IT Operations Lead

ABOUT GIATEC:

Giatec Scientific Inc. is a global leader in smart concrete testing technologies, bringing real-time data, AI, and IoT solutions to jobsites worldwide. Our core products - SmartRock®, SmartMix®, and MixPilot® - support the full concrete lifecycle, from mix design and production to placement and performance monitoring, helping teams improve quality, efficiency, and sustainability while reducing concrete’s carbon footprint.

Giatec solutions have been used on 15,000+ projects across 85+ countries, and we’ve been recognized as one of Canada’s fastest-growing companies for three consecutive years. We believe our people are key to our success and are always looking for curious, driven individuals to help shape the future of construction technology.

The expected salary range for this role is between $75,000-$115,000. This role represents an existing vacancy within the organization.

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

We're looking for an IT Operations Lead who believes great IT is invisible: people get what they need, it just works, and it's secure without getting in anyone's way. You'll lead IT at a fast-moving technology company that is all in on AI, with real room to rethink how we work, automate the repetitive stuff, and build systems our team actually enjoys using.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone with 5 to 8 years of IT experience who is ready to own the function, lead and grow a small team, and take initiative without waiting to be asked.

WHO YOU ARE:

- You're an enabler. Your goal is to help people do their best work, and when a request comes in, you look for the secure way to say yes.
- You take security seriously without making it painful. MFA, conditional access and patching are non-negotiable, and you make them feel seamless.
- You take initiative. When something is broken or manual, you fix it or automate it before anyone has to file a ticket.
- You're a team player who brings good energy. You're approachable, patient with non-technical colleagues, and you enjoy a good laugh at work.
- You're curious about AI and already use it to work smarter.

IN YOUR FIRST SIX MONTHS, YOU WILL:

- Get to know the team and our systems, and become the trusted go-to person for IT
- Ship at least one automation that saves the team real time every week
- Test our disaster recovery plan end to end and close the gaps you find
- Set a clear IT roadmap that balances security, cost and a great employee experience

WHAT YOU'LL OWN:

Everyday IT That Just Works
- Own day-to-day IT support as the senior escalation point, partnering with our IT team member to resolve issues quickly and keep people productive
- Run our core environment: Windows/macOS endpoints, Microsoft 365 and Entra ID, networking, and office A/V
- Own the full user lifecycle (onboarding, offboarding, role changes) and hardware, from procurement to retirement, and keep an eye on system health and uptime

Automation and AI
- Find the repetitive work and automate it: provisioning, password resets, ticket routing, self-service knowledge bases and more
- Build workflows with AI and scripting tools (PowerShell, Python, Bash, Power Automate, n8n, or similar)
- Bring new ideas to leadership as AI for IT operations evolves

Security That Enables, Not Blocks
- Build and maintain security practices (endpoint protection, MFA, conditional access, patching, awareness training) that protect Giatec while keeping people productive
- Own backup, disaster recovery and business continuity, and test them regularly so we know they work
- Run periodic security reviews, fix what you find, and work with our external security partners

Strategy, Projects and Leadership
- Lead IT projects such as SaaS rollouts, migrations, network upgrades and integrations, partnering with Engineering, Product, Sales and Operations
- Own IT policies, budgets, vendors and licensing, keeping things simple, well documented and cost-effective
- Lead, mentor and grow our IT team member, and build a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing

MUST-HAVES:
- 5 to 8 years of experience in IT systems administration, IT operations, or a related technical role
- Experience mentoring, leading, or coordinating IT staff
- Strong hands-on experience with Microsoft 365 administration (Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, Entra ID/Azure AD)
- Proficiency in scripting and automation (PowerShell, Python, or Bash) with a track record of automating IT workflows
- Experience with endpoint management tools (Intune, Jamf, or similar MDM solutions)
- Solid understanding of networking fundamentals (DNS, DHCP, VPN, firewall configuration, TCP/IP)

NICE-TO-HAVES:
- Experience designing and testing disaster recovery and backup solutions
- Familiarity with security frameworks (CIS Benchmarks, NIST, or ISO 27001)
- Experience with AI tools for IT operations (AIOps platforms, Claude or other LLM integrations, AI-powered monitoring)
- Cloud certifications (Azure Administrator, AWS SysOps, or equivalent)
- ITIL or other IT service management experience
- Experience managing SaaS integrations and SSO/SCIM provisioning
- Experience in a startup or scale-up environment where wearing multiple hats is the norm
- Diploma or degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience)

PERKS AND BENEFITS:
- Competitive company-paid benefits plan
- Generous professional development budget
- Volunteer and Life Days that make work/life balance easier to achieve
- Your birthday off (because we want you to celebrate)
- RRSP matching program through RBC

TO APPLY:

Even if you don’t meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply - we value diverse experiences and would love to learn more about you. Please submit your resume and cover letter outlining your interest in the role. Applications are reviewed by our Talent Acquisition team; due to application volume, response times may vary. We appreciate your interest to be part of Giatec and understanding on this matter.

At Giatec, we believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce is critical to our success. In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), Giatec is committed to providing a barrier-free recruitment process. Accommodations and support are available upon request throughout the hiring process. If you require accommodation, please contact [email protected]. All accommodation-related information will be kept confidential.

AI-enabled tools may be used to support parts of the recruitment, screening and interview process.