ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Director Infrastructure Operations Jobs (NOW HIRING)

HomeServe

Director of Infrastructure Operations

Norwalk, CT · On-site

$157K - $210K/yr

The Director is responsible for the 24 x 7 management and production operations for all infrastructure systems under the management. This includes all internally managed and outsourced engineering of ...

ICANN

Sr. Director, Infrastructure

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

... operational excellence. The Sr. Director will directly run and mature the IT infrastructure for the ... organization, ensuring that all infrastructure is designed, built, and operated using ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsInfrastructure Operations JobsDirector Infrastructure Operations Jobs

Director Infrastructure Operations information

See salary details

$34K

$107.7K

$179.5K

How much do director infrastructure operations jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 21, 2026, the average yearly pay for director infrastructure operations in the United States is $107,680.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $75,500.00 and $135,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Director of Infrastructure Operations, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Director of Infrastructure Operations, you need deep expertise in IT infrastructure management, network architecture, and systems administration, often supported by a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with enterprise tools like VMware, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure), ITIL frameworks, and certifications such as PMP or CISSP is typically required. Strong leadership, strategic thinking, and effective communication are essential soft skills for managing teams and aligning IT initiatives with business goals. These skills and qualities ensure the reliable, secure, and scalable operation of an organization’s critical IT systems.

What is the difference between Director Infrastructure Operations vs Network Manager?

AspectDirector Infrastructure OperationsNetwork Manager
Primary FocusOversees overall infrastructure strategy, including data centers, servers, and cloud servicesManages network infrastructure, including LAN, WAN, and network security
CertificationsITIL, PMP, Cisco or Microsoft certifications often preferredCCNA, CCNP, or Network+ certifications common
Work EnvironmentExecutive-level, strategic planning, cross-departmental collaborationOperational, technical hands-on management of network systems
Industry UsageUsed in large enterprises, data centers, cloud providersCommon in organizations with complex network needs

The main difference is that the Director Infrastructure Operations oversees the entire infrastructure strategy and management, including data centers and cloud services, while the Network Manager focuses specifically on managing and maintaining network systems. Both roles require technical certifications, but their scope and responsibilities differ significantly.

How does a Director of Infrastructure Operations typically collaborate with other departments to ensure seamless IT service delivery?

As a Director of Infrastructure Operations, collaboration with other departments such as security, application development, and business units is essential to align IT infrastructure with organizational goals. This role often involves regular meetings with department heads to understand their requirements, prioritizing projects, and coordinating resource allocation. Directors also work closely with teams to create incident response protocols, ensure compliance, and optimize system uptime. Effective communication and cross-functional teamwork are key to addressing challenges quickly and maintaining high service levels.

What does a Director of Infrastructure Operations do?

A Director of Infrastructure Operations is responsible for overseeing and managing an organization's IT infrastructure, including networks, servers, data centers, and cloud services. They ensure that all systems are running efficiently, securely, and reliably to support business operations. This role often involves strategic planning, budgeting, leading technical teams, and implementing best practices for disaster recovery and security. Directors also collaborate with other departments to align IT infrastructure with organizational goals and may be involved in vendor management and technology upgrades.
More about Director Infrastructure Operations jobs
What cities are hiring for Director Infrastructure Operations jobs? Cities with the most Director Infrastructure Operations job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Infrastructure Operations jobs? The most popular types of Infrastructure Operations jobs are:
What states have the most Director Infrastructure Operations jobs? States with the most job openings for Director Infrastructure Operations jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Director Infrastructure Operations jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Director Infrastructure Operations jobs are:
Director Infrastructure Operations jobs near you
Infographic showing various Director Infrastructure Operations job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 84% Full Time, 12% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $107,680 per year, or $51.8 per hour.
Director of Infrastructure Operations

Director of Infrastructure Operations

North Central College

Naperville, IL • Hybrid

$130K - $135K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental

This job post has expired today. Applications are no longer accepted.

