Director, IT Operations

You will own the day-to-day operation of the technology that keeps our teams productive, and the security program that protects the company. You will lead our help desk, run our Microsoft cloud identity, device, Azure and network environment, direct our cybersecurity function, and make sure our people, devices and data are secure, supported and ready to work. We seek abroad, experienced and hands-on leader who loves making things run better and thrives in a fast-paced environment. This position requires you to operate with a hands-on approach, working as both a player and a coach with the IT team.

As a technical expert, you also pride yourself on building strong working relationships with business users and the leadership team. You are mission driven, see solutions where others may see problems, enjoy getting your hands dirty and have a track record of running reliable IT operations while continuously improving them. As a technical expert, you also pride yourself on building strong working relationships with business users and the leadership team. You are mission driven, see solutions where others may see problems, enjoy getting your hands dirty and have a track record of running reliable IT operations while continuously improving them.

We have bold plans, lean into challenges, and don’t give up – we are serious about the business without taking ourselves too seriously. Based in Dallas, TX, our team is collaborative, open-minded and curious – we speak our minds, are responsible for our actions and celebrate our wins. Evergreen Residential offers a flexible, empowering culture, competitive compensation and benefits, and significant potential for career growth and development.

This is a full-time employee role based in our Dallas office (4 days in office, 1 day remote). The Company is unable to provide visa sponsorship.

The Role: Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours. This is a true player-coach, director-level role: you will lead the IT and cybersecurity team, and you will also personally administer systems, run audits, resolve escalations and manage vendors. You are the senior day-to-day owner of both IT operations and security, and you will guide the company at large on how to work securely. You own execution, reliability, security posture and the daily experience of our users. The role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

• Owning day-to-day IT operations for approximately 400 employees across three offices and a mobile field workforce, with clear service standards and consistent coverage
• Leading, coaching and developing of office-based help desk team and building support processes, ticket handling standards and escalation paths
• Directly managing, coaching and developing the cybersecurity team, including a junior cybersecurity analyst, and setting priorities for vulnerability remediation, phishing and alert response, security monitoring, awareness and incident response
• Planning, leading and personally performing our annual SOC 1 and SOC 2 audit cycle and NIST framework assessment, including control design and documentation, evidence collection, auditor coordination and remediation tracking
• Owning security policies, the risk register, vendor security reviews, access reviews and security awareness training, and reporting security posture and risk to executive leadership
• Administering Microsoft 365, Entra ID and Intune: user lifecycle (onboarding and offboarding), MFA and Conditional Access, licensing, shared mailboxes and groups, Autopilot, and device compliance
• Administering and securing our Microsoft Azure cloud environment, including subscriptions, networking, identity and access, logging and monitoring, and cost governance
• Managing the iPad fleet for field employees, including enrollment, app deployment, security policy, lost-device handling and replacement logistics
• Managing endpoint protection, patching, backup and recovery, and the administrative credential and access-review process
• Managing technology vendors and contracts, including telephony, file storage, endpoint security, hardware, and network and office equipment, with a renewal calendar and a budget you track
• Designing, securing and managing our corporate and office networks (LAN/WAN, firewalls, VPN, Wi-Fi, DNS/DHCP and segmentation) in both offices, working with our ISP and outside providers as needed, along with printers and AV
• Maintaining the hardware and software asset inventory, procurement, and device refresh cycle
• Writing and maintaining runbooks, documentation and disaster recovery plans so that no process depends on a single person
• Partnering with business application owners and the data and engineering teams on SSO, access, and device needs
• Identifying and delivering automation and AI-enabled improvements that reduce ticket volume and manual work

What You Will Bring to the Table:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field preferred, or equivalent practical experience
• Minimum 10 years of experience in IT operations, systems administration, infrastructure or security, including at least 3 years leading technical teams and developing junior staff
• Deep hands-on experience administering Microsoft 365, Entra ID and Intune in a cloud-first environment
• Experience managing iPadOS/iOS devices at scale through MDM (Intune and Apple Business Manager preferred)
• Strong security expertise: identity and access management, MFA, endpoint protection, patching, vulnerability management, security monitoring and incident response
• Demonstrated experience personally performing SOC 1 and/or SOC 2 audits and NIST-based risk and control assessments on an annual cycle
• Strong networking experience: firewalls, VPN, routing and switching, Wi-Fi, DNS/DHCP and segmentation, with the ability to design and troubleshoot multi-site networks
• Hands-on experience with Microsoft Azure, including networking, identity, governance, monitoring and security services
• Experience running a help desk and service management process, and building simple, repeatable runbooks
• Experience managing vendors, contracts and an IT budget, and comfort negotiating renewals
• Experience working in an AI-first environment (e.g., using AI assistants and agents to automate tasks, write scripts and troubleshoot); scripting experience in PowerShell or Python is a plus
• Relevant certifications are desirable (e.g., CISSP, CISM, Microsoft MD-102, SC-300, AZ-104 or AZ-500, CompTIA Security+, CCNA or Network+, ITIL)
• Experience supporting a multi-office company and a distributed or mobile workforce; experience in real estate, investment management or financial services desirable
• A proven problem solver who stays calm under pressure and is happy to be hands-on to keep the business moving
• Excellent communication skills – verbal and written – and a service mindset with both executives and field employees
• Experience mentoring and developing junior security and IT staff, and communicating risk clearly to executives, auditors and non-technical employees
• Willingness to provide occasional after-hours support for urgent issues and to travel periodically to our New York or Charlotte offices