IT Network and Operations Manager (Hands On)

Network & Operations Manager (Hands On)

FULL TIME

IRVINGTON, NJ (ONSITE)

The IT Operations Manager is responsible for strengthening the reliability, responsiveness, and scalability of the IT environment. This role serves as a hands-on operational leader and force multiplier for the VP of IT, ensuring day-to-day IT execution is strong while the organization remains resilient, modern, and well-positioned for growth.

The primary purpose of this position is to provide hands-on technical leadership and engineering for the overall quality of the Network environment. This includes architecture design, migration & integration work, capacity and performance planning, documentation of deployed frameworks and ongoing evaluations of core technologies for these areas.

Responsibilities:

Project Execution, Plant Changes & Integration

• Lead or support IT initiatives related to capacity expansion, new construction, facility upgrades, and equipment expansion across manufacturing and warehouse environments.
• Act as the IT liaison for plant changes, working closely with Operations, Engineering, Facilities, and external vendors to ensure technology requirements are identified early and executed with minimal disruption.
• Support new equipment installs, production line changes, and factory layout modifications by coordinating IT and OT readiness, including networking, connectivity, access, and remote support needs.
• Ensure IT and OT infrastructure considerations (network drops, switches, firewalls, wireless coverage, power, labeling, device access, and security requirements) are planned and delivered on schedule.
• Coordinate with OEMs, integrators, and service providers to ensure equipment is properly connected, tested, and supported before go-live.
• Help reduce risk during plant changes by ensuring documentation, escalation paths, and support coverage are in place prior to production use.
• Support post-implementation stabilization by monitoring issues, coordinating fixes, and ensuring a smooth transition to steady-state operations.

Network Integration & Optimization

• Support network and technology integration with while minimizing disruption to users.
• Maximize the value of tools and platforms while maintaining agility.
• Navigate new governance requirements without introducing unnecessary friction.

Technology Modernization & Innovation

• Stay current on emerging technologies to keep the environment modern and competitive.
• Support responsible adoption of tools such as AI and Microsoft Copilot to drive productivity.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years of progressive IT experience, preferably in manufacturing or industrial environments.
• ERP exposure helpful but not required
• Microsoft Azure experience
• Excellent analytical and problem solving skills
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple initiatives concurrently while working under minimal direction as well as in a team environment
• Bachelor's degree

Technical Qualifications Include:

• Experience and high level expertise in designing sustainable complex, highly available, infrastructure solutions in a large-scale, multisite, international environment
• Ability to successfully plan, document and perform complex maintenance windows on production network and adhere to change management policies and procedures
• In-depth knowledge of network management, network availability and capacity planning
• Demonstrated experience in global WAN technologies and protocols (DMVPN, MPLS, DWDM, WAN Optimization)
• Expert level internetworking troubleshooting in a large-scale network environment
• Expertise in interfacing with carriers to manage circuit delivery, troubleshooting and migration
• Detailed knowledge in IP Routing and Services specifically, BGP and EIGRP
• Detailed knowledge in Layer-2 switching technologies including Cisco VPC, VSS, and stacking
• Experience with Cisco Routing and Switching platforms
• Knowledgeable of Cisco IP technologies like QoS, ACLs, Multicast, Security

Preferred Skills:

Hands-on IT operations and infrastructure experience in small to mid sized environments.

• Experience supporting manufacturing or industrial operations.
• Ability to operate in both agile SMB environments and structured enterprise settings.
• Strong vendor and managed service provider management skills.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving abilities.