IT Manager (MSP Liaison)

Department: Information Technology 
Reports to: Sr Manager of Projects and Systems 

Job Summary 

The IT Manager will act as the central point of contact between NWEP and our MSP (Olmec), ensuring efficient, timely, and cost-effective IT support. This role combines vendor management, cybersecurity leadership, asset and license administration, and policy development. 

Key Responsibilities 

MSP Management 

• Serve as the primary liaison with our MSP (Olmec) to manage resources and deliver timely IT support for our growing team.
• Optimize and maximize the effective use of MSP resources.
• Monitor MSP performance metrics, and ticket trends to identify recurring issues or SLA breeches
• Collaborate with the MSP to incorporate industry best practices.
• Partner with the MSP to troubleshoot and resolve escalated Level 3 issues.
• Develop, maintain, and enforce cybersecurity policies to safeguard NWEP infrastructure. 

IT Management & Operational Alignment 

• Oversee software license management throughout employee onboarding and offboarding processes.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Operations to deconflict IT maintenance with critical project timelines.
• Serve as the primary advocate for Engineering/Ops needs, ensuring the MSP understands the specific technical requirements of plant and design systems.
• Coordinate and deliver IT security training for NWEP staff and relevant MSP personnel.
• Develop and maintain the file server group permissions matrix.
• Manage hardware procurement, including orders and establishment/maintenance of hardware specification standards.
• Oversee contracts, licensing, and deployment of multiple software packages critical to plant operations.
• Develop and maintain the annual IT budget 

IT Optimization 

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive asset management inventory system.
• Forecast inventory stock levels and plan asset retirement to support current users and new hires.
• Create and maintain a software-per-user matrix.
• Review the current software allocation and pricing strategy for potential savings and efficiencies.
• Enable operational efficiency by centralizing IT management and reducing the need for operations staff to handle their own systems.
• Explore AI productivity options for company use. 

Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Management Information Systems, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 5+ years of progressive IT experience, including at least 2 years in IT management or vendor/MSP oversight.
• Demonstrated success managing relationships with managed service providers.
• Experience in cybersecurity policy development, asset management, and software license compliance. 

Required Skills 

• Strong vendor management and contract oversight capabilities.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Clear and effective communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Proficiency with ticketing systems, asset management tools, Microsoft 365 administration, and common enterprise software.
• Solid understanding of cybersecurity frameworks (e.g., NIST, CIS Controls) and best practices.
• Analytical mindset with keen attention to detail, especially in permissions, licensing, and inventory tracking. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience in engineering or plant operations environments.
• Relevant certifications such as CompTIA Security+, CISSP, ITIL Foundation, Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate, or similar.
• Familiarity with hardware procurement cycles and software contract negotiation.
• Level 3 technical support experience 

What We Offer 

• Competitive salary based on experience.
• Comprehensive benefits package including annual bonus, health, dental, vision, retirement plan with match, and generous PTO.
• A supportive team environment in a growing company where your impact will be highly visible.