Fractional Operations Manager Jobs in Tennessee (NOW HIRING)

Zipliens is a leading lien resolution company that specializes in streamlining the lien process for personal injury law firms. We are looking for proactive, results-driven individuals to join our dynamic team.

We're hiring an IT Operations Manager to own Zipliens' internal IT and security operations — a high-trust role at the center of how we protect our systems, our data, and the client relationships built on that trust. This role sits squarely between IT and information security: our Fractional CISO sets security strategy and direction, and this is the person who executes it day to day, translating policy into real, working processes across the company. Reporting to our CTO, you'll be the first person at Zipliens to fully own this function.

This isn't a caretaker role, and it isn't a traditional help-desk-and-hardware IT manager role either — you'll operate as a hands-on owner across both IT operations and security execution: managing our SaaS and device inventories, employee access, and vendor relationships; driving how we adopt new tools like AI; and serving as Zipliens' lead for incident response and disaster recovery.

Technology, Access & Data Governance

• Keep track of the SaaS tools and devices Zipliens uses, and own access management for our most sensitive business systems — including reviewing and approving new software or AI tool requests before they're adopted.
• Own and execute the process for granting, adjusting, and removing employee access as people are hired, change roles, or leave — and run the recurring check that confirms this is being done correctly.
• Apply Zipliens' data-handling rules day to day — flagging what counts as sensitive information, and maintaining a data retention schedule: keeping records as long as required by contract, tax, or employment law, deleting them on time, and preserving anything Legal Counsel puts under an active legal hold.
• Serve as the first point of contact for security concerns — from employees or the MSP/MDR provider — routing and tracking routine issues, and leading the response (engagement within 15 minutes for the most severe) when something escalates into a real incident.

Policy & Compliance Support

• Serve as Zipliens' subject matter expert on our technology policies — answering employee questions, providing guidance, driving adoption of policy updates, and helping ensure they're followed consistently day to day.
• Execute against the security and compliance strategy — bringing enough working knowledge to contribute informed input along the way.
• Stay aware of security-related terms in client contracts, and support HR with training completion and the annual policy sign-off process.

Vendor & Managed IT Provider Oversight

• Own the relationship with our IT provider and its security monitoring service as Zipliens' main point of contact — regular check-ins, staying on top of tickets and renewals, approving invoices, and ensuring their internal processes and controls continue to meet our security standards.
• Maintain Zipliens' vendor inventory — tier, security documentation, contract status, and a named business owner for every vendor — even where day-to-day ownership of a specific relationship sits elsewhere.
• Provide hands-on IT support for Zipliens' day-to-day technology needs and projects, working alongside our IT provider rather than solely in an oversight capacity.

AI Tool Governance & Enablement

• Own the rollout and adoption of Zipliens' approved AI tools, including license assignment, practical guidance, and driving adoption through deliberate change management, not just publishing guidelines and hoping they stick.
• Leverage AI tools to streamline Zipliens' own internal IT and security processes and workflows, not just govern how others use them.

• 5+ years in IT operations, IT management, or systems administration — with meaningful time actually owning decisions (a vendor call, an incident response, a technical initiative), not just executing someone else's, and genuine hands-on technical experience rather than vendor-oversight experience alone.
• Direct experience responding to a real security incident, not just training on one.
• Enough grounding in security and compliance to personally execute it — not just coordinate with a separate security team — with familiarity with frameworks like SOC 2 or NIST CSF, and ideally experience in a regulated or client-data-sensitive industry, counting as strong evidence of this.
• Demonstrated ability to drive adoption of new processes or tools across a company, not just design them on paper — this role owns execution of the security and compliance strategy the Fractional CISO sets, including forming a clear point of view on what "good" looks like.
• Working knowledge of identity and access management fundamentals — things like single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, and giving people only the access they actually need.
• Experience managing or coordinating with outsourced/third-party vendors.
• Genuine, hands-on comfort with AI tools — real experience using, experimenting with, and ideally rolling out or administering one at an organizational level — with the initiative to apply that toward improving Zipliens' own internal processes.
• Strong documentation habits and clear communication skills, including under pressure during an active incident.
• Ability to work on-site at least three days per week (60%) in our Franklin, TN office

• Private Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Company HSA contributions for HDHP participants
• Flexible Spending Accounts (Health & Dependent Care)
• Company-Paid Short-Term Disability Coverage
• Voluntary Long-Term Disability, Life, AD&D, and Supplemental Coverage Options
• 401(k) Plan with Company Match
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick Time & Select Holidays)
• Paid Parental Leave

Pay Disclosure: The total base salary range for this role is $112,000 - $151,000 annually, with opportunity for a discretionary bonus. Final compensation will be determined based on skills and experience.

Work Authorization: Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer-sponsored visa support now or in the future.