Baker Distributing Company · 1 day ago
Director of IT Operations
Jacksonville, FL
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
7+ years expBaker Distributing Company LLC is seeking a Director of IT Operations to oversee their technological infrastructure and security operations. The role requires a proactive leader to drive operational excellence and manage a team responsible for supporting over 220 retail locations across the United States.
RetailFood and Beverage"Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)"Organic Food
Responsibilities
Own and drive operational execution across all IT operations functions - infrastructure, security, network, systems, and service desk
Make daily operational decisions and prioritize work across teams without escalating routine matters
Establish and track meaningful KPIs for operational health including infrastructure reliability, incident response times, change success rates, project delivery velocity, and backlog reduction targets
Make tough prioritization decisions including saying no to low-value initiatives, cutting scope when necessary, and killing projects that don't align with strategic objectives
Unblock teams by identifying and eliminating process bottlenecks, bureaucratic roadblocks, and dependencies that slow progress
Demonstrate bias for action - assess, decide, and execute quickly rather than over-analyzing or waiting for perfect information
Create and report metrics around service desk performance and customer service levels
Hold team members accountable for delivering results, meeting commitments, and maintaining high performance standards
Set clear expectations and success criteria for individuals and teams, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives
Act quickly and decisively when performance issues arise - provide coaching, implement performance improvement plans, or make personnel changes as needed
Create a high-performance culture where accountability is the norm and underperformance is addressed swiftly and directly
Conduct regular performance assessments and provide candid, constructive feedback to drive continuous improvement
Own and manage day-to-day security operations including CrowdStrike (endpoint protection) and Proofpoint (email security) platform administration, tuning, and optimization
Lead security incident response - triage, investigate, contain, and remediate security alerts and threats from CrowdStrike, Proofpoint, and other security tools
Manage patch management and vulnerability remediation programs, ensuring timely patching of critical vulnerabilities across infrastructure and endpoints
Oversee security awareness initiatives and respond to phishing campaigns, using Proofpoint reporting to drive user education and reduce security risk
Manage relationships with security vendors, MSSPs, and other security service providers to ensure optimal service delivery
Monitor security tool effectiveness and recommend improvements, upgrades, or additional capabilities as needed
Ensure security monitoring and alerting systems are properly configured and actively managed
Track and report security metrics including incident trends, vulnerability remediation rates, phishing simulation results, and tool effectiveness
Assess current team structure, spans of control, and organizational effectiveness to maximize operational impact
Effectively manage large span of control (9+ direct reports) through strong delegation, empowerment, and structured operational cadence
Implement operational rhythms (standups, weekly priorities, sprint planning) that keep teams aligned and moving without creating bottlenecks
Push decision-making down to appropriate levels, empowering team members while maintaining accountability
Develop team members' capabilities to increase organizational capacity and effectiveness
When strategic needs are identified, build data-driven business cases for investments (resources, tools, process improvements) that deliver measurable ROI
Create a scalable operating model that isn't dependent on the Director being in every decision or conversation
Assess, prioritize, and systematically reduce technical debt across infrastructure, security, and operational systems
Guide the modernization and growth of technological infrastructure, balancing performance, reliability, security, cost, and flexibility
Identify and implement quick wins that deliver immediate value while working toward longer-term transformation goals
Remain current with emerging technologies, assessing the potential and significance of innovations, integrating that work into operational and architectural planning
Champion the adoption of AI and intelligent automation to augment team capacity, reduce manual work, and improve operational efficiency
Identify and implement automation opportunities across infrastructure management, security operations, service desk functions, and routine operational tasks
Leverage AI-powered tools for monitoring, alerting, incident management, and proactive problem resolution
Build a culture of "automate first" to systematically eliminate repetitive manual processes
Cultivate a culture of innovation, focusing on enhancing user experience and anticipating evolving technology needs for business operations
Develop a consistent practice of professional development for all staff, ensuring that each member of the team continues to grow professionally in all aspects of their development
Ability to attract and retain skilled, competent, motivated, creative people
History of successfully coaching, mentoring and developing talented personnel
Lead by example, demonstrating execution excellence and bias for action
Excellent communicator with highly developed oral and written skills; able to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences using data and metrics to tell the story
Strong interpersonal skills including active listening, conflict resolution, and ability to build consensus across diverse stakeholders in an environment characterized by ambiguity and change
Self-motivated and coachable - willingness to take direction, seek feedback, and work effectively both independently and as a collaborative team member
Execute on strategic initiatives defined by VP and leadership team
Bring operational insights, recommendations, and options to inform strategic decisions
Translate strategic vision into executable operational plans
Flag risks and issues proactively with potential solutions
Ensure Baker's technological infrastructure and customer support services are routinely of exemplary quality through continual improvement and objective assessment
Promote the integration of best practices and technology standards across the department
Develop and implement IT policies and procedures, documenting, systematizing, and communicating about IT services
Lead business continuity and disaster recovery planning and implementation
Manage operational budget and provide financial projections and analysis as needed
Provide regular, comprehensive status updates to the VP of IT using clear metrics and KPIs
Qualification
Required
Proven track record of driving execution velocity and delivering results in fast‑paced, resource‑constrained environments; strong bias for action
Demonstrated ability to hold teams accountable, act decisively on performance issues, and coach/ develop talent – including making tough personnel decisions when needed
Experience building high‑performance cultures with clear expectations and swift resolution of under‑performance
Strong prioritization skills – able to say “NO,” make tough trade‑offs, and focus resources on the highest‑impact initiatives
Data‑driven decision‑maker who defines, tracks, and reports meaningful operational metrics and KPIs
Strategic operator who maximizes team effectiveness and crafts compelling business cases for strategic investments
Broad management experience with enterprise‑wide technologies: servers, storage, networks, telecommunications, virtualized & cloud infrastructure, software‑defined infrastructure, and CI/CD pipelines
Hands‑on expertise with security platforms (e.g., CrowdStrike/E‑DR, Proofpoint/email security) and end‑to‑end security processes: vulnerability management, patch management, incident response
7+ years delivering IT support services and managing infrastructure/cloud solutions (VMware virtualization, SAN storage, network management, Zoom telephony, etc.)
Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Server, Microsoft SQL (2008/2014/2016), Exchange, Office 365, Active Directory, PowerShell, and Group Policy
Experience with major cloud providers (AWS, Azure, other PaaS/IaaS) and legacy platforms (AS/400)
Demonstrated ability to assess and systematically reduce technical debt while preserving operational stability
Proven experience implementing AI, automation, and intelligent‑operations tools (AIOps, automation frameworks, intelligent monitoring/alerting) to augment team capacity
Experience integrating locally‑developed and vendor‑supplied services into a unified, coherent infrastructure
Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience (required)
Minimum 7 years managing complex technical environments with a record of delivering results under pressure
Significant experience in technology procurement, contract negotiation/management, and IT project management
Proven performance‑management record: coaching, development, and handling under‑performance
Extensive experience providing technical support to large, complex organizations
Demonstrated ability to juggle multiple priorities (operational duties + projects) in a rapidly changing technical landscape
Preferred
Certifications (preferred): MCSE, CCNA, ITIL, CISSP
Automation platforms: Ansible, Terraform, PowerShell scripting for automation
AI/ML for IT operations: experience with AIOps platforms
Company
Baker Distributing Company
Since 1945, Baker Distributing Company has provided exceptional customer service and high quality HVAC/R and foodservice equipment, parts and supplies to customers all over the United States.
1001-5000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Matt Roth
President/COO
Kimberly Vazquez
Talent Acquisition Partner
Company data provided by crunchbase