Director of Information Technology

IREX•Washington, DC

About The Position

The Director of Information Technology serves as IREX’s senior operational and technical leader for Information Technology and as the designated deputy to the Chief Technology Officer for delegated operational and technical matters. The Director provides technical leadership across cloud and infrastructure, cybersecurity operations, enterprise applications and integrations, AI and automation, service delivery, and technology partners. The Director serves as IREX’s senior technical escalation point and is expected to work directly within technology platforms when needed. As deputy to the CTO, the Director provides operational and technical continuity, independently resolves matters within delegated authority, and represents the technology function as delegated by the CTO.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
12+ years of progressive IT experience, including senior responsibility for enterprise technology operations.
Demonstrated experience combining hands-on technical work with leadership of IT teams and complex technology initiatives.
Strong hands-on experience with Microsoft 365, Azure, Entra ID, Intune, Microsoft Defender, identity and access management, and modern cloud environments.
Hands-on experience building automation with Power Platform, including Power Automate flows, connectors, and integrations.
Experience with enterprise applications, systems integration, scripting, APIs, and workflow technologies.
Strong understanding of cybersecurity controls, technology risk management, business continuity, and operational resilience.
Experience managing vendors, managed services, technology budgets, and complex technical projects.
Unrestricted authorization to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

Strong hands-on technical capability, judgment, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to independently troubleshoot complex technology issues and make sound technical and architectural decisions.
Strong understanding of cloud infrastructure, identity, endpoint management, enterprise applications, integration, automation, AI platforms, and cybersecurity.
Ability to move effectively between technical execution and technology leadership.
Ability to independently evaluate and challenge vendor recommendations.
Strong leadership and communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical matters to non-technical stakeholders.
Ability to operate effectively in a lean technology environment with competing priorities.

Responsibilities

Lead day-to-day technology operations and maintain a stable, secure, scalable, and cost-effective technology environment.
Provide hands-on technical leadership for Microsoft 365, Azure, Entra ID, Intune, Microsoft Defender, networking, cloud infrastructure, endpoint management, and identity and access management.
Serve as the senior technical escalation point for complex issues and participate directly in troubleshooting and resolution.
Establish and maintain architecture, configuration, lifecycle, and operational standards in coordination with the CTO.
Ensure technology platforms are appropriately monitored, maintained, patched, backed up, documented, and supported.
Provide technical direction for IREX offices and programs operating across different countries and technology environments.
Maintain and test appropriate business continuity, disaster recovery, system resilience, and technology recovery capabilities.
Lead the operational management and technical integration of IREX’s enterprise application portfolio, including ERP, HRIS, CRM, Microsoft 365, collaboration and knowledge platforms, and other business systems.
Work with business owners to translate requirements into practical technical solutions, system improvements, and integration opportunities.
Lead or participate directly in system implementation, configuration, integration, enhancement, migration, and troubleshooting.
Use APIs, scripting, Power Platform, and other integration technologies to improve interoperability and reduce manual processes.
Ensure enterprise applications have appropriate ownership, security, documentation, lifecycle management, integration, and support models.
Partner with the CTO to translate AI and automation priorities into practical technical solutions.
Provide technical leadership for Microsoft Copilot, Copilot Studio, Power Platform, and related AI and automation capabilities.
Implement, operate, and maintain technical security controls across identity and access management, endpoint security, vulnerability remediation, logging and monitoring, and configuration management.
Provide technical oversight of cybersecurity vendors and managed security services, including validating that delivered work meets IREX requirements.
Support incident response, audits, risk assessments, and remediation activities, including evidence collection and technical investigation.
Escalate significant cybersecurity incidents, unresolved technical risks, and proposed exceptions to security requirements to the CTO.
Implement the IT strategy and governance framework established by the CTO, translating strategic direction into executable workplans, operational practices, and measurable milestones.
Lead execution of delegated strategic initiatives across infrastructure, cybersecurity, enterprise applications, automation, and service delivery to ensure progress against organizational priorities.
Track implementation progress, identify risks or barriers to delivery, and recommend adjustments to timelines, sequencing, or resourcing for CTO review and decision-making.
Establish practical governance routines, documentation, and decision-support processes that improve consistency, accountability, and operational follow-through across IT initiatives.
Ensure technology changes are adopted effectively by the organization through careful planning, stakeholder coordination, communications, training, and post-implementation support.
Provide the CTO with timely updates, analysis, and escalation of issues requiring strategic direction, policy decisions, or executive-level intervention.
Serve as a trusted technology advisor to departments and program teams, helping translate operational needs into practical, secure, and sustainable technology solutions.
Partner with functional leaders to understand business priorities, assess technology implications, and align IT support with organizational goals and user needs.
Influence and guide non-technical stakeholders by clearly explaining technology options, trade-offs, risks, and implementation impacts in accessible terms, building understanding and support for technology decisions and organizational change.
Facilitate cross-functional planning and coordination for technology initiatives that require shared ownership, process changes, user adoption, or operational readiness.
Build collaborative relationships across the organization to improve technology engagement, strengthen adoption of enterprise systems, and support consistent use of tools and platforms.
Represent IT in delegated cross-functional meetings and working groups, ensuring decisions are informed by technical feasibility, security considerations, user experience, and long-term sustainability.
Manage technology vendor relationships within delegated areas of responsibility, including coordinating services, monitoring performance, resolving issues, and validating deliverables.
Review and approve vendor invoices within delegated authority, ensuring charges are accurate, aligned with contracted services, and supported by appropriate documentation.
Partner with the CTO and Procurement to support vendor sourcing, renewals, contract coordination, and evaluation of vendor performance and value.
Monitor budget spend for assigned technology services, licenses, tools, and vendor engagements, identifying variances, risks, or opportunities for cost control.
Provide input and analysis to support technology budget planning and forecasting, while recognizing that overall IT budget ownership and final budget accountability remain with the CTO.
Maintain practical oversight of software licensing, subscriptions, support agreements, and managed service arrangements to promote cost-effectiveness, compliance, and continuity of service.
Oversee technology support and service delivery for IREX employees and programs.
Sustain a customer service mindset across IT support and service delivery, ensuring staff receive responsive, respectful, and solutions-oriented support.
Establish and monitor service levels and appropriate performance indicators.
Monitor responsiveness using defined service expectations, such as timely acknowledgment, prioritization, escalation, and resolution of support requests based on urgency, impact, and agreed service levels.
Ensure effective escalation and resolution of complex or high-impact issues.
Identify recurring issues and address underlying technical or process causes.
Promote a culture of accountability and continuous improvement by using service trends, user feedback, and recurring issues to improve processes, communication, and the overall technology experience.
Use ticket trends, service metrics, user feedback, and recurring issue analysis to identify continuous improvement priorities and implement practical changes that improve reliability, user satisfaction, response quality, and service consistency.
Maintain appropriate technical documentation, procedures, knowledge resources, and user guidance.
Build trust with internal users by setting clear expectations, communicating proactively, following through on commitments, and ensuring technology support is aligned with staff needs and organizational priorities.