IT Systems Manager
San Diego, CA Direct-Hire $120000.00 - $140000.00 Onsite

Job Description

Key Details:

  • Direct Hire/Perm
  • 100% Onsite in Poway (travel to OC 1 day per month, Bay Area twice a year)
  • Pay: up to $140k

Summary:

We're looking for a hands-on IT leader who's ready to take the next step in their career. If you're a senior systems/network engineer who loves helping people, mentoring others, and improving how things work, this role is built for you.

What You'll Do:

  • Lead, support, and mentor a small IT infrastructure team (mix of direct & indirect reports)
  • Oversee daily IT operations, service desk priorities, and system reliability
  • Manage and improve servers, networks, M365, virtualization, and security tools
  • Drive projects: upgrades, migrations, hardware refreshes, and new system deployments
  • Own disaster recovery, backup reliability, patching, and change control
  • Handle security and compliance efforts (SOC, PCI, HIPAA, etc.)
  • Recommend and implement improvements to performance, uptime, and security
  • Manage vendor relationships, equipment procurement, and IT budgeting
  • Act as the go-to escalation point for technical issues
  • Collaborate with leadership on strategy, planning, and long-term infrastructure goals
  • Train users, support best practices, and help build a positive, team-oriented culture

What We're Looking For:

  • A strong senior systems or network admin/engineer ready to step into leadership
  • Someone who genuinely enjoys helping others and creating a supportive team environment
  • 5+ years working with enterprise Windows Server, AD/Group Policy, M365, virtualization, networking
  • Hands-on experience with VMware, Cisco networking, security tools, and enterprise applications
  • Comfortable making decisions, solving problems, and owning technical outcomes
  • Strong communicator who can work well with customers, leadership, and cross-functional teams
  • Experience managing or mentoring is a big plus - but passion for people matters most

Why This Role Is a Great Fit:

  • Real leadership opportunity without giving up hands-on technical work
  • High impact across systems, security, operations, and user experience
  • Supportive environment focused on improvement and teamwork
  • A chance to shape the future of the IT function as the company grows

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, age, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, or military or veteran status. We consider all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with state and local laws, including the California Fair Chance Act, City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance.

Job Reference: JN -052026-422127