Senior Manager - IT Operations

Every fan who streams a game, every parent who buys a ticket, and every athletic director who logs in on a Friday afternoon depends on a company that runs well behind the scenes. Our own people need the same thing: a laptop that works, access that is secure and ready on day one, and a team that picks up when something breaks and is quick to find a solution. As PlayOn grows, we are unifying how IT runs across the company, and we need a leader to own it.

Reporting to PlayOn’s CISO, the Senior Manager, IT Operations owns corporate IT across PlayOn: systems administration, user support, corporate software, and identity and access management. This is a hands-on leadership role. You will solve everyday support problems, administer our core platforms, and build the team that does it at scale. You will work closely with Security on IT controls and access governance.

The Outcomes You’ll Deliver

One high performing IT function, not many. Standardize and unify IT operations, tooling, and support practices across the company, so there is less variation from one environment to the next, resulting in team members feeling enabled and empowered to do their best work in a secure environment. 

Access that is secure and simple. Central directory management, automated provisioning and deprovisioning, enterprise password management, and regular access reviews, empowering team members to focus their time on their actual roles, not tech processes. 

Mindful investments in software and spend.  Advocate for game changing systems and tools while still being mindful of sustainable growth by owning corporate software, SaaS licensing, the IT budget, and vendor relationships for corporate IT

In this role, you can expect to

• Own ongoing Google Workspace administration and adoption - drive continued adoption, integration with existing tools and platforms, and refine configuration and security controls with the security team 
• Run IT operations - including automation, ticketing, escalation paths, onboarding and offboarding, and endpoint management.  Document IT operations with clear SLAs for user onboarding, access provisioning, and support ticketing; reduce ad-hoc work and tribal knowledge. 
• Manage identity and access - directory services, enterprise password management, MFA enrollment and enforcement, provisioning and deprovisioning, and access reviews.
• Grant, govern, and review user access to our cloud environments in partnership with the security team. This role does not own cloud infrastructure.
• Own corporate software provisioning, license management, renewals, and usage optimization.
• Define and maintain SLAs for access provisioning, ticket response, password resets, and offboarding.
• Manage the IT budget and vendor relationships.
• Partner with Security on IT controls, including implementation, monitoring, and regular reviews. 
• Keep runbooks, standard operating procedures, business continuity procedures, and the asset inventory current.
•  Coach and develop your team, including training and career growth.

To thrive in this role, you have 

• 5+ years leading IT operations or systems administration, with hands-on technical work and team management
• Hands-on experience administering Google Workspace, including migration from Microsoft 365 and ongoing adoption.
• Experience with identity platforms such as Entra ID, Google Workspace, and 1Password or similar, including configuration and user lifecycle management.
• Experience managing corporate IT, endpoints, and SaaS tools for a distributed workforce, including software provisioning and license management.
• Working familiarity with AWS or GCP for access management and governance.
• Scripting ability in Python, Bash, or similar for IT automation.
• Experience leading IT teams through major transitions or migrations.
• Clear writing. Your documentation and runbooks are easy for others to follow.
• A scale mindset. You build systems that work at 1,000 users, not just the 500 we have today.
• A hands on, security minded approach. You lead by doing, and you build security guardrails into how IT runs.
• Most importantly, we look for people who love solving problems for the people around them and care about the mission of high school sports.

Nice to haves

• Endpoint management experience (Intune, Mosyle, or similar).
• SaaS management or license optimization tools (Zluri, Torii, or similar).
• Disaster recovery and business continuity planning and testing.
• Security operations experience or Security+ certification.
• Google Workspace or identity platform certifications. 

How You Play

Ownership over Participation. You take responsibility for achieving holistic outcomes, prioritize key objectives, and adapt quickly when situations require a different approach. You follow through even against the toughest challenges.

Team over Stars. You are a bridge builder, establishing processes and relationships with teams outside your own. You work to rally around common goals, find win win solutions, compromise when necessary, and help others succeed.

Growth over Comfort. You are driven by a desire to grow and actively seek opportunities to expand your comfort zone, skills, and confidence. You embrace new challenges with curiosity, accepting discomfort and failure as opportunities to learn.

Fairness over Popularity. You approach decisions with a scientist’s mindset, challenging your assumptions and remaining objective. You consider long term impact rather than relying on short term gains, proactively seek others’ perspectives, and manage emotions in decision making.