Manager, IT Operations

What We Do.

Smart & Biggar has been at the forefront of intellectual property (IP) and technology law for over 100 years. We practice in every area of IP on behalf of an exceptional international clientele, and we are consistently ranked as Canada’s leading IP firm. We are committed to hiring people with different backgrounds and experience, who represent the best talent in their field.

We are part of the IPH Group. IPH Limited is the holding company for intellectual property and associated companies offering a wide range of IP services and products. IPH companies employ a highly skilled multidisciplinary team of over 1,200 people in Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand. IPH companies service a diverse client base of Fortune Global 500 companies, multinationals, public sector research organizations, SMEs and professional services firms worldwide.

We are passionate about what we do and what we can achieve. The IPH Group is committed to promoting and maintaining a workplace culture of shared respect across companies to enable us all to feel valued and be the best we can be.
The Opportunity.
Smart & Biggar is currently looking for a Manager, IT Operations to join our national IT team. Reporting to the Chief Information Officer, the Manager IT Operations will be responsible for the leadership and management of the IT Operations function, driving a standardized approach to how we deliver and support IT services across the firm. This includes direct leadership of Smart & Biggar’s National Desktop Support team, while also contributing as a member of the team. The Desktop Support team provides first line support for technology issues relating to computers, mobile devices, network connectivity, printing, desktop productivity tools and audio/video conferencing to all Smart & Biggar team members. In addition to the Desktop Support team, the Manager, IT Operations will lead Infrastructure resources and provide planning and project management support to all network and infrastructure related initiatives, and be responsible for all related best practices and procedures.

Responsibilities.
- Leads the National Desktop Support team as well as the IT Operations team, providing coaching, mentorship, feedback, and performance evaluations
- Manages prioritization and assignment of work across the Desktop Support team
- Ensures cross training of IT Operations team, assuring redundant support is always available
- Accountable for project planning of IT Operations initiatives - scope included, target timelines, and vendor communication
- Manages risks and resolves issues that affect release scope, schedule and quality
- Communicate systems status, outages, deficiencies and progress on resolution
- Accountable for continuous improvements to the IT Operations best practice and procedures
- Accountable for device asset management and procurement, and access control procedures
- Accountable for the IT Operations asset inventory and renewal cycle
- Manages the implementation of new technologies within IT Operations and the associated coordination/communication with impacted parties

Preferred Experience/Education.
- Minimum 3 years of work experience in a leadership capacity required, with a minimum of 5 years of technology related work experience
- Minimum Bachelor’s degree in computer science, or an acceptable combination of education and relevant experience required
- ITIL, Lean or Agile certification and experience would be considered an asset
- Related technical experience leading an IT Operations function
- Highly effective project and program management skills
- Proven leadership, coaching, and teambuilding skills
- Ability to explain technical concepts and theories to non-technical audiences
- Highly self-motivated with a bias to results delivery
- Strong negotiation and prioritization skills
- Able to influence others and effect change of direction, while keeping participants fully engaged
- Able to effectively communicate with individuals at all levels of the organization
- Ability to communicate in both English and French will be considered an asset

Smart & Biggar offers a comprehensive total rewards package including:

- A competitive compensation structure based on transparency, clarity and fairness;
- A flexible benefits program;
- Personal days to help balance personal and professional commitments;
- Employee referral program.

Smart & Biggar is a proud member of the Law Firm Diversity and Inclusion Network (LFDIN), working to promote diversity and encourage a culture of inclusion in our Firm and the broader legal profession.