IT Operations Manager

Maisons Marques & Domaines USA, Inc. (MMD USA) was founded in 1987 as the U.S. sales and marketing arm for Champagne Louis Roederer and its California winery, Roederer Estate. Today, the company has grown into a well-respected marketer of prestigious, family-owned producers.

This is a full-time, exempt position based in Oakland, California, reporting to the Chief Financial Officer.

This position requires 20% travel to California wineries.

Position Summary:

The IT Operations Manager is responsible for overseeing MMD's technology infrastructure, ensuring systems are reliable, secure, and aligned with business objectives. This role manages a third-party vendor, oversees daily IT operations, implements technology projects, provides technical support, and helps drive innovation to support organizational growth. The IT Operations Manager partners with leadership to enhance service delivery, maintain strong cybersecurity posture, and ensure the stability and performance of all IT systems.

Administration

• Build and maintain strong cross-functional stakeholder relationships (strong customer service focus) with an emphasis on strong communication and collaboration with a high degree of responsiveness
• Oversee hardware and software procurement and manage the full equipment lifecycle, including creating/maintaining equipment database
• Manage IT budgets, forecasting and cost optimization, including reviewing and approving IT-related invoices
• Negotiate contracts with IT stack vendors and service providers
• Evaluate incoming issues and determine proper course of action; leverage external resources when necessary
• Maintain dashboards and metrics that provide visibility into systems performance, service issues, and operational trends

Data Security

• Manage the implementation and maintenance of cybersecurity protocols, access controls, and data protection measures
• Conduct daily monitoring of physical and online backups, system logs, and security alerts
• Build and maintain a disaster recovery plan in partnership with parent company, including scheduled testing and documentation updates
• Support risk assessments, vulnerability remediation, and readiness for audits or compliance reviews

Technical Support

• Resolve MMD unplanned issues in a timely manner; balancing needs of both east and west coast offices (managing work across time zones)
• Manage/Coordinate Unspoken Words technical support to the wineries
• Resolve 80% of technical issues within 10 minutes of receiving the distress call, ensuring minimal downtime
• Lead incident and problem management efforts, including root cause analysis and implementation of corrective actions

Maintenance

• Manage and maintain servers, networks, and cloud services, ensuring high availability and performance
• Oversee software updates, patchwork of equipment & operating system
• Stay current on industry best practices, emerging technologies, and security trends
• Manage computers and network equipment based on duty cycles, lifecycle standards, and budget considerations

Strategy & Project Management

• Partner with the CFO & parent company, to develop and execute the IT roadmap
• Plan, prioritize, and lead key tech projects, including infrastructure upgrades, cloud initiatives, and system implementations
• Manage third-party vendors and ensure project timelines, deliverables, and quality standards are met
• Collect business requirements and recommend technology solutions that improve operational efficiency and user experience.

Qualifications

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in information technology, Computer Science, or related field (Master's preferred)
• 3–5 years of IT experience, including at least 2–3 years in a management or supervisory role
• Proven experience managing IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, and enterprise software systems

Skills & Competencies:

• Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills
• In-depth knowledge of network architecture, servers, cloud services, and security best practices
• Ability to balance strategic planning with hands-on technical work
• Strong ability to manage vendors and drive operational improvements
• Familiarity with Windows Powershell & Automation
• Ability and willingness to travel 20% of the time to the CA wineries
• Maintain a small onsite inventory of laptops and desktops
• Balance of delegating work to others while remaining hands-on
• Genuine curiosity and desire to learn

Our benefits

• Competitive compensation commensurate with experience
• Full Healthcare Package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, long-term disability insurance, life, and AD&D insurance
• Paid time off
• Paid holidays
• 401k & Company Match
• Flexible spending