Senior IT Manager

J.W. Speaker Corporation•Village of Germantown, WI

About The Position

The Senior IT Manager is responsible for reliable, secure, and effective technology systems across all facilities, with primary emphasis on IT operations and systems reliability (60%), followed by team coaching and capability development (30%) and strategic coordination and IT roadmap planning (10%). The role oversees daily IT operations across ERP, EDI, the customer portal, infrastructure, networks, and end-user systems, and serves as the escalation point for complex application services and infrastructure issues. It supports multi-site, multi-shift operations and coordinates integrations among ERP, EDI, MES, APS, BI, and related manufacturing systems. The position maintains disaster recovery, business continuity, backup procedures, cybersecurity aligned with NIST standards, endpoint inventory and provisioning, vendor relationships, and the IT budget. It develops the IT team through performance reviews, coaching, training, and capacity planning. The Senior IT Manager also maintains and communicates a rolling IT roadmap, presents progress, metrics, and risks in quarterly business reviews, and evaluates emerging technologies for business-focused applications.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, or equivalent experience.
6–10 years of progressive IT experience in manufacturing or industry, including shop-floor systems, production workflows, and operational priorities.
3+ years of IT leadership or management experience with direct reports.
Experience supporting ERP.
Hands-on Microsoft SQL Server experience in query writing, database administration, and troubleshooting.
Working knowledge of VMware, Active Directory, Exchange/Office 365, WAN, and backup and disaster recovery platforms.
Knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks and experience managing multi-site security.
People-first leadership skills, including building trust, developing talent, and delivering candid feedback.
Analytical problem-solving skills, including simplifying processes before automation.
Clear communication skills, including translating technical issues for business audiences.
Project management skills to balance priorities, timelines, and milestones.
Customer focus in supporting users across sales, engineering, manufacturing, finance, and human resources.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting Infor SyteLine/CSI is preferred.
Experience managing EDI and manufacturing integrations, such as MES or APS, is preferred.
Ongoing development through certifications, networking, and business publications is encouraged.

Responsibilities

Oversee daily IT operations across ERP (Syteline/CSI), EDI, the customer portal, infrastructure, networks, and end-user systems.
Serve as the escalation point for complex Application Services and Infrastructure issues.
Maintain disaster recovery, business continuity, and backup procedures using Rubrik and VMware.
Administer core infrastructure, including Microsoft Active Directory, Exchange, Office 365, WAN, SQL Server, and VMware.
Manage licenses, renewals, and vendor relationships for Syteline, Radley, DOMO, Precoro, IQMS, iREDi, and iCARas.
Coordinate integrations across ERP, EDI, MES, APS, BI, and related manufacturing systems.
Maintain cybersecurity aligned with NIST standards and coordinate governance and reporting with the CFO.
Maintain inventory and provisioning standards for approximately 500 endpoint devices.
Execute the IT budget by tracking spending, coordinating purchase approvals, and reporting costs to the CFO.
Support multi-site, multi-shift operations.
Lead annual goal-setting and performance reviews aligned with zone management standards, and provide candid feedback in regular one-on-one meetings.
Identify skill gaps and coordinate training, certification, and cross-training.
Develop Syteline and related-system module owners and experts to increase adoption and reduce waste.
Foster continuous improvement, customer responsiveness, and accountability.
Plan team capacity; partner with HR on hiring, onboarding, and succession planning; and proactively address risks with the CFO.
Maintain and communicate a rolling IT roadmap for upgrades, integrations, investments, and retirements.
Lead quarterly IT business reviews with the CFO, COO, and Co-President, presenting metrics, risks, and roadmap progress.
Evaluate AI, automation, BI, and other emerging technologies and recommend business-focused applications.
Support the “USA approach” by simplifying processes before automation.
Participate in the annual goal-setting process and drive zone goal achievements.