IT Manager Job Descriptions, Average Salary, Interview Questions

We’re currently searching for a candidate that strives to ensure the IT department runs smoothly. We have an opening for an IT manager on our team. The ideal candidate will be well-versed in IT development, software, and have experience managing a team. This role is responsible for the effective and efficient delivery of IT systems and services to internal teams and external customers of the organization. The role also works with various leadership personnel, key business units, and other IT professionals to ensure effective operational governance and control structures are developed and maintained. If you’re a manager with experience in IT, this could be the perfect position for you.

Typical duties and responsibilities

• Manage the personnel, policies, and procedures within the IT department
• Analyze an organization’s information technology needs
• Develop strategies concerning an organization’s IT capabilities
• Plan and manage support for incident management tools and processes
• Make recommendations to optimize an organization’s software and hardware systems
• Identify, develop, and implement IT strategies to meet business objectives
• Ensure IT systems are functioning effectively within the cost and time limits of an organization
• Negotiate with vendors for the highest level of service
• Manage the work of incident support staff 

Education and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, IT, or a related field
• 5 years experience in contract development, management, or administration, human resources, or related field

Required skills and qualifications

• Awareness of current IT technologies and methodologies
• Expertise in critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making
• Negotiation experience
• Proficiency in written and verbal communication
• Ability to lead colleagues to meet objectives and manage projects
• Ability to understand business needs and identify areas for optimization
• Demonstrated expertise in ITSM processes and principals

Preferred qualifications

• Solid technical infrastructure experience
• Service-oriented approach to IT operations
• 3+ years of experience of managing IT service delivery using an IT service management methodology, such as ITIL
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts and technologies

This candidate should have prior experience working with information technology and understand the latest technology trends to ensure the technology in place is up to date.

Specific responsibilities

• Assess company’s IT requirements against current infrastructure and manage IT roadmap in alignment with company strategy and stakeholder input
• Establish, communicate, and track IT goals for the organization
• Oversee the annual IT budget and ensure cost-effectiveness, as well as track and maintain hardware and software inventory.
• Proactively communicate platform changes to end users and stakeholders
• Manage employee onboarding and training with regard internal IT systems
• Coordinate technology installations, upgrades, and maintenance
• Ensure strong user adoption and consistent use of High Times internal systems
• Track and respond to support requests in a timely fashion
• Manage external IT firms that support the development and administration of High Times IT Platform
• Evaluate technology risks and develop a network disaster recovery plan and backup procedures.
• Manage of integrated applications and third-party suppliers
• Maintain, document, and present consistent company operational procedures with regards to IT
• Manage technologies and provide administrative assistance for various systems
• Understand various IT troubleshooting and provide technical support
• Control and monitor data, network access, and backup systems
• Negotiate and communicate with third-party software providers for new software’s and troubleshooting

Skills and competencies

• Proficiency with project management methodologies and tools
• Adaptability and flexibility to manage deadline pressure, ambiguity, and change.
• Analytical thinking and decision-making skills
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; effective communication with senior leaders, business partners, and team members

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Business, or related field
• Five+ years of experience in analyzing and supporting business operations
• Ability to lead, organize & motivate with clear communication to varying technical levels
• Quick learning skills and creatively negotiate & solve new issues quickly
• Some work outside normal business hours and some weekends required
• May deal with confidential information and/or issues using discretion and judgment

To be successful as an IT Manager, you should have excellent organizational, management, and communication skills. Ultimately, the goal of the IT Manager is to ensure that technical operations meet the day to day needs of the business, and staff can perform their job duties efficiently while receiving professional and efficient technical support in order to keep operations running smoothly.

What you’ll be doing

• Assist VP of IT in overseeing daily technical operations (helpdesk, network, conference room AV, VoIP, etc.) management of vendors, hardware inventory, software licenses, and network operations
• Provide daily management, supervision, and prioritization of all Help Desk ticket-based workflow and ongoing project initiatives including resource management
• Actively participate in Help Desk ticket queues and project-based initiatives
• Delegate tickets/tasks to team members and resolve escalated issues in a timely manner
• Develop and maintain FAQs in support of standard business applications and technologies
• Work closely with VP of IT, and System Admins to manage desktop standards ensuring ongoing compliance with security and regulatory obligations, identifying ways to enhance business operations, automations, etc.
• Mentor Help Desk resources developing excellent customer service delivery and performance
• Establish and demonstrate an understanding of evolving customer and business needs. Ensure the same level of understanding across the helpdesk team
• Create and maintain a program for increased business, customer service, and technical knowledge, including process documentation
• Monitor and identify customer issues or problems which may require changes to procedures, standards, and systems
• Prepare the support team for new product/service releases
• Maintain current knowledge of industry trends and potential impact on the support business
• Develop, manage, and participate in support escalation service in-line with company business hours