Job description

Position Information
Posting Number S000969 Position Title Director of Infrastructure Operations Department Information Technology Services Division Information & Technology Supervisor Title Assistant Vice President of Information & Technology, CIO Status Full Time Regular Salary Range $130,000 - $135,000 Position Summary
The Director of Infrastructure Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for the College's core technology infrastructure, ensuring that foundational IT services are reliable, secure, cost-effective, and aligned with institutional priorities. This role oversees the day-to-day operations and continuous improvement of on-premises and cloud infrastructure, including network, identity, compute, storage, telephony, and related platforms that support teaching, learning, research, and administrative functions. The Director leads a high-performing team of IT professionals, partners closely with information security, applications, and other campus stakeholders, and contributes to the College's technology roadmap and digital transformation initiatives.
Description of Key Responsibilities
Strategic & Architectural Leadership
  • Partner with the CIO and peer IT leaders to define and execute the college's infrastructure strategy, including network, data center, cloud, and identity services, in support of the institutional mission and strategic plan.
  • Drive the evolution of a modern, hybrid infrastructure architecture that appropriately leverages onpremises, cloud, and managed services to improve agility, resilience, and costeffectiveness.
  • Translate campus needs into infrastructure roadmaps, standards, and reference architectures, in collaboration with enterprise applications, academic technology, and security teams.
Infrastructure Operations & Service Management
  • Oversee the design, operation, and lifecycle management of enterprise infrastructure services, including campus network (wired and wireless), firewalls, data center and virtualized compute, storage and backup, identity and access management platforms, endpoints, and telephony systems.
  • Ensure high availability, reliability, performance, and scalability of infrastructure services through robust monitoring, capacity planning, lifecycle management, and vendor support models.
  • Establish and mature IT service management practices (e.g., incident, problem, change, configuration, and release management).
  • Lead major incident response and communications for infrastructure issues, ensuring timely escalation, rootcause analysis, and implementation of corrective actions.
  • Oversee disaster recovery and business continuity planning for infrastructure services, including documentation, testing, and alignment with institutional continuity plans.
Security, Risk, and Compliance
  • Collaborate closely with external cybersecurity partners to implement and maintain security controls across infrastructure services, including network segmentation, access controls, patching, vulnerability management, and logging/monitoring.
  • Ensure infrastructure operations comply with relevant policies, standards, and regulatory requirements (e.g., FERPA, GLBA, data privacy, etc.), and contribute to risk assessments and audits as needed.
  • Promote security-by-design principles in all infrastructure projects and changes, balancing risk reduction with usability and performance.
Team Leadership & Culture
  • Lead, mentor, and develop a diverse team of infrastructure professionals, including managers, engineers, and administrators across network, systems, endpoints, cloud, identity, and telephony domains.
  • Champion use of data, automation, and AI to improve efficiency and team capabilities.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, reliability, and service excellence aligned with the college's values and the needs of faculty, staff, and students.
  • Set clear goals and expectations, provide regular feedback and coaching, and conduct performance evaluations and professional development planning.
  • Manage and develop professional competencies alongside IT skills.
Governance, Budget, and Vendor Management
  • Work with ITS leadership to create and manage the infrastructure operations budget, including forecasting, cost optimization, and alignment with institutional financial priorities.
  • Participate in IT governance processes and committees, providing expert input on infrastructure impacts, risks, and opportunities for proposed initiatives.
  • Oversee vendor and service provider relationships related to infrastructure, including RFPs, contracts, and performance management, to ensure value, reliability, and alignment with institutional standards.
  • Establish and maintain infrastructure standards, policies, and procedures to promote consistency, maintainability, and compliance across campus.
Campus & Stakeholder Engagement
  • Work collaboratively with academic and administrative units to understand their needs and ensure infrastructure services effectively support teaching, learning, student success, and campus operations.
  • Communicate complex technical concepts and decisions in clear, accessible language for nontechnical stakeholders and governance bodies.
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Strong customer service skills can build retention and visibility as NCC strives to distinguish itself from its competitors. An individual in this position must possess the proficiency, wherewithal and knowledge of principles and processes for providing high-quality service to both internal and external constituents of the College.
  1. Strong working knowledge of enterprise network design, engineering principles, and management practices, including core networking concepts and physical layer infrastructure. Demonstrated ability to guide and evaluate the design of resilient, highly available network architectures sufficient to provide strategic direction, oversight, and risk management
  2. Broad understanding of cloud and/or on-premises infrastructure and backup and disaster recovery strategies, sufficient to guide infrastructure investment, trade-off, and modernization decisions with hybrid cloud modernization.
  3. Working familiarity with unified communications systems, encompassing network, telephony, and email platforms, including Microsoft Office 365, sufficient to direct integration, reliability, priorities, and vendor management recommendations.
  4. Systemic understanding of modern cybersecurity practices, including patching management, zero-trust conditional access, intrusion prevention/detection, encryption, disaster recovery, privileged access management, and related identity management concepts. Working knowledge and experience with CSF 2.0 standards and their application to higher education risk management and compliance.
  5. Practical experience overseeing or working with endpoint management systems (e.g., Microsoft Intune, JAMF, ManageEngine Endpoint Central), directly or through technical staff, sufficient to ensure standardized, secure, and scalable management of the College's device fleet.
  6. Working knowledge of IT process automation tools and practices (e.g., scripting, AI, workflow orchestration, robotic process automation), sufficient to identify opportunities for improving operational efficiency and reducing manual workload across the ITS organization.
  7. Ability to influence others and move toward a common vision or goal. Strong leadership and negotiation skills to build consensus with various individuals or groups at all organizational levels on campus.
  8. Ability to motivate, develop, and manage a team of ITS staff and consultants supporting the College's goals. Demonstrated ability to develop skills and career plans for employees that advance both themselves and the department.
  9. Ability to work both as a leader and hands-on team member, depending on the nature and criticality of the task, and provide excellent customer service skills and performance standards for the team.
  10. Ability to consistently demonstrate outstanding interpersonal skills in dealing with persons both internal and external to the College, for example systems integration vendor's engineers, consultants and technical support personnel of various hardware and software vendors. Possess a strong customer and collegial service ethic and holds the team accountable to the same.
  11. Ability to deal with several tasks and work with many individuals concurrently; this position requires a person who is well organized, detail oriented, flexible and able to effectively manage and prioritize tasks within larger projects and programs.
  12. Ability and willingness to pursue additional training and to share such new knowledge to enhance the functionality and resources of the College's technology resources.
  13. Effective communication skills - both oral and written.
  14. Intellectual curiosity and the ability to engage thought partners across functional areas.

