Director, IT Infrastructure, Operations & Security

Founded in 1912 as an adoption agency, Canopy Childrens Solutions is Mississippi's most comprehensive nonprofit provider of children's behavioral health, educational, and family support solutions. Canopy employs a diverse group of mission-driven individuals committed to honoring the voice of Mississippi children and families. Being an integral part of the Canopy team involves committing to the Core Values that drive our organization forward:

• The voice of our children and families always comes first
• Relationships matter and our differences make us stronger
• We take great joy in service to others
• Our families and our communities deserve our very best

Canopy has been recognized as a Great Place to Work for the fifth consecutive year and is one of only nine companies in Mississippi to earn this certification for 2025-2026. At Canopy, employees are committed to fostering a healthy workplace culture built on trust and driven by a shared mission: helping children thrive and empowering families to overcome extraordinary challenges.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package for all eligible full-time employees. Benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Competitive Compensation
• 403b Retirement Plan with Match
• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• PTO/Vacation
• Employee Wellness Program and Counseling Services

Director, IT Infrastructure, Operations & Security - Position Overview:

Director, IT Infrastructure and Operations is responsible for leading the strategy, security, modernization, and day-to-day management of Canopy's technology infrastructure across a mission-driven behavioral health organization serving children, families, schools, and communities. This role oversees infrastructure and network operations, cloud services, cybersecurity, end-user computing, help desk operations, and AI-enabled operational technologies to ensure secure, reliable, scalable, and high-performing technology services that support both administrative and solution teams. The position partners closely with executive leadership to align technology capabilities with organizational priorities while leading infrastructure modernization, cybersecurity risk management, disaster recovery and business continuity planning, operational standardization, and continuous improvement initiatives. Through strategic leadership and operational excellence, the role ensures a secure, resilient, and future-ready technology foundation that enables innovation, digital transformation, and mission delivery.

Required Qualifications:

• BSc/BA in computer science, engineering or relevant field.
• Minimum 10 years of related work experience, including 3-5 years of management experience and leading technology teams with progressively increasing responsibility.
• Proven experience as an IT Director or similar role.
• MSc/MA will be a plus and may be substituted for 5 years' experience.
• Experience in non-for-profit management is preferred.

Job Responsibilities:

1. Enterprise Infrastructure & Operations Leadership

• Lead and oversee all infrastructure and operational technology functions including network operations, cloud services, systems administration, end-user computing, telecommunications, infrastructure support, help desk operations, and operational security.
• Ensure systems maintain high availability, reliability, redundancy, scalability, and performance to support administrative operations, clinical services, school-based services, and community programs.
• Direct operational support for critical platforms including Electronic Health Records (EHR), Microsoft 365, collaboration systems, communication platforms, cloud environments, and enterprise applications.
• Develop and execute organization wide infrastructure standards, operational procedures, technology lifecycle strategies, and governance practices that support operational excellence and organizational growth.
• Lead infrastructure modernization initiatives including cloud transformation, endpoint modernization, network optimization, operational automation, and infrastructure monitoring.
• Ensure operational readiness and scalable infrastructure support for organizational growth and expansion initiatives.

2. AI-Enabled Infrastructure & Operational Innovation

• Identify, evaluate, and implement AI-enabled technologies and automation solutions that improve infrastructure operations, service delivery, cybersecurity monitoring, operational efficiency, and end-user support.
• Lead adoption of AI-driven operational tools including intelligent monitoring, predictive analytics, automated alerting, AI-assisted help desk capabilities, and infrastructure performance optimization platforms.
• Partner with Applications, Data & Analytics team to support AI infrastructure requirements including cloud scalability, data availability, system integration, security controls, and operational readiness.
• Evaluate opportunities to leverage AI for proactive infrastructure maintenance, capacity planning, operational forecasting, incident response, asset management, and workflow automation.
• Ensure AI-related infrastructure and operational technologies align with organizational governance, security, compliance, privacy, and ethical standards.
• Support the organization's broader digital transformation strategy by enabling secure and scalable infrastructure environments that support AI, automation, analytics, and innovation initiatives.
• Monitor emerging AI technologies, infrastructure trends, and operational best practices to continuously improve enterprise technology operations and service delivery capabilities.

