IT MANAGER-INFRASTRUCTURE (Compute)
City of Houston, TX
Houston, TX 77002
$8,588.00 - $10,584.60 a month
Description
POSITION OVERVIEW
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES / ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, and professional development to a technical team responsible for servers, storage, Active Directory, Microsoft 365 administration, and backup solutions.
- Assign tasks, set clear expectations, and maintain high standards for quality, accountability, and customer service.
- Conduct annual performance evaluations that align goals with department strategy, fostering skill development and succession planning.
- Promote a customer-centric culture focused on responsiveness, innovation, and operational excellence.
- Oversee administration of Data Center policies, documentation, and procedures—including development, updates, and enforcement of security, operational, and maintenance standards.
- Ensure effective 24/7 operational readiness through structured On-Call and remote support processes.
- Coordinate workload prioritization, monitor progress, and ensure timely delivery of operational and project commitments.
- Develop strategic and tactical plans for Infrastructure Services, including capacity planning, system design recommendations, lifecycle management, and modernization initiatives.
- Evaluate proposed projects and technology solutions to determine benefits, risks, and operational impact.
- Prepare cost estimates and resource plans to support ongoing operations and future initiatives.
- Participate in the development and ongoing management of the annual infrastructure budget covering hardware refresh cycles, software subscriptions, cloud services, maintenance agreements, and professional services.
- Track and optimize spending across servers, storage, backup systems, licensing, and support contracts; identify cost-savings through consolidation, optimization, or managed services.
- Contribute to scheduled budget updates, variance analyses, and justifications for capital expenditures and multi-year investments.
- Oversee annual and multi-year renewal cycles for software licenses, hardware maintenance, warranties, and managed service contracts.
- Ensure accurate tracking of entitlements, compliance with licensing terms, and readiness for vendor audits.
- Partner with divisions on negotiations, scope adjustments, SLAs, and vendor performance reviews.
- Maintain a centralized repository of key renewal dates, obligations, deliverables, and service-level requirements.
- Establish and maintain lifecycle roadmaps for servers, storage platforms, operating systems, and related infrastructure technologies.
- Ensure timely refresh and decommissioning of end-of-life equipment to maintain security, supportability, and performance.
- Ensure that procurement planning, asset tagging, CMDB/inventory accuracy, and compliant disposal processes are properly executed and maintained.
- Collaborate with Cybersecurity and Compliance teams to enforce policies, conduct audits, and meet regulatory/standard requirements (e.g., configuration hardening, patching, logging, and access controls).
- Implement vulnerability remediation plans, patch cycles, and change-management controls for servers and infrastructure systems.
- Lead Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery planning, testing, and documentation for covered services.
- Provide oversight for hybrid cloud operations, including cloud governance, tagging policies, cost optimization, and capacity controls.
- Drive modernization of legacy systems and adoption of infrastructure automation, infrastructure-as-code, and advanced monitoring/observability tools.
- Define and monitor service KPIs/SLAs (e.g., uptime, patch compliance, backup success rates, performance indicators).
- Lead post-incident reviews, root cause analysis, and corrective action plans; champion continuous improvement.
- Mature operational processes through documented SOPs, workflow automation, runbooks, and knowledge management.
- Participate in reviews of vendor proposals for hardware, software, and professional services, ensuring alignment with technical standards, security requirements, and operational needs.
- Collaborate with stakeholders to support acquisition, contract compliance, and value realization across vendor engagements.
- Maintain accurate inventories, architectural documentation, operational reports, and performance metrics that enable data-driven decisions and transparent communication.
- Ensure documentation is current, accessible, and aligned with compliance and audit requirements.
WORKING CONDITIONS
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
EXPERIENCE
LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
PREFERENCES
**Preference shall be given to eligible veteran applicants provided such persons possess the qualifications necessary for competent discharge of the duties involved in the position applied for, such persons are among the most qualified candidates for the position, and all other factors in accordance with Executive Order 1-6. **
Preference will be given to candidates with the following skillsets:
- Experience leading enterprise server, storage, and backup operations in hybrid environments (on-prem and cloud).
- Hands-on expertise with Microsoft technologies (AD/Group Policy, Windows Server), Microsoft 365 administration, virtualization (VMware/Hyper-V), SAN/NAS storage, backup/DR platforms, and infrastructure automation/scripting.
- Knowledge of cloud governance, cost management, tagging, and security controls (e.g., Azure or AWS).
- Familiarity with ITIL practices (incident, change, problem), CMDB/asset management, and operational KPIs/SLAs.
- Strong vendor management, contract negotiation, and budget stewardship.
GENERAL INFORMATION
SAFETY IMPACT POSITION– Yes
SALARY INFORMATION Factors used in determining the salary offered include the candidate’s qualifications as well as the pay rates of other employees in this classification.
PAY GRADE: 32
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Only online applications will be accepted for this City of Houston job and must be received by the Human Resources Department during active posting period. Applications must be submitted online at: www.houstontx.gov.
If you need special services or accommodations, call (832) 393-0450. (TTY 7-1-1).
Due to the high volume of applications received, the Hiring Department will contact you directly, should you be selected to advance in our recruitment process.
All new and rehires must pass a pre-employment drug test and are subject to a physical examination and verification of information provided.
EOE Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Houston is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.
901 Bagby St
Houston, Texas, 77002