Full-Time

Director of Technology

Onsite in Charlotte, NC

Next Step Systems

Next Step Systems

11-50 employees

Executive IT recruitment for permanent roles

Compensation Overview

$170k - $220k/yr

Charlotte, NC, USA

In Person

Onsite in Charlotte, North Carolina; 100% onsite.

Category
DevOps & Infrastructure (2)
,
Required Skills
Service Mesh
Kubernetes
Microsoft Azure
Computer Networking
Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
Vulnerability Analysis
Role-based Access Control
Cryptography
Terraform
Observability

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Requirements
  • 10+ years of progressive experience in IT infrastructure and operations, with at least 3–5 years in a leadership role managing teams delivering hybrid cloud environments
  • 50% hands-on and 50% management
  • Hands-on capabilities with infrastructure/data center management, cloud transformation and DevOps
  • Deep expertise with Microsoft Azure including computing (VMs, App Services, Functions), Networking (VNets, NSGs, load balancers), identity (Azure AD/Entra, RBAC), security, monitoring, and cost management
  • Proven track record architecting and operating highly available, mission-critical systems supporting 24x7 customer-facing platforms at enterprise scale
  • Strong background in security and compliance, with experience implementing controls
  • Demonstrated leadership of DevOps/SRE teams with hands-on experience building CI/CD pipelines, managing Kubernetes clusters, implementing Infrastructure as Code (IaC) (Terraform, ARM/Bicep), and operating observability platforms
  • Solid understanding and ownership of change management processes (Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) or similar) including change advisory boards, risk assessment, and audit-ready documentation
  • Hands-on experience designing and executing Disaster Recovery strategies in cloud and data center environments, including DR testing and runbook development
  • Experience overseeing desktop/end-user support and telecom services in a growing, distributed organization
  • Proven ability to recruit, develop, and retain high-performing technical teams with a coaching-oriented leadership style
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills and ability to translate technical complexity into business impact for executive and non-technical audiences
  • Thrives in fast-paced, dynamic environments with rapidly changing priorities and ambiguity
  • Strong ownership mentality: you take accountability for outcomes, drive issues to resolution, and lead by example
Responsibilities
  • Build, mentor, and retain a team of 8 engineers across Infrastructure/Network, DevOps/SRE, and Desktop/End-User Support, providing technical coaching, career development, and performance management
  • Own platform strategy, roadmap, and execution to meet business goals and customer SLAs
  • Define and track operational KPIs (availability, MTTR, change success rate, incident volume, cloud cost efficiency) and present regular updates to the CTO and executive team
  • Take full ownership of platform strategy, roadmap, and execution aligned with business objectives, product needs, and customer SLAs
  • Establish operational cadence: incident reviews, change advisory board, service desk metrics, team retrospectives, and continuous improvement of culture
  • Own the design, implementation, and 24x7 operation of the company’s hybrid infrastructure (Azure and on-premises) supporting both production and internal corporate systems
  • Ensure high availability, scalability, performance, security, and cost efficiency across all environments
  • Hands-on architecture and implementation of cloud infrastructure, networking, identity management (Azure AD/Entra, RBAC), storage, backup, monitoring, and observability
  • Drive cloud optimization initiatives: rightsizing, reserved capacity, architectural improvements, and cost governance across Azure workloads
  • Define and enforce platform standards for networking, security, identity, logging, alerting, and operational discipline
  • Lead DevOps and SRE transformation: implement CI/CD pipelines, Infrastructure as Code (IaC) (Terraform, ARM/Bicep), containerization (Kubernetes), and modern deployment practices
  • Hands-on implementation of Kubernetes clusters, container orchestration, service mesh, and cloud-native architecture patterns
  • Establish Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) principles: error budgets, SLOs/SLIs, blameless postmortems, observability (metrics/logs/traces), and reliability engineering culture
  • Build and optimize CI/CD tooling and workflows to improve release velocity, reduce deployment risk, and increase developer productivity
  • Implement robust change management processes (risk assessment, testing, communication, rollback procedures) that balance speed, safety, and audit readiness
  • Implement security and compliance controls, including access management, logging and monitoring, vulnerability management, incident response, and audit evidence collection
  • Establish security best practices across infrastructure: network segmentation, firewall rules, encryption (data at rest/in transit), secrets management, privileged access management
  • Lead incident response for infrastructure and platform issues, including root cause analysis, remediation, and process improvements
  • Own Disaster Recovery strategy and execution: define RPO/RTO targets, architect multi-region and hybrid DR solutions, develop runbooks, and conduct regular DR testing
  • Ensure backup and restore capabilities across all critical systems with documented procedures and validated recovery processes
  • Oversee desktop, endpoint, and telecom services (laptops, mobile devices, productivity tools, collaboration platforms, voice/conferencing) to deliver reliable, secure employee experiences
  • Implement IT service management practices (incident, request, problem, asset management) with clear SLAs and user satisfaction metrics
  • Manage vendor relationships across infrastructure, telecom, SaaS, and managed services—evaluate contracts, optimize licensing, and ensure service quality
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience in B2B SaaS, telematics, fleet management, Internet of Things (IoT), or other real-time, data-intensive platforms serving enterprise customers
  • Familiarity with Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) tools (Jira Service Management, ServiceNow), configuration management databases (CMDB), and IT asset management practices
  • Experience with observability and monitoring platforms (Datadog, New Relic, Prometheus/Grafana, Azure Monitor, Application Insights)
  • Background supporting real-time GPS tracking, vehicle telematics, or IoT device management platforms
  • Certifications: Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate, Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Foundation or higher
  • Experience scaling infrastructure to support rapid business growth (2x–3x revenue in 2–3 years)
  • Prior experience operating in regulated environments (SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, FedRAMP)
  • Hands-on experience with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, or similar CI/CD platforms
  • Understanding of fleet management industry compliance requirements (FMCSA, ELD mandates, hours-of-service)

