VP, Information Technology Infrastructure + Operations

Everwise Credit Union•South Bend, IN

About The Position

The VP, Information Technology Infrastructure + Operations is responsible for leading and driving the strategic direction of the Credit Union’s technology infrastructure and operation environment. This role leads the design, delivery, security, and continuous improvement of the organization’s physical and logical technology foundation, including network engineering, compute and storage platforms, cloud infrastructure, data centers, telecommunications, end-point infrastructure, and technology operations. The VP, Information Technology Infrastructure + Operations ensure the infrastructure platforms deliver the performance, reliability, scalability, and security required to meet the Credit Union's mission, business objectives, and operational needs. Reporting directly to the Chief Information Officer this role serves as a key member of the Information Technology leadership team and collaborates closely with business and technology leaders, to support organizational success.

Requirements

Deep expertise in enterprise IT infrastructure disciplines including networking (routing, switching, SD-WAN, DNS/DHCP), compute (physical and virtual), storage (SAN/NAS/object), and data center operations.
Demonstrated knowledge of hybrid and public cloud platforms, with emphasis on Microsoft Azure; proficiency with cloud governance, cost management, and infrastructure/platform-as-a-service practices.
Strong understanding of information security frameworks (NIST, CIS, ISO 27001) and the ability to implement security controls across infrastructure platforms in partnership with a CISO organization.
Experience with business continuity and disaster recovery planning, testing, and execution in a regulated financial services environment.
Proven ability to lead, develop, and manage high-performing technical teams; fosters an inclusive, collaborative, and service-oriented team culture.
Strong financial acumen; experienced in IT capital and operating budget development, management, and reporting.
Excellent vendor management skills, including contract negotiation, SLA governance, and strategic supplier relationship management.
Ability to translate complex technical infrastructure concepts into clear business terms for executive and board-level audiences.
Experience with ITSM platforms (ServiceNow preferred) and IT operations management disciplines including incident, problem, and change management.
Bachelor’s degree with a technical emphasis; Master’s preferred.
10+ years of progressive experience in IT infrastructure and operations, including leadership of multi-disciplinary technical teams.
8+ years of hands-on experience in infrastructure engineering encompassing network, compute, storage, and cloud platforms in hybrid computing environments.
8+ years in progressive leadership roles with direct people management responsibility.
5+ years of experience in incident, problem, and change management processes.
Demonstrated experience with IT governance, technology standards development, and performance metrics management.
Experience in a regulated industry (financial services preferred) with working knowledge of applicable compliance and audit requirements preferred.

Nice To Haves

Lean/Agile experience and a continuous improvement mindset is a plus.
Familiarity with financial industry regulatory requirements (NCUA, FFIEC, GLBA, SOC 2) as they apply to infrastructure and operations is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of the IT infrastructure and operations strategy and multi-year roadmap in alignment with the Credit Union’s enterprise technology strategy and business objectives.
Provide oversight for the design, implementation, and lifecycle management of all infrastructure platforms, including on-premises data centers, hybrid cloud environments (with emphasis on Microsoft Azure), network infrastructure, compute, storage, and unified communications.
Direct and manage infrastructure and operations teams, including network engineers, systems engineers, cloud engineers, and operations staff, ensuring appropriate staffing, skill development, and performance management.
Partner with the VP, Information Security to implement and enforce information security frameworks, standards, and controls across infrastructure platforms; serve as the operational owner of infrastructure-layer security execution including patch management, vulnerability remediation, and configuration compliance.
Ensure high availability, business continuity, and disaster recovery capabilities for all infrastructure platforms; oversee the development, testing, and maintenance of DR and BCP plans.
Develop and manage the infrastructure annual operating and capital expenditure budgets; monitor and control expenditures to remain within approved plans while optimizing total cost of ownership.
Establish and enforce enterprise technology standards, governance processes, and performance metrics for infrastructure platforms; drive continuous service improvement across operations.
Oversee vendor management for infrastructure-related technology providers, including contract negotiation, performance management, and strategic partnership development within the Credit Union’s policy guidelines.
Build and maintain strong relationships with IT and business leadership to ensure infrastructure capabilities are aligned with evolving business needs and can respond with agility to changing priorities.
Leverage emerging infrastructure technologies including cloud-native services, automation, AI/ML-enabled operations, and software-defined networking to modernize the infrastructure platform and increase operational efficiency.
Implement and manage enterprise monitoring, alerting, and incident management capabilities to ensure rapid identification and resolution of infrastructure-layer issues; participate in major incident response as required.
Champion a culture of operational excellence, reliability engineering, and continuous improvement within the infrastructure and operations organization.
Assume additional responsibilities as necessary for the continued growth and advancement of the Credit Union.