Director, ITOps

Position Description

Title: Director, ITOps
Department: Technology
Reports To: Chief Technology Officer
Supervisory Role: Yes
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Washington, DC (Hybrid)

Company

SoundExchange is the premier music tech organization on a mission to power the future of music. It was independently formed in 2003 to build a fairer, simpler, and more efficient music industry through technology, data, and advocacy. The only organization designated by the U.S. government to administer the Section 114 sound recording license, SoundExchange collects and distributes digital performance royalties on behalf of 600,000 music creators and growing. Through proprietary music tech solutions that turn data into accurate revenue, SoundExchange has paid more than $9 billion in distributions to date.

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly motivated, passionate about digital transformation and experienced Director of ITOps to lead our Cloud Operations, Security and Digital Workplace efforts, oversee our IT infrastructure, and manage our IT operations team. This position will be responsible for the availability, reliability, security, stable, and on-budget operation of our overall technical infrastructure. The ideal candidate will be a hands-on and technically competent leader with a strong background in IT infrastructure, cloud operations, and project management. This position reports to the CTO and is a member of the Tech Leadership team.

Essential Functions

  • Manage the ITOps team, overseeing our CloudOps, Security and Digital Workplace efforts, including hiring, training, coaching, mentoring and performance management.
  • Define and own the strategy, roadmap, and delivery for a secure, stable, and best-in-class on-prem and multi-cloud infrastructure.
  • Develop and implement strategies for integrating software development and IT operations, including tools and processes for continuous integration, delivery, and deployment.
  • Create a seamless and productive digital environment that enables employees to work effectively and efficiently from anywhere, using a variety of devices and platforms.
  • Develop and implement strategies for digital workplace initiatives, including tools and technologies for collaboration, communication, and productivity.
  • Oversee our network, including LAN, WAN, VPN, Firewalls, and our entire cloud networking infrastructure.
  • Oversee all our backup, information security and disaster recovery efforts, policies, standards, and processes.
  • Work closely with the Tech Leadership team and stakeholders in other departments in order to identify, recommend, develop, implement, and support high quality, efficient, and cost-effective technology solutions for all aspects of the organization and ensure that technology needs are met.
  • Provide regular updates to CTO on IT infrastructure projects and tasks, capacity, procurement and budget, vendors, personnel, incidents, and metrics.
  • Develop, own, manage, and ensure adherence to the overall ITOps budget.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities (KSAs)

  • In-depth understanding of cloud computing technologies, including virtualization, storage, and network technologies.
    In-depth understanding of digital tools and technologies for collaboration, communication, and productivity
  • Experience managing a large-scale IT budget.
  • Experienced and effective project manager, capable of managing large and complex IT infrastructure projects.
  • Experience with managing and maintaining highly scalable and available, transaction-oriented systems.
  • Experience and familiarity with large-scale Windows-, Linux-, and cloud-based environments.
  • Experience and familiarity with information and network security (particularly for PCI and PII compliance), data management, disaster recovery, and business continuity.
  • Experience and familiarity with IT infrastructure methodologies, processes, and practices including SAS70, ITSM, ITIL, and Agile.
  • Experience with recruiting, hiring, developing, and retaining IT staff.
  • Experience leveraging 3rd party commercial and open source software or teams.
  • Excellent written and verbal communications and presentation skills.
  • Proven solid analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with others (internal and external).

Required Education, Certifications/ Licenses, Related Experience

  • Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent experience
  • 10+ years of experience in IT operations, infrastructure management, or a related field
  • 6+ years of experience in a leadership role, managing a team of IT professionals.
  • Strong experience in managing cloud-based infrastructure on AWS, Azure, or in the Oracle Cloud platform.
  • Strong technical background in IT infrastructure, cloud operations, network security, and system administration
  • Experience in managing DevOps or CloudOps teams

ADA Specifications

  • This position requires the ability to remain in a stationary position (standing and/or seated) all of the time
  • The person in this position may need to move about the corporate office(s) less than half the time
  • This position operates machinery and/or equipment that requires the constant use of hands/fingers/wrists (ex: typing) all of the time
  • This position requires the ability to spend all of the time viewing computer monitors

Travel Requirements

  • This position has no travel requirements.

DEI Statement

At SoundExchange, we empower creators and help share the future of music. One way we do this is by respecting diverse voices, varied perspectives, and distinct backgrounds of all of our team members. We are intentional in creating an inclusive culture where we recognize that equity is greater than equality and all employees have the opportunities and support needed to thrive. We strive to create teams that reflect the music community we serve – every individual’s unique attributes and abilities are valued, and are part of how we innovate, create, and deliver experiences to the creators we champion.

COVID-19 Policy

Applicants who receive a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status prior to beginning employment. Employees who are not fully vaccinated will not be permitted to access SoundExchange offices until they are fully vaccinated. As a condition of employment, all SoundExchange employees will be required to be fully vaccinated. SoundExchange will provide reasonable accommodations for employees who cannot be vaccinated because of a disability or sincerely held religious belief. Accommodation requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Contact

To apply, please send a cover letter and résumé to [email protected].

Note: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the individual(s) assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as necessary.