IT Operations Manager bei Yellowstone Forever

Yellowstone Forever (YF) is the official nonprofit partner of Yellowstone National Park. Our mission is to protect, preserve, and enhance Yellowstone National Park through education and philanthropy. YF connects people to Yellowstone through outstanding visitor experiences and educational programs and translates those experiences into lifelong support of the park and philanthropic investment in its future. Our educational programming and products help people enhance their understanding and appreciation of the wildlife, natural wonders, and cultural history of the park. YF’s operations include Park Stores in and around Yellowstone; the Yellowstone Forever Institute, which offers in-depth educational programing for people of all ages; and a supporter program which raises funds for priority park projects.

Position Summary

The IT Operations Manager is responsible for the day-to-day tactical management of IT infrastructure and service delivery. This role ensures the reliability, performance, and security of the organization’s technology infrastructure while supporting staff and managing IT services. The IT Operations Manager translates strategic direction into operational execution and serves as the primary point of contact for IT operations, both on premises and in the cloud. As a hands-on manager, the IT Operations Manager will provide both team guidance, as well as advanced-level support and administration of IT services, backed by years of experience in core IT technologies such as endpoint, networks, servers, cloud infrastructure, and cybersecurity.

Core Responsibilities

• Operational Oversight
  • Manage and actively participate in daily IT operations including helpdesk, infrastructure, systems, and security administration.
  • Act as a high-level systems, network, and security administrator, participating in the design, implementation, maintenance, and securing of existing and new technologies.
  • Coordinate response and post-mortem analysis for major outages, communicating as appropriate with all staff.
  • Make recommendations to the IT Director for improvements in technology and policy.
  • Monitor core infrastructure and services to facilitate desired performance, uptime and capacity planning, responding to outages as necessary.
  • Routinely review resolved issues to in the pursuit of root cause analysis, proposing preventative measures and long-term solutions to the IT Director.
  • Work with all Yellowstone Forever departments to identify, coordinate, and deliver end-user training opportunities.
  • Regularly evaluate internal SLAs, hardware lifecycles, and licensing to ensure efficient yet cost-effective support of the organization’s assets and service delivery.
  • Facilitate the keeping of impeccable asset management and documentation for all IT assets, configurations, and procedures.
• Project Execution
  • Plan, implement, and maintain IT projects and upgrades in alignment with the IT priorities set by the IT Director.
  • Working with the IT Director, participate in the design and implementation of pilot projects to evaluate emerging technologies prior to operationalizing.
  • Coordinate vendor procurement and support as necessary.
  • Maintain always up-to-date documentation for systems, procedures, and disaster recovery plans.
  • Establish and maintain reasonable change management practices aimed at balancing organizational nimbleness while maintaining quality control.
• Security & Compliance
  • Design and build networks, systems, and cloud infrastructure with a security-first approach in mind.
  • Monitor infrastructure for vulnerabilities and implement security countermeasures.
  • Enforce IT policies and procedures in coordination with the IT Director.
  • Support compliance in alignment with common data protection and cybersecurity standards.
  • Participate in the development and enforcement of internal technology standards in coordination with the IT Director.
• Collaboration & Support
  • Foster a culture of collaboration and excellence within the IT department and across organizational departments.
  • Provide a top-notch path of escalation, coaching, cross-training, and mentorship within the IT department.
  • Serve as liaison between IT and other departments for operational needs, engaging in a continuous feedback loop with the end of improving staff experience and expectations.
  • Identify opportunities for process improvement and automation in collaboration with IT staff.
  • Report on operational metrics and service levels to the IT Director.
  • Provide input on strategic initiatives, emerging technologies, and support R&D pilots as needed.
  • Participate in long-term IT planning in partnership with the IT Director.
  • Work with the IT Director to develop, execute, and track an annual IT budget to meet the technological needs of the organization.
  • Work with the IT Director to develop and maintain an internal knowledge base to empower self-service.

Qualifications

• BA or technical degree in Information Technology and at least 5 years of progressively responsible IT operations experience OR an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• 2+ years of IT leadership experience.
• Broad and deep technical knowledge, including advanced aspects of networking (switches/routers), servers (Windows/Linux), virtualization (Hyper-V/Azure), identity (AD/Entra ID), and security (firewalls/cloud) administration.
• Significant hands-on experience and with administering a Microsoft 365 ecosystem in an enterprise environment, including Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, Entra ID, Intune, Defender, and Purview.
• Familiarity with implementing IT service management frameworks (i.e. ITIL) including service desk principles, change control best practices, cross-department collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills.
• Ambition to learn new things and adapt to rapidly evolving technology.
• Strong communication and leadership skills across technical staff and non-technical staff.
• Self-motivated with a strategic approach to problem solving.
• Capable of working both alone or as part of a team to solve complex technical problems, including documentation and mitigation of reoccurrence.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, which may occasionally include nights and weekends.
• Possess a strong desire to represent oneself and Yellowstone Forever in a courteous and professional manner, both inside and outside the organization.

• A tireless dedication to top-notch customer service, an unusual urge to protect people and their data, and a constant willingness to help.
• Deep seated fondness for the world’s first national park!

Preferred Technical Qualifications

• Microsoft 365 Ecosystem: Advanced administration of Entra ID, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Teams, Intune, Defender, and Purview, including security, compliance, and automation features.
• Cloud Infrastructure: Experience with Azure cloud services, including virtual machines, networking, identity management, security controls, and printing.
• Endpoint Management: Proficiency with Microsoft Intune for device provisioning, policy enforcement, and endpoint security (Windows/Dell, MacOS/Apple).
• Mobile Device Management: Proficiency with Microsoft Intune for managing a BYOD environment to secure organizational data on personal devices.
• Security Stack: Hands-on experience with Microsoft Defender suite (Endpoint, Identity, Cloud), Conditional Access, Purview Information Protection, and Sentinel SIEM for threat detection and response.
• Networking: Advanced knowledge of enterprise networking (802.11, 802.1x, RADIUS), micro-segmentation, zero-trust, and guest access (Ubiquiti UniFi).
• Virtualization: Administration of Hyper-V, Storage Spaces Direct, and Azure-based virtualization platforms.
• Identity & Access Management: Deep understanding of identity management using Microsoft Active Directory, Entra ID, Conditional Access, and SAML SSO.
• Smart Building & Sustainability Tech: Familiarity with automated building systems, security systems, smart controls, and IoT devices supporting sustainability initiatives.
• Asset & Configuration Management: Experience with IT asset management platforms and documentation best practices (Snipe-IT).
• Service Management: Knowledge of service management principles, change control, documentation, and process improvement. (Freshdesk, Atlassian Confluence, ITIL).
• Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity: Designing and maintaining DR plans for cloud and on-premises systems (Veeam, Microsoft Azure Backup).
• Automation & Scripting: Scripting languages for automation, maintenance, and configuration (PowerShell).
• Compliance & Data Protection: Implementing and supporting compliance frameworks (GDPR, HIPAA, etc.), sensitivity labels, and data loss prevention policies in Microsoft 365.
• Retail point-of-sale: Square

Compensation:

This is a full-time, salary/exempt, hybrid location position based out of the Bozeman MT office. Travel between the offices and throughout the park may be required. Salary is based upon experience. Benefits of this position include knowing that your efforts directly benefit Yellowstone National Park and having the opportunity to work in one of the world’s premiere wilderness areas.

Yellowstone Forever is an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy to comply with all applicable local, state, and federal laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, political beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.