3. Cybersecurity, Compliance & Risk Oversight

• Lead enterprise cybersecurity operations including network security, endpoint protection, vulnerability management, identity and access management, firewall administration, security monitoring, and incident response coordination.
• Serve as a key technology leader for HIPAA compliance, cybersecurity governance, technology risk mitigation, and protection of organizational data and systems.
• Develop, maintain, and enforce IT security policies, operational standards, disaster recovery plans, business continuity procedures, and infrastructure governance practices.
• Coordinate cybersecurity assessments, remediation efforts, penetration testing, system hardening, audit response activities, and operational risk mitigation initiatives.
• Partner with Compliance, Legal, HR, and operational leadership to ensure technology operations align with regulatory, accreditation, privacy, and security requirements.
• Lead response and recovery efforts for cybersecurity incidents, operational disruptions, outages, and critical infrastructure events.

4. IT Service Delivery & Operational Excellence

• Oversee enterprise IT support operations and help desk functions to ensure timely, effective, and customer-focused technical support across all organizational locations and programs.
• Establish operational service standards, escalation procedures, support models, and performance expectations for infrastructure and support teams.
• Implement IT service management (ITSM) best practices including incident management, change management, problem management, asset management, and service request fulfillment.
• Monitor and improve operational KPIs including uptime, response times, ticket resolution metrics, service levels, system performance, cybersecurity posture, and user satisfaction.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on automation, operational efficiency, process optimization, standardization, and improved employee experience.
• Utilize reporting, analytics, and operational dashboards to support data-driven infrastructure and service delivery decisions.

5. Strategic Planning & Organizational Partnership

• Partner with the Chief Data & Technology Officer and executive leadership to develop and execute enterprise infrastructure and operational technology strategies aligned with organizational priorities and transformation initiatives.
• Collaborate with solution leaders, school-based services, and administrative departments to identify technology needs and implement scalable infrastructure solutions.
• Participate in enterprise strategic planning, operational forecasting, budgeting, technology roadmap development, and infrastructure investment planning.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, infrastructure platforms, AI-enabled tools, and vendor solutions to improve organizational capabilities, scalability, and operational effectiveness.
• Support organizational innovation initiatives by ensuring infrastructure environments are secure, scalable, resilient, and capable of supporting future technology growth.

6. Vendor, Asset & Financial Management

• Oversee infrastructure-related vendor relationships, managed service providers, telecommunications providers, cloud vendors, cybersecurity partners, and technology suppliers.
• Lead procurement activities for infrastructure hardware, networking equipment, cloud services, cybersecurity tools, enterprise licensing, operational platforms, and support services.
• Negotiate and manage vendor contracts, renewals, service agreements, warranties, licensing agreements, and performance expectations.
• Manage infrastructure budget, operational expenditures, lifecycle replacement planning, and cost optimization initiatives.
• Ensure accurate inventory management and operational tracking for infrastructure assets, networking equipment, mobile devices, endpoints, and operational technologies.

7. Team Leadership & Workforce Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop infrastructure and operations staff including systems administrators, network engineers, cybersecurity personnel, help desk staff, and technical support resources.
• Establish team priorities, staffing plans, operational accountability measures, workforce development goals, and professional growth opportunities.
• Conduct performance evaluations, succession planning, and employee development activities.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, customer service, continuous learning, and operational excellence.
• Promote AI literacy, operational innovation, and adoption of emerging technologies within infrastructure and operational support teams.

8. Mission & Organizational Support

• Ensure technology infrastructure and operational services support the organization's mission of improving outcomes for children, families, schools, and communities.
• Promote technology practices that improve operational efficiency, employee productivity, service delivery, cybersecurity resilience, and user experience.
• Maintain awareness of behavioral health, nonprofit, healthcare, cybersecurity, AI, and technology industry trends, regulations, and best practices.

9. Other duties as required.