Vice President, IT Operations, Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity

Vice President, IT Operations, Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity

Job Purpose & Summary

Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer, the VP, IT Operations, Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity will oversee DUCA’s information technology operations, infrastructure, network, and cybersecurity practice while providing leadership that reflects DUCA’s core values. This role has overall responsibility for the planning and operation of IT infrastructure, networking, cloud services, application hosting, telecom, and IT helpdesk support services.

In addition to contributing to DUCA’s overall information technology strategy, this role will develop and execute the strategy and tactics related to IT operations, infrastructure, and cybersecurity to provide a reliable, resilient, performant, scalable, and secure environment. This individual will continually seek out opportunities for enhancement and innovation to increase efficiency and ultimately support DUCA employee and Member experience. The incumbent needs to be a hands-on leader, able to contribute to the work as well as accomplish results through others.

 The VP, IT Operations, Infrastructure and Cybersecurity is an experienced leader who creates a positive, collaborative environment, and who builds a culture of passion and trust to maximize employee engagement and drive toward positive outcomes.

Key Accountabilities & Duties

• Leads by example: consistently demonstrates DUCA’s values of “Bringing out the best in others”, “Doing what’s right even when it’s difficult”, and “Making what’s possible happen”
• Lead and mentor the IT Operations, Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity team creating a culture that fosters engagement, passion, and enthusiasm for DUCA’s vision, mission, and values while embedding a customer-service excellence approach to positively impact employee experience
• Contribute to the development of DUCA’s IT strategy; develop and execute the elements related to infrastructure, cybersecurity, and operations
• Partner closely with the Executive Leadership Team and other business stakeholders to develop and implement technology related strategic and tactical plans that optimize operational efficiency, network stability, resiliency, security and costs; ensure plans are rolled out in a manner that is culture-positive with consideration for Member and employee experience and productivity
• Identify the most efficient and effective use of both in-house and out-sourced services for cloud applications, data center, computing, information security, data and voice networks, storage, systems, and infrastructure services
• Oversee the design, documentation, implementation, and daily operations of a reliable, secure, optimized, efficient, and scalable network that supports the delivery of exceptional Member and employee experiences with flexibility for future growth
• Build strong relationships with DUCA leaders and departments across the organization to understand the business, share knowledge, and foster a collaborative, supportive environment when recommending technology solutions to meet business objectives
• Structure and grow the IT Operations, Infrastructure and Cybersecurity team to support DUCA growth objectives and the changing technology landscape
• Identify new technologies necessary to support a high-tech, high-touch business strategy and develop recommendations and business cases where necessary for presentation to senior management
• Oversee DUCA’s cybersecurity program ensuring DUCA can identify and detect threats, and protect, respond, and recover from threats and incidents
• Oversee enforcement of technology related policies, procedures, and associated plans for system security administration and user system access based on industry-standard best practices
• Manage IT operations, cybersecurity, and infrastructure projects from a total systems perspective ensuring that any impacts to end-users are identified and addressed in partnership with business change management resources
• Ensure projects with workstreams requiring support from the IT Operations, Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity team are appropriately resourced and project milestones are delivered on time, in scope, and on budget
  • Develop, implement, and test the IT elements in the Business Continuity Plan (BCP) and Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)
  • Analyze technology and network performance related metrics; identify trends, conduct root-cause analysis and present recommendations to stakeholders that address the findingsProcure infrastructure related hardware and software within policy; manage relationships with vendors and service providers to ensure they cost-effectively meet the needs of the organization; ensure service level agreements (SLAs) are established and service and operational metrics are collected, reviewed, and reported on, on a regular basisParticipate in the development of the IT component of the Annual Operating Plan and manage the IT infrastructure and operations budget

• Conduct research on emerging cloud technologies in support of infrastructure development efforts, and recommend technologies that will increase cost effectiveness and infrastructure flexibility
• Remain informed on trends and issues in the IT and security industries, including current and emerging technologies and prices; advise, counsel, and educate executive and management teams on their relative importance and financial impact
• Maintain high standards of ethics and integrity; adhere to DUCA’s Code of Conduct and any associated legal, compliance, or information security requirements

Occupational Experience & Education Requirements

• Undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Business, or related field
• Minimum 5 years of experience in a senior leadership role and sitting at a cross-functional leadership table
• Minimum 15 years IT experience with 10 years of management experience directing IT operations, infrastructure planning and development, and cybersecurity practices
• Minimum 10 years of experience in the financial services industry with a focus on operations, infrastructure, networking, and cybersecurity
• Minimum 10 years of experience leading and mentoring highly skilled technical professionals

Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes

• Experience leading multiple mid-to-large sized teams and managing stakeholder relationships with potentially conflicting priorities
• Strong people management skills with a proven ability to maximize employee engagement, build, retain, and manage highly skilled and motivated teams
• Demonstrated ability to create operational plans that incorporate implications assessments with a focus on Member and employee experience and productivity
• Strong client service excellence mindset with the ability to integrate this approach throughout their team
• Highly effective at driving and leading conversations and resolving issues with internal / external stakeholders and executive-level leaders
• Proven analytical, strategic, and conceptual thinking and execution skills
• Advanced knowledge of systems design methodologies & development, including core infrastructure and enterprise-wide applications, as well as online applications, and web-based systems, voice and data communications technologies, security frameworks & methodologies, open architecture systems, and common scripting languages
• Proven ability to effectively utilize techniques designed to reduce frequency, duration, and impact of common business disruptions particularly as they relate to branch/contact centre operations, electronic services, and telecommunications
• Strong verbal and written communication skills including the ability to explain technical concepts and technologies to business leaders and senior executives
• Strong leadership, interpersonal, and collaboration skills with the ability build relationships and influence individuals at all levels within the organization
• In-depth knowledge of IT practices, trends, and operating policies in the financial services industry
• Strong project management skills and a track record of successfully managing change, process improvement, and operational performance
• Strong vendor management and contract negotiation skills
• Strong budget management skills and the ability to develop and obtain approval for significant business cases
• Strong problem-solving and trouble-shooting skills including the ability to identify and evaluate business threats and opportunities
• Able to work under pressure of time deadlines, be flexible, and able to shift resources and priorities as required
• A continuous learner who has a thirst for keeping abreast of new and emerging technologies
• High level of integrity, ethics and professionalism; proven ability to maintain sensitive and highly confidential information

Working Conditions

Normal office environment with occasional work on weekends and nights to ensure application, infrastructure, and network availability and to support the deployment of new systems, patches, fixes, and/or other enhancements.

Department: Information Technology 

Primary Location: Corporate Office 

Employment Status: Full-time

Hours per Week: 38

Job Grade Level: 12

About DUCA

DUCA exists to help people do more, be more and achieve more with their money and their lives. We’re driven by a co-operative philosophy that puts our Members (and Owners) at the centre of every decision we make, gives them a voice in how we’re run, and rewards them for their loyalty by sharing our profits.

At DUCA, we’re dedicated to creating a positive environment where our employees have growth and development opportunities, a healthy work/life balance, opportunities to give back to the community, and a focus on doing what is right for our Members. DUCA offers a competitive total compensation package including base salary, a short-term incentive (bonus) program, a comprehensive benefits program, pension plan, and employee banking benefits.

DUCA is committed to employment equity and encourages applications from all qualified candidates. Recruitment related accommodations will be provided upon request.

Qualified applicants are encouraged to submit their application. Applications must include both a resume and cover letter.

We thank all applicants but only those considered for an interview will be contacted.