VP of IT Operations

Vice President, IT Operations Position Summary The Vice President of IT Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for the organization's technology operations, applications, and service delivery functions. This executive is responsible for aligning IT capabilities with business priorities, optimizing technology investments, strengthening vendor partnerships, and ensuring the successful delivery of high-impact initiatives.The VP of IT Operations will lead a large, high-performing organization and serve as a trusted partner to executive leadership and business stakeholders. This role requires a strong combination of strategic vision, operational discipline, technology expertise, financial acumen, and a customer-focused leadership approach. Key Responsibilities Provide strategic direction and executive oversight for IT operations, application services, technology delivery, and related functions, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and business priorities.Lead, develop, and retain a large-scale IT organization, building a culture centered on accountability, collaboration, innovation, service excellence, and continuous improvement.Establish and maintain strategic relationships with application and technology vendors, including contract negotiations, performance management, resource planning, and procurement of technology solutions.Guide the identification, evaluation, and prioritization of application enhancements, technology initiatives, and new capabilities based on business impact, strategic value, risk, and available resources.Provide executive oversight for RFPs, client presentations, technology demonstrations, and solution proposals, ensuring appropriate technical resources and compelling, accurate, and compliant content are available to support business development activities.Direct the planning and execution of multiple complex, enterprise-level initiatives simultaneously, ensuring projects remain aligned to scope, budget, schedule, resources, and expected outcomes.Establish a strong customer-service culture across IT, emphasizing responsiveness, partnership, transparency, and a deep understanding of internal and external customer needs.Build and maintain strong relationships with executive sponsors and key stakeholders through structured communication, recurring leadership meetings, operational reviews, and proactive issue management.Monitor emerging technologies, industry trends, and evolving business requirements to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce operating costs, modernize capabilities, and create competitive or operational advantages.Partner with enterprise architecture, infrastructure, cybersecurity, applications, operations, and business leadership to create and maintain integrated technology roadmaps.Ensure technology roadmaps appropriately balance modernization, operational stability, business requirements, security, scalability, financial considerations, and long-term strategic objectives.Collaborate with business and learning leaders to develop effective training, communication, change-management, and deployment strategies that support successful technology adoption.Establish meaningful performance measures and operational metrics to evaluate service quality, project delivery, customer satisfaction, financial performance, and overall IT effectiveness.Regularly communicate organizational performance, project status, risks, opportunities, and strategic recommendations to executive leadership, customers, and other key stakeholders.Develop and maintain strong executive-level partnerships across departments, creating alignment between technology strategy and organizational objectives.Champion innovation and professional development while creating an environment where employees are empowered to contribute ideas, grow their careers, and deliver exceptional results.Strengthen the organization's ability to attract, develop, and retain top technology talent by fostering a culture recognized for leadership, collaboration, career development, and employee engagement.Establish appropriate governance, processes, and accountability mechanisms to ensure technology initiatives are executed consistently and deliver intended business outcomes. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.10+ years of progressive experience in Director- or Vice President-level IT leadership roles.5+ years of experience directly leading organizations of 40+ employees, including managers and/or multiple teams.Demonstrated experience leading enterprise IT operations, application services, technology delivery, or comparable technology functions.Proven experience managing complex portfolios of concurrent, high-priority technology initiatives.Significant experience managing technology vendors, strategic partnerships, contracts, budgets, and procurement activities.Demonstrated ability to translate business objectives into technology strategies, roadmaps, and executable plans.Experience working directly with C-suite executives, senior business leaders, customers, and other executive stakeholders.Strong understanding of enterprise applications, IT operations, technology architecture, systems integration, and modern technology environments.Demonstrated success leading organizational change, technology modernization, process improvement, and operational transformation.Strong financial and business acumen, including experience managing budgets, evaluating investments, and measuring technology ROI.Exceptional communication, presentation, negotiation, relationship-building, and executive presence.Experience developing high-performing leadership teams and creating a culture of accountability, innovation, and customer service.Strong project and program management capabilities, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a complex enterprise environment. Preferred Qualifications Master's degree in Business Administration, Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related discipline.Experience in a healthcare, life sciences, technology, or other highly regulated environment.Experience supporting enterprise sales cycles, RFP processes, customer demonstrations, or solution presentations.Experience managing large-scale application portfolios and technology modernization initiatives.Familiarity with IT service management, enterprise architecture, cybersecurity, cloud technologies, data platforms, and emerging technology trends.Experience leading geographically distributed, hybrid, or multi-site technology organizations. Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco/Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to the individual's skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, office location and other geographic considerations, as well as other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law in geographies that require salary range disclosure, Vaco/Highspring notes the salary range for the role is noted in this job posting. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, and can participate in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's 401(k) retirement plan. Additional disclaimer: Unless otherwise noted in the job description, the position Vaco/Highspring is filing for is occupied. Please note, however, that Vaco/Highspring is regularly asked to provide talent to other organizations. By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. Submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase within Vaco/Highspring will be otherwise assessed by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco/Highspring does not have knowledge of the tools used by its clients in making final hiring decisions and cannot opine on their use of AI products. Equal Opportunity Notice Highspring LLC (d/b/a Vaco by Highspring) and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by applicable law. The company is also committed to ensuring that persons who need them are provided with reasonable accommodations; if an accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact HR@vaco.com . Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal. Representation Notice By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. Additionally, you agree to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. Lastly, you agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal. For residents of Ontario, Canada only: to the extent the position for employment is not with Highspring or not otherwise noted as vacant above, candidate should be informed that this role is to replace a presently employed person at Vaco by Highspring's client. Privacy Notice Vaco by Highspring respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies. California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here. Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here. Residents of all other states may access our policies here. Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here. Residents of countries governed by GDPR and UK GDPR may access our policies here. Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here (https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring. Pay Transparency Notice Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to: · the individual's skill sets, experience and training; · licensure and certification requirements; · office location and other geographic considerations; and · other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or participation in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's retirement plan (or similar retirement benefits).