Director of IT Operations (Support, Infrastructure & Applications)

IT Director, Direct-Hire
Location:
New York City, NY (Maiden Lane / Wall Street)
Work Model:
Onsite 5 days a week for the first 60 days; transitioning to a hybrid model of 4 days onsite per week thereafter.
Additional Locations Supported:
Manhattan, NY; Irvine, CA; Miami, FL; PA
About the Role
We are seeking a hands-on, business-minded
IT Director for our client
to regain control of their IT operations, reduce the overdependence on outsourced vendors, and build a proactive, scalable technology function. In this role, you will be the strategic and operational leader of our technology environment. You will be tasked with stabilizing current IT operations, leading a secure cloud transformation, and driving the automation of manual legal and business workflows. The ideal candidate is a "straight-talker" who can bridge the gap between complex infrastructure concepts and practical business solutions, collaborating effectively with attorneys, support staff, and firm leadership.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Transformation
Develop and own a scalable technology roadmap that aligns with the firm’s growth and long-term vision.
Transition the IT department from a reactive support model to a proactive, service-oriented function.
Create and maintain comprehensive IT documentation, including application inventories, hardware/software update roadmaps, ticket tracking trends, and security action plans.
Provide clear, jargon-free reporting to firm leadership regarding IT priorities, project statuses, and systemic issues.
Vendor & Operations Management
Take ownership of outsourced IT and cybersecurity vendor relationships, holding them accountable to SLAs and contract terms.
Bring critical operational knowledge back in-house to reduce over-reliance on external managed service providers.
Oversee daily IT operations, managing internal staff (including a long-tenured IT Manager and support personnel) while fostering a collaborative, accountable team culture.
Process Automation & Systems Integration
Evaluate current disparate systems across multiple offices and implement a centralized, standardized structure.
Drive workflow automation to solve highly manual legal and administrative processes, including new matter intake, conflict checks, client/matter setup, and complex billing workflows.
Connect multiple existing applications to eliminate duplicate data entry and manual scanning/editing.
Infrastructure, Cloud & Cybersecurity
Lead the firm’s transition to a secure, cloud-based infrastructure, leaning heavily into the Microsoft and Azure ecosystems.
Oversee infrastructure operations, ensuring high application visibility, reliability, and system performance.
Manage modern device management initiatives, including Intune and MDM/MAM deployments.
Ensure rigorous cybersecurity oversight, implementing necessary security actions following cyber assessments and penetration tests.
Required Skills & Experience
Balanced Technical Expertise:
A blended background consisting of roughly 50% application engineering/management and 50% infrastructure oversight.
Cloud & Infrastructure:
Proven hands-on experience driving cloud transformation, specifically within Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, Intune, and MDM/MAM environments.
Workflow Automation:
Strong background in systems integration and business process automation, ideally within a legal or professional services environment.
Project Management:
Demonstrated ability to run technical project delivery. (PMP certification is a plus, but practical delivery experience is required).
Vendor Negotiation:
Strong track record of managing enterprise vendors, auditing contracts, and ensuring firm-first accountability.
Helpdesk Management:
Experience modernizing helpdesk/ticketing systems, implementing preventative maintenance, and tracking issue trends.