IT Manager

Job Description

Job DescriptionAbout NakisaNakisa is a global leader in AI-powered enterprise software for Human Resources, Financial Management, and Commercial Real Estate (CRE). Our cloud platform powers mission-critical operations for 1,100+ organizations in 135 countries and serves millions of users.We are building the next wave of enterprise applications with Nakisa AI. Our products use retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) with secure API integrations to large language models. Customer data stays private and auditable, and we never use client data to train third-party models. This privacy-first design gives enterprises trustworthy AI they can run in production.What sets us apart is a single platform that connects these functions on shared data models, a focus on high-stakes, compliance-heavy workflows, and a culture anchored in Fairness, Integrity, Service, and Humility. Recognized among Canada's top employers, we offer hybrid work, supportive leaders, and clear growth paths. Join us to ship reliable, privacy-first AI at global scale.

About the Role

We are seeking a highly skilled and hands-on IT Manager to lead our internal IT operations while remaining deeply involved in the day-to-day administration and evolution of our technology environment.

Reporting to the Senior Director of IT, this role is ideal for a technically strong leader who enjoys balancing people management with hands-on infrastructure work. You will lead a team of IT specialists while serving as a senior escalation point and technical expert across our hybrid environment, including cloud platforms, Microsoft technologies, networking, security, and automation.

You will play a key role in modernizing and scaling our IT function, with a strong focus on operational excellence, automation-first processes, and the adoption of AI-driven tools and workflows. In addition to ensuring the reliability, security, and performance of our infrastructure, you will help shape the future of IT at Nakisa through continuous improvement, process optimization, and technology innovation.

This is a highly visible role that offers the opportunity to influence strategy, improve the employee experience, and drive meaningful change across the business.

What you'll be doing

• Lead and manage a team of IT technicians, admins, and analysts with focus on automation-first and AI-driven operations.
• Act as an escalation point for complex technical issues and provide Tier 3 support when required for escalated user, system, and network issues in a timely manner with minimal business disruption.
• Ensure clear and timely communication across teams and provide regular status updates to management.
• Manage and maintain hybrid IT infrastructure, including on-premises and cloud environments (Azure/AWS), servers, storage, networking, and virtualization platforms.
• Oversee and administer core systems such as Active Directory, Microsoft 365, Exchange, certificate services, file systems, endpoint protection, and backup/disaster recovery solutions with emphasis on automation and self-service access.
• Own operational uptime, availability, and reliability of internal IT systems, including incident response, vulnerability management, root cause analysis, and service restoration, leveraging AI-driven monitoring and predictive alerting.
• Maintain and enhance infrastructure, network, and security architecture standards, best practices, policies, procedures and documentation.
• Ensure regular testing and validation of backup and disaster recovery procedures to meet recovery objectives.
• Act as the technical lead in designing, configuring, maintaining, upgrading and automating systems and security solutions, including technology and AI modernization initiatives such as Implementation of AI agents, workflow automations and self-service platforms.
• Own the IT function's contribution to Nakisa's AI transformation, including internal AI enablement, governance, and operational automation.
• Ensure continuous compliance with internal security standards and external frameworks such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001.
• Align IT initiatives with business objectives and growth plans and lead IT projects end-to-end, from planning through execution and delivery.
• Manage IT asset lifecycle, including inventory, capacity planning, and end-of-life replacement strategies.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate business requirements into technical solutions and initiatives.
• Identify and implement automation opportunities to enhance efficiency and reduce manual effort and Drive adoption of AI productivity tools (e.g. CoPilot, AI service Desk, etc.)
• Stay current with emerging technologies and provide recommendations to improve scalability, efficiency, and security.
• Manage vendor relationships, including service providers and technology partners.

What you bring

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Minimum 6 years of hands-on experience in IT, including infrastructure, operations, or technical support.
• At least 2 years of experience leading technical teams.
• Strong experience managing IT environments in mid-to-large organizations.
• Hands-on experience with hybrid infrastructure, including on-premises and cloud platforms (AWS and Azure).
• Strong expertise in networking technologies (LAN/WAN, routing, VLANs, DNS, security controls).
• Deep expertise of Microsoft ecosystem, including Active Directory, Entra ID, Microsoft 365, Exchange, Intune, and SharePoint.
• Experience with server environments (Windows and Linux), storage systems, and virtualization technologies. (e.g., VMware)
• Proven experience implementing automation and AI-driven IT operations.
• Hands-on experience with backup, disaster recovery, and endpoint security solutions.
• Solid understanding of cybersecurity principles, risk management, and compliance frameworks such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001.
• Strong understanding of identity and access management concepts, including RBAC and access governance.
• Hands-on experience with customer support and service management platforms (e.g., Atlassian Jira, including workflows, permissions, and integrations).
• Experience with customer relationship management (CRM) platforms (e.g., Microsoft Dynamics 365).
• Experience defining and executing IT automation strategy.
• Strong leadership, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong organizational, prioritization, and multitasking abilities.
• Strong customer-service mindset with a collaborative approach.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Fluency in English is required to perform essential IT functions, including supporting global systems and interacting with international vendors.

*The technology infrastructure supports operations and teams distributed internationally.

Nice-to-haves

• VMware certification.
• Microsoft 365 Administrator Certified
• Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate.
• Linux server administration certifications

What's in it for you?

• Opportunity to lead and modernize IT operations in a growing global software company
• High-impact role with visibility across the organization and direct partnership with senior leadership
• Ability to remain hands-on while also leading and developing a team
• Exposure to a broad range of technologies including cloud, Microsoft 365, infrastructure, networking, cybersecurity, and AI
• Opportunity to help shape and lead Nakisa's AI and automation strategy within IT
• Meaningful ownership of projects, systems, and long-term technology roadmap initiatives
• Collaborative environment where your ideas and recommendations will directly influence the future of the IT organization
• Ongoing learning and development, including support for certifications and professional growth
• Hybrid work environment with the opportunity to work closely with technical and business teams across the organization

Why Nakisa?