VP IT Operations

JBT Marel•Chicago, IL

About The Position

The VP IT Operations will serve as the CIO's primary execution partner, responsible for making IT happen operationally. This role will hold four key functions—PMO, IT Operations, IT Support, and Business Application Management—accountable to a single delivery cadence with clear, measurable commitments. The position is instrumental in the further development and implementation of the IT operating model, ensuring a smooth rollout that leverages AI and modern cloud platforms. A critical aspect of this role is standardizing operational, portfolio, and project reporting to ensure constant visibility of status, risk, and budget burn, effectively balancing 'Run' and 'Change' initiatives. The VP will empower the IT organization to resolve cross-functional execution blockers and maximize the potential of AI to enhance efficiency and effectiveness across project delivery, support, and operations. Additionally, the role involves driving IT General Controls (ITGC) remediation, embedding controls and compliance into delivery and operations, leading and developing IT directors, partnering with HR on organizational change, overseeing vendor relationships, and maintaining budget transparency. The ultimate goal is to provide the CIO and CFO with a reliable, single source of truth on delivery status, risk, and controls posture.

Requirements

Experience in leading and developing directors of IT Operations, IT Support, Business Application Management, and PMO.
Experience in improving an IT organization towards a smooth execution engine.
Experience partnering with HR on works council processes and organizational change communication.
Experience overseeing delivery-side vendor and MSP relationships.
Experience managing vendor performance.
Experience maintaining budget transparency across projects and operations.
Experience partnering with Finance to eliminate cross-area surprises.
Experience acting as an execution partner to a CIO.
Experience providing reliable, single source of truth on delivery status, risk, and controls posture to CIO and CFO.

Nice To Haves

Experience leveraging AI for project delivery, support, and operations.
Experience with re-platforming to modern cloud platforms.

Responsibilities

Hold the four functions (PMO, IT Operations, IT Support, Business Application Management) accountable to a single delivery cadence, with clear, measurable commitments and consequences for slippage.
Play a key role in the further development and implementation of the IT operating model, ensure smooth role out towards the IT organization, leveraging AI and our re-platforming to modern cloud platforms.
Standardize operational, portfolio and project reporting so that status, risk, and budget burn are visible at all times — addressing the challenge of balancing Run and Change, where actuals in one area mask overruns elsewhere.
Empower the IT organization to resolve cross-functional execution blockers directly.
Utilize the full potential of AI. Make IT more effective and efficient by identifying where AI can remove friction from project delivery, support, and operations work, and driving practical adoption within the four functions.
Drive IT General Controls (ITGC) remediation to closure and sustained operation, in coordination with the GRC/SOX team and external auditors (PwC).
Embed controls and compliance as standard design requirements in delivery and operations, not as a post-hoc check.
Lead and develop the directors of IT Operations, IT Support, Business Application Management and PMO; work with the directors on improving the IT organization towards a smooth execution engine.
Partner with HR on the works council process and broader organizational change communication for the area under this role.
Oversee delivery-side vendor and MSP relationships, ensuring commodity work is shifted to managed service providers where appropriate, and that vendor performance is actively managed.
Maintain budget transparency across projects and operations, partnering with Finance to eliminate cross-area surprises.
Act as the CIO’s primary execution partner: the CIO sets direction and represents IT externally; this role makes it happen operationally.
Provide the CIO and CFO with a reliable, single source of truth on delivery status, risk, and controls posture.