Infrastructure Services Manager - IAM

Benefits: Competitive salary Location Evanston, IL Experience Level Senior/Lead Level (8 or more years of experience) Role Overview The Infrastructure Services Manager – Identity & Access Management (IAM) leads the day-to-day operations, maintenance, and upgrade activities of a large enterprise Identity Infrastructure environment. This is an operationally focused role designed for a professional with a deep technical infrastructure background (such as Systems Administration, Infrastructure Engineering, or IAM Engineering) who has transitioned into a leadership capacity. The manager oversees a team of dedicated IAM engineers, orchestrates system upgrades, manages vulnerability remediations, and governs ITIL-based change management and production incident response. This is a hybrid contract opportunity for 12 or more months with the possibility of extension or conversion. Key Responsibilities Infrastructure Operations & Platform Management • Direct the day-to-day operations of the enterprise IAM infrastructure to ensure high availability, reliability, scalability, and security of authentication platforms. • Lead production incident management, outage response, and service restoration activities, driving root cause analysis and post-incident reviews. • Plan and coordinate complex infrastructure upgrades, database maintenance, and software lifecycle activities for enterprise identity services. • Support and manage Microsoft Windows Server infrastructure and Linux server environments hosting critical directory and authentication databases. Vulnerability Remediation & PKI Administration • Lead security vulnerability response initiatives, coordinate CVE remediation actions, and maintain a secure operating platform. • Oversee certificate lifecycle management and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) components supporting identity services. • Coordinate hardware, operating system, and security patch maintenance windows with business stakeholders to minimize business disruption. ITIL Change & Service Management • Govern ITIL-based Change Management processes, conducting technical peer reviews for infrastructure modifications and verifying production readiness. • Create, organize, and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs), runbooks, disaster recovery plans, and operational directories. • Support strategic infrastructure modernization projects, platform migrations, and vendor software upgrade cycles. Technical Team Leadership • Lead, mentor, and develop a team of three or more direct-report Infrastructure and IAM Engineers. • Manage operational planning, allocate tasks, prioritize incoming workloads, and conduct performance coaching. • Collaborate across Security, Platform Engineering, DevOps, and Enterprise Architecture teams to implement unified identity patterns. Required Qualifications • 8 or more years of professional experience in Infrastructure Engineering, Systems Administration, or IAM Infrastructure. • 3 or more years of experience managing infrastructure operations teams. • Experience directly supervising and mentoring three or more direct reports. • Strong experience administering and maintaining enterprise Microsoft Server environments. • Working knowledge of Linux server administration and operating system maintenance. • Experience coordinating and executing complex vendor software upgrades. • Experience managing certificates, keys, and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) environments. • Experience identifying, prioritizing, and responding to security vulnerabilities (CVEs). • Strong experience governing ITIL Change Management processes and operational approval gates. • Experience leading critical production incident management, service restoration, and root cause analysis workflows. • Strong system-level troubleshooting and post-incident analysis capabilities. • Experience utilizing SIEM platforms to monitor operational and security logs. • Experience managing technical projects and coordinating infrastructure modernization initiatives. Preferred Qualifications • Hands-on experience supporting enterprise Identity & Access Management (IAM) platforms and directory services (such as Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID / Azure AD). • Experience with Privileged Access Management (PAM) tools and Microsoft Identity solutions. • Professional certifications, including ITIL Certification or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. Core Skills & Attributes • Exceptional leadership, mentoring, and workload prioritization capabilities to direct cross-functional engineering teams. • Strong communication and interpersonal skills to translate technical infrastructure risks into clear operational impacts for business stakeholders. • Analytical mindset with a high attention to detail, quality assurance, and system security. • Ability to balance rigorous day-to-day operational support with long-term strategic platform improvements. Flexible work from home options available. Established in 2004, Smart Tech Skills is a top technology and professional services firm specializing in innovative technologies. Headquartered in Marlborough, MA, the company effectively addresses clients’ technology needs nationwide, making advanced technology management easier.