
Director, Technology - Networking & Operations
- Vaughan, ON
- Permanent
- Temps-plein
- Evaluate and implement emerging technologies such as AI, automation, and IoT to modernize infrastructure and support evolving business needs.
- Lead the development and implementation of IT policies, procedures, and standards to ensure consistent, high-quality service delivery across the organization.
- Manage the Service Desk and Service Delivery functions to ensure timely resolution of IT issues and incidents, while delivering a high standard of customer service to internal stakeholders.
- Oversee the design, implementation, and maintenance of the company's networking infrastructure, including WAN, LAN, WLAN, and VPN, ensuring secure and scalable connectivity across all locations.
- Manage the system administration function, including provisioning, configuration, and ongoing maintenance of all IT systems and servers to ensure optimal performance and availability.
- Oversee the application support function to ensure business-critical applications remain available, functional, and secure at all times.
- Manage relationships with third-party hosting providers to ensure alignment with business operations and service requirements.
- Oversee vendor management, including the selection, negotiation, and management of key IT vendors and service providers.
- Manage the Point of Sale (POS) system, including the installation, configuration, and ongoing maintenance of all POS systems specifically for new store openings.
- Select and implement cost-effective technologies that support long-term scalability and operational resilience.
- Cultivate a team culture rooted in alignment with Longo's core values and technology practices.
- Act as a strategic advisor to internal and external stakeholders, ensuring IT initiatives are clearly understood and supported.
- Internal Service Level Agreement compliance & optimization, negotiate contracts for services and equipment purchases.
- Maintain and update the DR playbook to reflect changes in the IT environment and evolving business needs.
- Contribute to the development and execution of security standards and processes across the IT environment.
- Provide detailed documentation and reporting for critical incidents, including mitigation strategies and permanent fixes.
- Define and evolve incident, problem, and change management practices to align with organizational needs.
- Assist in the delivery of key company and departmental initiatives by aligning IT resources and expertise.
- Provide a forward-looking 3-5 year technology roadmap aligned with the organization's long-term goals.
- Foster alignment between IT operations and security teams to ensure cohesive protection strategies.
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related discipline.
- Over 15 years of progressive experience in IT operations, including a minimum of 7 years in senior leadership roles.
- Demonstrated expertise in managing core IT operational functions including Service Desk, Service Delivery, Networking, Systems Administration, Application Support, Data Centre Operations, Vendor Management, and Point of Sale systems.
- Deep technical knowledge of enterprise IT infrastructure, systems architecture, and application ecosystems.
- Strong leadership and communication skills with a proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive strategic initiatives.
- Exceptional project management capabilities with a track record of successfully managing multiple concurrent projects.
- Extensive experience in budget planning, business case development, financial oversight, and resource optimization.
- Proven ability to negotiate and manage vendor contracts and relationships to ensure service quality and cost-effectiveness.
- Industry certifications such as ITIL, PMP, or equivalent are highly desirable
- Technical Skills:
- Network architecture and design (LAN/WAN, SD-WAN, VPN, MPLS)
- Cloud infrastructure (Azure, AWS, Google Cloud) and hybrid environments
- Virtualization technologies (VMware, Hyper-V)
- Server and storage systems (Windows Server, Linux, SAN/NAS)
- Monitoring and performance tools (SolarWinds, Nagios, Splunk)
- Cybersecurity frameworks and tools (firewalls, endpoint protection, SIEM)
- Disaster recovery and business continuity planning
- ITSM platforms (ServiceNow)
- Scripting and automation (PowerShell, Python, Bash)
- Identity and access management (Active Directory, Azure AD, Okta)