Role Background
Our client, a leading distributor of environmental and infrastructure maintenance equipment, including sewer cleaners, vacuum excavators, street sweepers, and camera systems, is seeking a Vice President of Information Technology to lead the maturation of its IT function as the company continues to grow.
In business for over 65 years, our client is one of the largest dealers of street sweepers and sewer cleaning trucks in the United States, operates a substantial rental fleet, and has a robust service business, maintaining over 500 units in the field.The company also offers a variety of replacement parts and is the largest provider of replacement brushes and brooms for street sweeping equipment in the Western United States.The company has four full-service locations, as well as several acquired locations, in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain West.
The company has accelerated its growth through acquisitions and continues to grow with the backing of a leading middle-market private equity firm. As the company continues its growth trajectory under PE sponsorship, the VP of IT will play a critical role in professionalizing the IT function, integrating acquired businesses, and ensuring that IT supports the company’s evolving needs. This includes upskilling and developing the IT team, evaluating and potentially integrating new enterprise applications, selecting and managing vendors, and building out new IT capabilities.
Reporting to the CEO and partnering closely with the executive team, the VP of IT will be responsible for modernizing the company’s IT capabilities, ensuring data security and compliance, and aligning technology investments with business strategy.
Responsibilities:
- Strategic Planning: Develop and execute an IT strategy to support business objectives, drive innovation, create operational transparency, improve operational efficiency and support M&A.
- Technology Leadership: Lead the IT department, providing vision and leadership to design, implement, and manage IT systems, infrastructure, software, applications and hardware.
- Digital Transformation: Drive digital transformation projects across the organization, ensuring alignment with business goals and increasing efficiency through technology.
- Cybersecurity: Oversee IT security to protect the company’s data and systems from cyber threats, ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations.
- Budget Management: Develop and manage the IT department budget, ensuring optimal allocation of resources and cost control.
- Team Leadership: Build, mentor, and manage a high-performing IT team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and innovation.
- Vendor Management: Establish and manage relationships with third-party technology vendors, negotiating contracts and ensuring service level agreements (SLAs) are met.
- System Optimization: Oversee the maintenance and optimization of applications, ensuring uptime, fit for purpose and scalability.
- Stakeholder Communication: Collaborate with other executive leaders and departments to ensure IT strategies, initiatives and solutions support business objectives and critical processes.
- Compliance & Risk Management: Ensure the organization’s technology practices comply with all legal, regulatory, and industry standards.
- Innovation & Research: Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices, recommending new tools, technologies, and processes to improve organizational efficiency and performance.
Requirements
- Experience: Minimum of 10 years of experience in IT management, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role such as Director or VP of IT.
- Leadership Skills: Proven experience in leading and developing high-performing teams and managing distributed service providers.
- Technical Expertise: Strong knowledge of IT infrastructure, cloud computing, enterprise software, cybersecurity, data management, and emerging technologies.
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to align IT strategy with business objectives and drive technological change that supports growth.
- Project Management: Demonstrated experience managing large-scale IT projects from conception to execution.
- Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to interact with executive leadership, technical teams, and external partners.
- Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills with the ability to think critically and solve complex issues.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field.
Desirable Skills and Certifications
- Certifications: PMP, ITIL, CISSP, or similar.
- Methodologies: Agile and DevOps methodologies.
- Financial Acumen: Familiarity with forecasting, resource planning, and financial management.
Role Location, Travel, and Working Arrangements
This role will require the candidate to work on-site regularly, ideally out the company's offices in Vancouver, WA, or Portland, OR, though other locations within the company’s footprint will be considered. Occasional travel to other offices and potentially acquired locations is expected. Relocation assistance or a remote/commuter arrangement may be considered for an exceptional candidate.