Next Step Systems focuses on matching information technology professionals with permanent, full-time jobs across the United States. It covers a wide range of IT areas including software, hardware, networking, storage, database, web, sales, and IT management, and handles roles at all levels. The process involves recruiting, screening, and placing qualified candidates with employer clients, providing end-to-end staffing support. The firm differentiates itself through a long track record (since 1995) and strategic growth, notably the 2014 acquisition of Parallel Partners to broaden its ability to serve both company clients and job seekers. Its goal is to deliver quality, professional service that connects employers with top IT talent and helps candidates find lasting careers.

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

null

Founded

1995

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Its July 2026 website updates show active demand across multiple geographies and specialties.
  • Clearer specialization in IT, security clearance, and NetSuite roles supports repeat client relationships.
  • Mike Stapinski’s July 2026 president page signals an active founder-led sales motion.

What critics are saying

  • ZoomInfo still pegs Next Step Systems below $5 million revenue, limiting resilience.
  • Recruiting demand swings quickly; a weak 2026 enterprise hiring market crushes placements.
  • Job-board replicas and direct employer hiring can erase its middleman value by 2027.

What makes Next Step Systems unique

  • Founded in 1995, Next Step Systems focuses on nationwide IT recruiting and permanent placements.
  • Its 2026 website shows active openings across Charlotte, New York City, Waukegan, and Herndon.
  • The firm’s contingency model and broad technical coverage differentiate it from niche recruiters.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Vision Insurance

Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Paid Vacation

Paid Holidays

Remote Work Options

Hybrid Work Options

Flexible Work Hours

Phone/Internet Stipend

Tuition Reimbursement

Wellness Program

Mental Health Support

Stock Options

Company Equity

Conference Attendance Budget

Professional Development Budget

Family Planning Benefits

Fertility Treatment Support

Adoption Assistance

Parental Leave

Home Office Stipend

Commuter Benefits

Gym Membership

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Tuition Reimbursement