IT Operations Manager

Illinois Tool Works · Glenview · $140,000–$170,000 (stated in the posting)

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Job Description:

ITW Construction North American provides solutions that build the spaces where we all live and work. Across the residential, commercial and renovation markets, we lead the construction industry in manufacturing a variety of products for wood, engineered lumber, concrete and steel. At ITW, we offer you a path for advancement, a competitive salary, and a comprehensive benefits package designed to help employees care for themselves, their families, and their futures.

Purpose of the Role

As the IT Operations Manager, North America, you are responsible for security, systems, and technology delivery while providing IT thought leadership and direction for our platform, which includes 600+ employees operating across multiple facilities within the US. You will lead day‑to‑day IT operations for our North American businesses, work closely with Corporate IT to align with enterprise strategy and compliance requirements, and partner with business leaders to ensure technology effectively supports strategic goals, drives results, and improves business processes. In addition, you will oversee the operational and security aspects of IT Applications and infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

• Architecture Strategy & Alignment
  • Develop and implement a cohesive regional IT infrastructure strategy aligned with the Enterprise and Segment’s objectives, ensuring it accommodates the unique requirements of each division and plant.  
  • Standardize the IT architecture across divisions, integrating systems while ensuring minimal disruption to plant operations.  
  • Critical partner in overall ERP & Financial Data Management and will play a critical role in the implementation of all future business systems and tools
• Infrastructure Management  
  • Manage the regional IT infrastructure, ensuring high availability, reliability, and performance across all manufacturing plants.  
  • Oversee the implementation of networks, data centers, cloud solutions, and other infrastructure components across the region.  
  • Ensure proper maintenance, upgrading, and lifecycle management of IT hardware and software at each site.
  • Lead initiatives to migrate and integrate legacy systems where feasible, balancing cost and operational efficiency.  
  • Lead IT infrastructure assessments and due diligence for consolidation and simplification.
  • Develop roadmaps for unifying disparate IT environments, ensuring seamless connectivity and data flow between systems.  
  • Maintain operational continuity while driving the transition from legacy systems to modern, consolidated architecture.  
• Identity and Access Management  
  • Oversee regional identity management systems, ensuring secure and efficient access control.
  • Provide guidelines and supervise MSPs managing and maintaining account provisioning and trust relationships between legacy and modern systems.
  • Lead effort to standardize IAM practices integrating disparate identify systems
  • Implement robust authentication methods including single sign-on (SSO) multifactor authentication (MFA) and role-based access control (RBAC)
  • Ensure compliance with data protection regulations (i.e. GDRP, CCPA) and internal policies related to identity and access management
  • Perform regular audits and reviews of access permissions to identify and mitigate security risks
• Collaboration with Stakeholders
  • Build cross-department credibility, confidence, and collaboration with other functional areas within the Divisions via IT business partnership
  • Work closely with manufacturing plant leadership, division heads, and other stakeholders to understand operational requirements and ensure IT solutions meet business needs.  
  • Keeps the organization’s vision and values at the forefront of decision-making and action
• Cybersecurity & Compliance  
  • Ensure all regional IT systems and infrastructure comply with ITW IT security policy.  
  • Work with Corporate cyber security team to implement best practices for protecting critical manufacturing systems from cyber threats.  
  • Conduct regular audits, vulnerability assessments, and penetration testing across regional IT environments.  
• Team Leadership & Vendor Management  
  • Builds and develops high-performing teams through coaching, performance management, succession planning, and targeted talent development initiatives.
  • Provide guidance, mentorship, and professional development.  
  • Manage relationships with external vendors, contractors, and service providers to ensure the timely and cost-effective delivery of IT services.  
  • Oversee contracts and service-level agreements (SLAs) for infrastructure-related services in the region.  
• Performance Monitoring & Reporting 
  • Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to track the performance and health of regional IT systems.  
  • Prepare regular reports for senior leadership, highlighting system performance, project progress, and any issues or risks.  
  • Implement tools and processes for proactive monitoring, issue detection, and problem resolution across IT environments.  
• Innovation & Continuous Improvement 
  • Stay updated with the latest industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in IT infrastructure, cloud computing, and manufacturing technology.  
  • Proactively identify opportunities to enhance system efficiency, reduce costs, and support manufacturing innovation (e.g., IoT, AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics in production environments).  
  • Lead pilot projects and proof-of-concept initiatives that explore the potential benefits of new technologies.  

Required Qualifications

• • Bachelor’s degree in information systems, computer science or related field of study
  • 10+ years of IT experience with background in managing IT infrastructures in a multi-site context
  • 3 years as a manager with direct reports
  • 2 years with direct relationship management of major IT third-party vendors
  • Experience in partnership supporting ERP systems
  • Ability to utilize data to help determine focus and strategy
  • Strong communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to present operational status to senior leadership
  • Must be able to multi-task, work under pressure and meet deadlines
  • Demonstrated accountability for results and understanding of the financial impact of decisions with experience managing operational budgets and cost control
  • Ability to travel domestically up to 10%

Technical Skills:

• • Network architecture, hardware
  • Data center management
  • Identity management
  • Cloud computing

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in a manufacturing environment

Compensation Information:

Annual base salary range for this position is $140,000 - $170,000 with bonus. Please note that this salary information serves as a general guideline. Company considers various factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education and training, key skills, as well as market and business considerations. In addition, our benefits include paid vacation, sick, holiday, and parental leave. For more details, visit our Benefits page.

ITW is an equal opportunity employer. We value our colleagues’ unique perspectives, experiences and ideas and create workplaces where everyone can develop their careers and perform to their full potential. 

As an equal employment opportunity employer, ITW is committed to equal employment opportunity and fair treatment for employees, beginning with the hiring process and continuing through all aspects of the employment relationship. 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.

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