Information Technology Operations Manager

Position summary

Eli's Cheesecake is rebuilding and modernizing its IT function. The IT Operations Manager is the on-site, accountable owner of day-to-day technology operations for a 200+ employee manufacturing, retail, and office operation.

You will run the support model, manage our technology vendors to SLA, execute the security baseline, and serve as the single point of accountability for reliable, well-run technology across the company. This is a hands-on leadership role in an environment actively being brought up to a modern, secure, well-documented standard.

Key responsibilities

• Own day-to-day IT operations across the office, plant floor, retail cafe, and remote users.
• Manage our managed-service providers (infrastructure/security MSP, ERP support) to defined SLAs; own vendor performance, escalations, and renewals with the CTO and Finance.
• Run the help-desk and ticket-triage model (intake, categorize, route, resolve) with clear response targets, delivered together with our MSP.
• Execute and maintain the security baseline: MFA enforcement, endpoint protection, identity lifecycle (on/offboarding), patching, and backup/disaster-recovery readiness.
• Own infrastructure standards - network, servers/virtualization, endpoints, and the print/label and A/V fleet - coordinating hands-on work with the MSP.
• Maintain accurate asset, license, and configuration inventories, plus documentation and runbooks.
• Support facility projects - expansion build-outs, structured cabling, and conference-room A/V.
• Track IT operational spend and support annual budgeting with the CTO and Finance.
• Partner with the Business Systems/ERP Analyst on ERP, payroll, and integration initiatives.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field - or equivalent hands-on experience.
• 4+ years in IT operations or infrastructure, including experience leading people and/or vendors.
• Hands-on depth in the Microsoft stack: Microsoft 365, Entra ID / Active Directory, endpoint management, and security fundamentals (MFA / Conditional Access, backup/DR).
• Networking fundamentals (VLANs, switching, firewall basics).
• Demonstrated vendor / MSP management and SLA accountability.
• Strong documentation and process discipline; able to bring order to an environment mid-rebuild.
• On-site in Chicago; comfortable supporting a manufacturing / plant-floor environment (occasional lifting, ladders).
• Excellent communication with non-technical staff and with leadership.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience in manufacturing, food production, or a regulated (SQF / FDA / FSMA) environment.
• Familiarity with ERP environments (Infor / Fourth Shift or similar) and HRIS/payroll integrations.
• Relevant certifications (CompTIA Network+/Security+, Microsoft, or ITIL).
• Experience standing up help-desk / ITSM processes from scratch.
• What success looks like
• First 90 days: fully ramped on our environment, systems, and vendors; a clear operating rhythm and SLAs established with our MSPs; and early improvements in support responsiveness, onboarding, and documentation.
• By 6-12 months: a mature, well-documented support and operations model; strong, measured MSP performance; a strengthened security and endpoint-management posture; and reliable, standardized infrastructure across the facility.