Distinguishing Characteristics
This position serves as a positive and proactive technology change agent, identifying and delivering practical, creative solutions that improve teaching, learning, administrative services, and communications across the College. The Director works cross-functionally to understand operational challenges, recommend effective technical solutions, and deliver services in a timely, high-quality manner.

Because the role involves frequent interaction with faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders, success requires strong communication and interpersonal skills, attention to detail, sound judgment, and the ability to work effectively in collaborative environments while maintaining a results-oriented approach.

The position has access to sensitive personal, institutional, and confidential information and therefore requires a high degree of discretion, professionalism, and sound judgment. Success also requires the effective application of technical expertise and interpersonal skills to build and maintain positive, long-term working relationships.
Education/Training
Minimum Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and directly related experience.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Master's degree in Information Technology, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
Experience
Minimum Qualifications
  • Eight (8) or more years of progressive experience in enterprise infrastructure operations (e.g., network, systems, cloud, and/or data center), with at least three (3) years in a supervisory or management role leading technical teams.
  • Demonstrated experience operating and supporting complex, mission-critical infrastructure environments with high availability, security, and performance requirements.
  • Project and portfolio management experience leading multiple complex infrastructure projects
  • Strong hands-on knowledge across at least one infrastructure domain, such as enterprise networking, virtualization, storage/backup, identity, access management, cybersecurity, and/or cloud platforms (e.g., Azure, AWS, GCP).
  • Proven ability to lead and develop technical staff, manage multiple concurrent initiatives, and make sound decisions under pressure.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience in higher education IT
  • Experience implementing and using IT service management frameworks (e.g., ITIL) and tools to manage incidents, changes, problems, and service levels.
  • Experience and/or deep knowledge in two or more infrastructure domains - enterprise networking, virtualization, storage/backup, identity, access management, cybersecurity, and/or cloud platforms e.g., Azure, AWS, GCP
  • Experience with implementing AI with infrastructure automation
Licenses or Certifications
Relevant industry certifications, such as PMP, ITIL, CISSP, CCNA/CCNP/CCIE, Azure, AWS Solutions Architect, or similar infrastructure, security, or cloud credentials.

Is This a Temporary Position? No Employment Conditions
An offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion of the College's background screening process.
Number of Vacancies 1
Posting Detail Information
EEO Statement
North Central College is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to increasing the diversity of our workforce. NCC provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please notify the Office of Human Resources. Determinations for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Close Date Open Until Filled Yes Additional Information
The pay offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors including (but not limited to) the candidate's experience, qualifications, and training.
North Central College provides a comprehensive benefits package, which includes:
  • All-inclusive medical, dental and v...

Apply