About you

• Minimum 5-7 years experience with a variety of IT/Network Architecture, desktop hardware, software applications, operating systems (PC/MAC), and network connectivity
• Experience overseeing IT/Helpdesk preferred
• Highly motivated team player with strong organizational and troubleshooting skills
• Proficient knowledge of Office 365 required – Email/OneDrive/Teams/SharePoint
• Experience supporting Microsoft Office suite on PC/Mac (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) required
• Proficiency in Networking (Familiar with Cisco Meraki a plus)
• Advanced knowledge of Azure Active Directory a plus
• Familiar with Zendesk/JIRA is a plus
• Familiar with mobile device management tools a plus
• Industry certifications are a plus
• Experience working in Healthcare environment a plus
• Excellent verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical colleagues at all levels in the organization
• Ability to work in a fast-paced team-oriented environment

Responsibilities

• Provides leadership and development to a team of 4-6 internal on-site resources and third-party vendors located in Canada and the United States
• Prioritizes activities and organizes the work of its team members to meet operational requirements and project delivery
• Manages the day-to-day operations of the site’s IT infrastructure in conjunction with the head office’s infrastructure team
• Coordinates IT support activities, including incident resolution, service request delivery, problem management, escalations, and coordination of major incidents within their site in relation to the HEAD OFFICE IT Service Desk team
• Responsible for managing, triaging, prioritizing, and escalating incoming tickets and meeting service levels (SLAs) for the site
• Is the point of contact for IT users of the site
• Monitors critical processes and systems, as well as ensures the availability of IT services and the implementation of a resilient infrastructure to reduce on-site outages
• Supports, coordinates, and actively participates in the day-to-day administration of IT systems and services, including internal network, servers, VPNs, switches and firewalls, cloud services, and system backups to ensure high availability and processes are documented, respected, updated, and auditable
• Plans and deploys the necessary upgrades to maintain service levels
• Supports application teams and projects for activities involving IT infrastructure
• Ensures that the IT succession plan and information security are kept up to date in order to ensure sound RISK MANAGEMENT and IT security
• Manages the integration of OT solutions with IT infrastructure and coordinates with stakeholders in business sectors effective support during outages to maintain a high level of availability
• Manages the ITSM/ITIL process framework, IT General Controls (ITGc) and infrastructure management tools to ensure consistent, clear, and efficient execution of all activities
• Actively contributes with his team to define the vision, strategy, and roadmap for the evolution of the IT infrastructure, in alignment with the objectives and values of the organization
• Maintains close relationships with key stakeholders in the business sectors that consume IT infrastructure services
• Interacts with relevant IT teams to consolidate acquisitions and maintains the infrastructure inventory up to date for the site
• Performs any other tasks that may be required from time to time

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology or equivalent
• 5 years of experience in IT infrastructure management; multi-site infrastructure, is a plus
• 5 years of experience in managing a team of similar size (5-10 people), in a management or leadership role
• Certification/In-depth knowledge of ITIL, NIST, ITGC, an asset

Knowledge and skills

• Excellent leadership, teamwork, and management skills
• Ability to influence and mobilize
• Good written and verbal communication skills
• English, French an asset
• Ability to prioritize and allocate resources/efforts appropriately
• Ability to navigate a changing work environment
• Demonstrate good judgment, analytical, synthesis, and priority management
• Have the ability to develop and monitor performance indicators
• Strong problem-solving skills in a technological context
• Excellent knowledge of computer security concepts
• Experience working with third-party service providers
• Be on the lookout for the latest information technology trends and best practices in the field, including Agile, Cloud, and DevOps
• Experience or knowledge of the flagship technologies used: Windows, Microsoft, VMWare, AD, AZURE, WSUS, SQL server, IP telephony, switching and routing, CISCO, Fortinet, VLAN, VPN + RSA, VEEAM, etc.