Director of Information Technology

Company Description: NAMI San Diego & Imperial Counties (National Alliance on Mental Illness) is a nonprofit organization that provides free education, support services, and advocacy to improve the quality of life of everyone affected by mental illnesses.

Primary Responsibilities/Function: The Director of Information Technology will lead the IT operations and security practices across the company. This role will ensure efficient and reliable technical support and oversee the infrastructure to maintain operational excellence. Additionally, as the Security Officer, the Director will ensure compliance with security policies and implement mitigation strategies to safeguard company systems and data.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Leadership and Management:
• Direct and manage IT staff, service desk, desktop support, and network operations.
• Oversee infrastructure systems, data centers, telecom, and hardware environments to ensure high efficiency and availability.
• Foster a positive, high-performing team culture through coaching, one-on-one meetings, and professional development.
• Establish and enforce IT policies, procedures, and standards, ensuring they align with industry best practices and company objectives.
• Mentor employees and support their career development.
• Strategic Planning & Vendor Management:
• Develop and maintain a long-term IT strategy that supports organizational goals and drives operational efficiency.
• Collaborate in budget development and manage relationships with strategic software, hardware vendors, and service providers.
• Evaluate and adopt emerging technologies to enhance system performance and scalability.
• Infrastructure & Systems Management:
• Oversee cybersecurity strategies, ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations.
• Collaborate with department heads and executive leadership to ensure IT aligns with business strategies.
• Lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of the IT infrastructure, ensuring robust support for all organizational strategies.
• Ensure systems are operating at peak efficiency and continuously monitor performance.
• Plan, coordinate, and oversee system upgrades, complex implementations, and troubleshooting of operational issues.
• Security Officer Responsibilities:
• Review and test security practices to ensure compliance with industry standards and internal policies.
• Certify the organization's adherence to the HMIS Security Policy and Procedures.
• Develop mitigation plans for security gaps, setting milestones for addressing vulnerabilities.
• Demonstrate measurable reductions in risk over time.
• Complete the HMIS Security Certification Checklist and submit it on schedule.
• Communicate security questions, requests, or breaches to the relevant parties and manage security-related communications within the organization.
• Manage the security of all hardware and software used to access sensitive data.
• Disaster Recovery & Continuity Planning:
• Develop and maintain disaster recovery plans to ensure prompt restoration of critical systems in the event of an outage.
• Conduct regular testing of disaster recovery protocols and ensure Tier One systems and applications maintain high availability.
• Service Level & Operations Management:
• Participate in the ongoing management of IT services to ensure compliance with performance standards and user satisfaction.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts across all IT service functions.
• Security & Risk Management:
• Implement security measures, perform health checks, and oversee preventive maintenance to ensure the stability and integrity of IT systems.
• Monitor system performance and usage, identifying potential vulnerabilities and taking corrective actions.
• Oversee IT security protocols to protect networks, data, and applications from cyber threats and breaches.
• Hands-on Technical Leadership:
• Lead the Helpdesk team to provide exceptional technical support across the company.
• Optimize support processes to improve response times, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
• Technology Evaluation:
• Stay current on industry trends, new technologies, and vendor offerings, ensuring the company is leveraging the most effective and secure solutions.
• Other duties as assigned.
  

Accountability: Reports to the Chief Executive Officer.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with qualified disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Prolonged periods of standing and walking.
• Must be able to lift up to 25 pounds at times.
  
  

Minimum Requirements, including linguistic and cultural skills, education, experiences, licenses and certifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field; or equivalent experience.
• 8 to 15 years of IT experience, including:
• 5 to 7 years of progressively responsible experience in IT operations, network management, or infrastructure.
• 3 to 5 years in a leadership or managerial role, overseeing IT teams and projects.
• Ability to obtain and maintain required IT security certifications such as: Security , CISSP, CASP
• Knowledge of federal and state regulations (HIPAA, NIST, PCI, CCPA) and best practices for security governance and compliance.
• Experience with cloud services and distributed systems, particularly Azure.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft systems (Windows Server, SQL, Active Directory, MS 365, Azure, Dynamics), networking (SDWAN, VPN, TCP/IP, Firewalls), and VMware.
• Demonstrated experience with IT infrastructure operations, disaster recovery, security compliance, and system monitoring.
• Strong communication, problem-solving, and customer service skills.
• Self-motivation and able to work with minimal supervision.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills, excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to interface with all levels of employees.
• Must have a satisfactory driving record.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Reliable and consistent attendance.