Information Technology (IT) Operation Manager
Visterra Landscape Group is ranked among North America’s top 20 landscape service providers. Collectively, Visterra partner companies bring more than 200 years of expertise in landscape maintenance, enhancement, construction, sweeping, portering, and critical winter services, with a reputation for excellence in client service. Incumbent partner leaders guide day-to-day operations with teams that value and prioritize safety, employee well-being, and dynamic career pathways.
About the role
The Information Technology Operations Manager leads Visterra’s day-to-day technology operations, including IT service delivery, infrastructure support, vendor performance, acquisition integrations, and the overall employee technology experience. This position leads the internal IT operations team and partners closely with the Vice President of Technology to provide reliable, scalable, secure, and business-aligned technology services across the organization.
Responsibilities
- People Leadership:
- Lead and develop a lean, high-performing IT operations team, including Systems Administration, Tier II, and Tier I support.
- Hire, coach, develop, and support team members while building a responsive, accountable, and service-oriented culture.
- Establish clear priorities, performance expectations, and operating standards for the IT operations function.
- IT Service Delivery & Operations:
- Own IT service management end to end, including establishing and monitoring SLAs, overseeing service desk operations and ticket queue performance, and driving improvements in response time, resolution time, and first-contact resolution.
- Evaluate, implement, and continuously improve IT operations tools and platforms, including ITSM, endpoint management, and monitoring solutions, in partnership with the Senior Systems Administrator.
- Establish standards and operating practices that improve reliability, scalability, security, and the employee technology experience.
- Serve as the final escalation point for Sev-1 critical infrastructure incidents, supported by the organization’s 24/7 external MDR partner.
- Vendor & Financial Management:
- Own the co-managed vendor ecosystem, including security/MDR services, incident response retainers, and tenant-migration partners.
- Establish and monitor technical SLAs and hold external partners accountable to contractual commitments and service expectations.
- Manage the IT operating budget, software licensing, vendor contracts, renewals, and related technology spend.
- Evaluate vendor performance and identify opportunities to improve service quality, efficiency, and cost effectiveness.
- M&A Integration:
- Own and continuously improve the IT integration playbook supporting Visterra’s acquisition pipeline.
- Coordinate technology onboarding for acquired businesses, direct migration partners, and ensure each acquisition is integrated according to consistent technology, security, and operational standards.
- Partner with acquisition and business leaders to identify technology requirements, risks, dependencies, and transition priorities.
- Business Partnership:
- Partner closely with the VP of Technology to ensure day-to-day IT operations remain aligned with broader technology and internal platform initiatives.
- Collaborate with business leaders to understand operational needs, identify technology opportunities, and ensure IT services effectively support a distributed workforce.
Qualifications
- 7+ years of progressive IT experience, including at least 3 years in an IT leadership role with responsibility for teams, vendors, budgets, or comparable operational functions.
- Demonstrated experience leading a service desk or IT operations function with accountability for service levels and operational outcomes.
- Strong working knowledge of Microsoft 365 and Azure environments, with the ability to establish standards, evaluate technical recommendations, and effectively oversee internal and external technical resources.
- Experience managing and developing IT professionals, including performance management, coaching, and workload prioritization.
- Proven experience with vendor management, contract negotiation or oversight, and SLA management.
- Experience supporting a distributed workforce with office, remote, and field-based technology and hardware needs.
- Experience with M&A technology integration, organizational change, or complex technology transitions.
- Strong communication, problem-solving, prioritization, and stakeholder-management skills.
- Ability to travel approximately 5–10% for strategic site visits and acquisition-related meetings.
Benefits
- Paid Time Off
- Health and Wellness Coverage
- 401(k) Savings Plan
- Professional Development Opportunities
Pay
The range for this position is $120,000 to $140,000 annually. The actual compensation offered may vary based on factors such as geographic location, relevant experience, qualifications, and internal equity, among other considerations.