Senior Manager – Information Technology (IT)

Role Description

The Senior Manager – IT is accountable for end-to-end IT strategy, execution, and outcomes across the organization. This role operates at a senior leadership level, owning multiple functional areas, driving medium- to long-term planning, and ensuring IT enables business growth in a secure, reliable, and cost-effective manner.

The role requires strong ownership, sound judgment in ambiguous situations, people leadership, and executive-level communication—balancing hands-on technical depth with strategic oversight.

Location: Calicut

Job Level: M3

Reporting To: COO / CTO

Team Scope: Team Size: 10–15 Headcount

Key Responsibilities

1. IT Strategy & Ownership

• Define and execute a scalable IT roadmap aligned with current and future business growth.
• Own end-to-end IT systems, including infrastructure, internal tools, networks, identity, and end-user computing.
• Translate business priorities into clear technical and operational plans.
• Act as the final escalation point for critical IT risks and incidents.

2. Infrastructure, Systems & Operations

Ensure availability, reliability, and performance of:

• Cloud and on-prem infrastructure
• End-user devices, MDM, VPNs, and SaaS tools
• Network and access management systems
• Establish, track, and review SLAs and operational KPIs.
• Drive automation and standardization to reduce manual effort and operational risk.
• Ensure IT readiness for hiring spikes, audits, customer commitments, and new initiatives.

3. Security, Compliance & Risk Management

• Own the organization’s security posture and risk management framework.
• Lead compliance programs (e.g., ISO, SOC, customer security audits).
• Partner with Engineering, HR, Legal, and Compliance teams on:

Identity and access controls

Data protection and privacy

Incident response and disaster recovery

Lead incident reviews using a blameless, corrective-action approach.

4. People Leadership

• Hire, develop, and retain high-performing IT managers and engineers.
• Set clear goals, accountability, and growth plans for teams and leaders.
• Coach managers to operate as owners rather than task coordinators.
• Address performance issues decisively and fairly.
• Build a culture of operational excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.

5. Vendor, Budget & Cost Management

• Own IT budgets across CapEx and OpEx.
• Make data-driven trade-offs across cost, risk, and delivery speed.
• Lead vendor selection, contract negotiations, and performance reviews.
• Continuously optimize spend without compromising security or reliability.

6. Stakeholder & Executive Communication

• Communicate IT strategy, risks, and performance metrics clearly to senior leadership.
• Produce clear written narratives, including strategy documents, proposals, and post-incident reviews.
• Influence cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Proactively surface risks and dependencies—ensuring no surprises.

Success Metrics:

• IT availability, incident trends, and resolution times
• Security incidents and audit outcomes
• Employee IT experience and satisfaction
• Budget adherence and cost optimization
• Hiring quality, team engagement, and retention
• Readiness for scale (headcount growth, audits, new offices)

Required Qualifications:

Experience

• 10–14+ years in IT, Infrastructure, or Systems roles
• 5+ years leading multiple teams or managers
• Experience supporting software product or SaaS organizations
• Proven ownership of security and compliance initiatives

Technical & Leadership Skills

• Strong working knowledge of:

Cloud platforms (AWS / Azure / GCP)

Identity and access management

Networking and endpoint management

Enterprise SaaS ecosystems

• Ability to dive deep when required while maintaining strategic oversight.
• Strong judgment, decision-making, and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience scaling IT in growing organizations
• Prior ownership of ISO or SOC certifications
• Exposure to distributed or global teams
• Regular interaction with senior leadership or board-level stakeholders