Director of IT Operations

More about the Role

At Heartland Veterinary Partners, our mission is centered around elevating the lives of veterinarians and their teams. By partnering with Heartland, practice owners unlock a world of operational advantages and economies of scale, all while retaining their clinical autonomy. At Heartland, we go beyond the ordinary to foster an environment that nurtures growth, invests in our employees, and creates pathways for professional development.

The Heartland promise doesn't stop at operational brilliance; it extends to encompass non-clinical facets like recruiting & human resources, marketing, procurement, payables management, accounting & finance, and information technology. In essence, we've got every corner covered, so our partners can focus on what truly matters - providing optimal care for their patients. As a dedicated member of our Support Center, you'll have the opportunity to be a part of what makes that happen. Your role will be pivotal in helping our partners deliver unparalleled patient care.

The Heartland philosophy rests firmly on the pillars of Servant Leadership. This ethos defines our Support Center team, where every member embraces the ethos of selfless service and approaches every challenge with an unwavering commitment to support. If this resonates with your personal and professional values, then we'd like to get to know you better!

Position Purpose

Reporting to the Chief Information Officer (CIO), the Director of IT Operations will lead and oversee the IT infrastructure, service desk, security, and Microsoft 365 environment, with a strong emphasis on managing third-party IT service providers. This role is responsible for ensuring operational excellence, optimizing IT spend, and maintaining a secure, high-performing IT environment. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in IT operations, vendor management, cloud technologies, and security leadership. This is a high-impact leadership role that offers the opportunity to shape the future of IT operations at Heartland. If you’re passionate about vendor accountability, IT security, and modernizing IT operations, we’d love to hear from you! This is a full-time remote role.

Competencies

At Heartland, all of our team members embody the spirit of Servant Leadership.

• Authentic Listening - Continually listening with an open mind and heart to what is said and unsaid.
• Building Community –Bringing team members together and mobilizing them around our collective purpose and commitment to our communities.
• Commitment to the Growth of the People – Dedicated to the personal and professional growth and development of our team members.
• Conceptualization -Forward thinking and approaching work and challenges with an end-to-end view.
• Empathy – Demonstrating empathy and understanding with others, approaching everything assuming positive intentions.
• Foresight – Taking the past, the present, and the future decision-making process.
• Healing – Focusing on the emotional and physical health of our team members.  Offering support and solutions to ensure our team members have balance.
• Persuasion – Building group consensus and buy-in.
• Self-Awareness – Conscious knowledge of personal character, emotions, intentions, and leadership impact.
• Stewardship - Concern for our team members, customers, communities, and the organization as a whole and making good use of all that is available to provide appropriate support.

Essential Responsibilities

• IT Operations & Service Delivery
  • Oversee networking, infrastructure, cloud platforms, endpoint management, and IT service delivery across the organization.
  • Own and optimize Microsoft 365 (Teams, Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, Intune, and related services) to drive collaboration and efficiency.
  • Ensure high availability, performance, and scalability of IT services while minimizing downtime and disruptions.
  • Implement ITIL best practices, including incident management, change control, and problem resolution.
• Managed Services
  • Own the relationship and performance management of multiple third-party IT service providers, including local IT vendors, managed services, and outsourced support teams.
  • Work with Vendor Management team to establish and track SLAs, KPIs, and contract compliance to ensure vendors deliver high-quality service.
  • Optimize IT spend through strategic vendor negotiations, budget management, and cost-control initiatives.
  • Continuously assess outsourcing vs. insourcing opportunities to maximize efficiency and service quality.
• IT Security & Compliance Leadership
  • Serve as the primary IT security leader, ensuring cybersecurity best practices, risk management, and compliance with relevant regulations.
  • Oversee identity and access management (IAM), endpoint security, data protection, and threat mitigation strategies.
  • Collaborate with external security partners and vendors to enhance security posture and incident response capabilities.
  • Establish and enforce IT security policies, training programs, and risk assessments.
• Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery
  • Develop and maintain disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity (BC) plans, ensuring readiness for IT incidents and security threats.
  • Regularly test DR/BC capabilities in collaboration with vendors and internal stakeholders.
• Leadership & Strategy
  • Act as a trusted advisor to business leaders, ensuring IT aligns with company goals and objectives.
  • Provide strategic direction on IT modernization, including cloud adoption, automation, and infrastructure improvements.
  • Lead a culture of operational excellence, security awareness, and continuous improvement across IT operations.

Requirements/Qualifications

• Experience:
• 7 years of IT Operations leadership experience, overseeing infrastructure, networking, service management, or IT security.
• 5 years of vendor management experience, with a proven track record of holding third-party IT service providers accountable.
• Strong expertise in Microsoft 365 administration, including Exchange, Teams, SharePoint, Intune, and security configurations.
• Deep understanding of IT security frameworks, identity and access management (IAM), and compliance best practices.
• Budgeting and financial management experience, optimizing IT costs while maintaining service excellence.
• Certifications (preferred but not required):
• ITIL, CISSP, Microsoft 365 Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert, or other relevant IT/security certifications.
• Key Skills & Competencies:
• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management abilities.
• Hands-on experience with Microsoft 365, cloud platforms (Azure, AWS), ITSM tools, and security solutions.
• Ability to balance strategic vision with hands-on problem-solving.
• A data-driven approach to measuring IT service effectiveness and business impact.

Benefits Offered

• Physical wellness: Health, dental, vision, voluntary life and disability programs, and discounted access to gym memberships
• Mental wellness: Paid time off, flexible work schedules, and EAP
• Financial wellness: Bonus incentives, retirement accounts, retail discounts, and access to financial planning tools
• Professional wellness: Learning and career development solutions

Pay Range

Salary : $170,000 - $190,000