrastructure and Service Desk Team (I&S) to maximize the success of business and IT initiatives.
• Introduces innovative, differentiating infrastructure and operations capabilities that enhance our overall capabilities and enhance employee productivity.
• Builds successful relationships with other IT and business key stakeholders by developing a clear understanding of business needs, acting as a trusted advisor, and ensuring cost-effective delivery of IT services to meet those needs.
• Drives alignment of I&S strategies to the organization’s environmental, social and governance goals.
• Participates in Bank leadership and planning meetings presenting innovative technologies, new strategies, and team successes as needed.
• Assists in development and control the annual budget to ensure that it is consistent with the overall strategic objectives of IT and the enterprise and is within plan. Creates a culture of continuous cost optimization.
• Defines, develops, and manages a comprehensive and integrated IT Service Management (ITSM) landscape, based on best-practice processes, disciplines, and related toolsets. This includes delivery of a comprehensive IT asset management program.
• Collaborates with the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) to ensure I&S contributes to, embraces, and applies security strategy.
• Operates a formal governance mechanism to establish and monitor effective controls for the processes and functions performed by I&O teams. Supports periodic reviews by audit teams, compliance teams and other risk-related functions as required.
• Develops and executes a strategy to improve awareness of the business value that the Infrastructure and Service Desk function provides, and continuously seeks to ensure alignment to customer needs.
• Designs and develops a strong and diverse I&SD team, together with a reporting structure for the function.
• Works collaboratively with direct reports to support their career progression, nurture their development and to help them realize their potential.
• Improves IT resilience by executing strategies that improve reliability, tolerability, and disaster recovery readiness.
• Keeps track of trends and provides direction on what emerging technologies should be incorporated into I&SD products and services to successfully deliver overall IT strategy.
• Champions I&S involvement in the organization's innovation efforts and encourages experimentation with fresh solutions to avail business opportunities.
• Directs the development of an I&S sourcing strategy and provides executive oversight for strategic vendor and partner relationship management.
• Works with HR and the SVP-IT to develop and execute workforce plans that ensure I&O can supply skilled resources to meet demand.
• Develops the maturity of I&S to improve efficiency, deliver new innovations and increase collaboration with other IT and business areas.
• Drives the adoption of (and commitment towards) service improvements through a programmatic approach to continuous improvement which also measures impact and shares results.
• Supports the SVP-IT by implementing infrastructure solutions that align to the enterprise IT RoadMap.
• Serves on IT planning and policymaking committees; drives the development and adoption of enterprise technology standards, governance processes and performance metrics.
• Continuously evaluates the business value of I&S, including the use of metrics such as Key Performance Indicators, Outcome Driven Metrics and Objectives and Key Results.
• Collaborates with IT peers to ensure knowledge and insight can be freely shared.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Exceptional leadership skills, with the ability to develop and communicate an I&S vision that inspires and motivates staff and aligns with the IT and business strategy
• In-depth knowledge of information security best practices, policies, and procedures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information assets.

• Effective influencing and negotiation skills in complex environments where resources required for success may not be in direct control of this role
• Excellent analytical, strategic conceptual thinking, strategic planning, and execution skills
• Ability to build consensus, make decisions based on many variables, and gain support for major initiatives.
• Self-starter who self-assesses and solicits feedback from others to improve their performance.
• Strong business acumen, including industry, domain-specific knowledge of the enterprise and its business units
• Delivery of hybrid working excellence to improve customer and user experiences
• Developing staff including coaching, mentoring and performance management.
• Building cloud management solutions, including software development, integration, and ongoing engineering aspects.
• Creating self-service mechanisms to streamline infrastructure provisioning and ongoing management
• Supporting the shift from Capex to Opex with processes - e.g., those to comprehensively manage and optimize cloud costs in a collaborative fashion.
• Budget and resource management skills, with the ability to allocate resources effectively and align IT and cloud services investments with the bank's strategic goals.
• Proficiency in vendor management, including contract negotiation, service level agreements, and performance monitoring.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple competing priorities effectively.
• Awareness of industry-specific regulations and compliance requirements, such as PCI DSS, GDPR, and FFIEC, and their implications for IT and cloud services management.
• Deep understanding of current and emerging I&S technologies and practices, and how other enterprises are employing them
• Applying I&S capabilities to achieve regulatory or statutory compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute a strategic staffing plan that ensures the right people are in the right roles at the right time, and employees are highly engaged and satisfied
• Leading cloud adoption, including establishing governance mechanisms, delivering migration projects, and modifying I&S’s target operating model.
• Developing governance practices to track and measure the quality of services and maintain service improvement plans.
• Third-party management, working closely with sourcing and vendor managers.
  

• Knowledge of IT infrastructure components, including data centers, servers, networks, storage systems, telecommunication systems, and end-user devices.
• Strong understanding of cloud computing concepts, services, and platforms, particularly with leading providers such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.

Education & Qualifications

Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, information systems, business administration, related field, or equivalent work experience preferred.

• Ten or more years of experience in IT and\or financial industry.
• Three or more years of leadership responsibilities, including strategy, budgeting, and staffing.

Position(s) Supervised: Infrastructure and Service Desk Teams