Network Systems Manager

About the role

Our client is seeking a Network Systems Manager for a contract to hire opportunity. The Network Systems Manager is responsible for the leadership, strategy, and operational execution of the Network Systems Department across the organization. This role provides technical leadership, team management, and strategic planning to ensure the organization's infrastructure is secure, scalable, reliable, and aligned with objectives. The Network Systems Manager leads a team responsible for core infrastructure, including networking, server environments, virtualization, cloud services, backups, disaster recovery, and enterprise systems. This role is accountable for team performance, project delivery, operational stability, and continuous improvement of infrastructure services across multiple domestic and international locations. The ideal candidate demonstrates strong leadership, operational discipline, technical depth, and the ability to collaborate effectively with IT leadership and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop the Network Systems team to ensure high performance and professional growth
• Establish clear expectations, goals, and accountability for team members
• Conduct regular one-on-ones, performance reviews, and development planning
• Manage hiring, onboarding, training, and staff development
• Address performance concerns through coaching, documentation, and corrective action when necessary
• Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and proactive problem solving

Infrastructure & Operations Management

• Oversee all network and systems infrastructure
• Ensure availability, performance, and reliability of core infrastructure services
• Manage enterprise: LAN/WAN/Wi-Fi, server environments (physical and virtual), cloud infrastructure (Azure / Office 365), storage and backup systems, disaster recovery and business continuity, identity and access management, telephony and collaboration systems
• Ensure proper monitoring, alerting, and proactive maintenance
• Oversee patch management and system lifecycle management
• Maintain system documentation and architecture diagrams

Project & Strategic Planning

• Lead infrastructure projects from planning through implementation
• Partner with IT leadership to develop technology roadmaps and strategic initiatives
• Ensure projects are properly scoped, resourced, and delivered on time
• Provide regular project updates to Director of IT Operations
• Identify opportunities for infrastructure improvements and modernization
• Participate in long-term planning for global IT expansion

Operational Excellence & Process Improvement

• Develop and maintain standards, procedures, and operational workflows
• Establish and maintain SLAs for infrastructure services
• Improve operational efficiency through automation and standardization
• Ensure proper incident management and root cause analysis
• Drive continuous improvement within Network Systems operations

Security & Compliance

• Maintain infrastructure security standards and best practices
• Oversee vulnerability management and remediation
• Maintain backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity planning
• Participate in security audits and risk assessments
• Ensure proper access controls and identity management practices

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in information technology, Computer Science, or related field
• 8+ years of progressive IT infrastructure experience
• 3+ years of leadership or team management experience preferred
• Experience managing infrastructure in multi-site environments
• Strong project management experience
• Experience managing vendors and budgets
• Ability to be on-call and support after-hours work when required
• Managing enterprise Windows domain environments
• Managing Microsoft 365
• Leading infrastructure teams
• Delivering large-scale infrastructure projects
• Managing infrastructure lifecycle planning
• Supporting multi-site or global environments
• Managing 3 or more technical staff

Skills

• Strong leadership and team management skills
• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Strong project management and prioritization abilities
• Ability to balance strategic planning with operational execution
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
• Strong documentation and process development skills
• Demonstrated accountability and follow-through
• Strong working knowledge of network infrastructure (routing, switching, VLANs, firewalls)
• DNS, DHCP, subnets, and network design
• Windows Server environments
• Active Directory and Group Policy
• Office 365 / Microsoft 365 / Azure AD
• VMware (ESXi, vSphere, Horizon)
• Backup and disaster recovery solutions
• Cloud services and hybrid infrastructure
• Storage systems and SAN/NAS environments
• VOIP and collaboration systems
• Monitoring and alerting platforms

Job Requirements: On-Site