IT Director

Smith Debnam is a law firm that offers a comprehensive set of legal services for businesses, individuals, and families. We have a positive work culture that encourages collaboration, engagement, and innovative thinking. The proof is in our high employee retention rate. Our success starts with recruiting and retaining the very best talent, and then empowering our employees with a positive and supportive environment.

As a member of our Team, you’ll enjoy a professional work environment, base salary, a quality benefit program, paid time off and flexible work hours.

Summary Job Description:

The IT Director provides overall direction, management, and participation in the delivery and support of information systems, security and technology resources for the Firm, and gives strategic guidance to the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Committee toward achieving the firm’s operational goals.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Consult with users, management, vendors, and technicians to understand and support the organization’s technology needs and system requirements. 
• Evaluate the organization's current information technology and systems and recommend improvements and best practices.
• Develop and monitor organizational goals, policies, and procedures regarding information systems and strategy. 
• Meet with managers, attorneys, staff, vendors, and others to solicit cooperation and define/resolve problems. 
• Direct daily operations of IT department and its staff, including analyzing workflow, establishing priorities, assigning tasks and setting deadlines, developing service standards, technology purchasing, and managing user help-ticket system. 
• Overall management and maintenance of core information network systems in a multi-office environment, including LAN, WAN, backup, security, disaster recovery, VOIP, and user help systems. 
• Manage Software as a Service (SaaS) and other Cloud-hosted services and service providers.
• Manage the firm’s information security client audit and compliance interaction. 
• Plan and manage projects related to significant technology rollouts and systems upgrades. 
• Develop and oversee a comprehensive program of user software and technology training. 
• Stay abreast of advances in legal technology and assess their impact on firm operations. 
• Prepare operational and capital expenditure budgets and manage both recurring operating and project-specific costs against budget estimates. 

Essential Qualifications and Abilities 

• Experience implementing and maintaining technology for an organization with over 100 users.
• Experience in management and leadership role with decision-making responsibility in information technology.
• Experience supporting a professional services operation. Law firm experience strongly preferred. 
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Experience in performing cost/benefit analysis and project budgeting. 
• Ability to gain understanding of operational needs and identify and implement relevant systems or technology solutions. 
• Knowledge and experience with implementing and monitoring proactive systems performance metrics and identifying required actions to improve or correct performance. 
• Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions. 

Technical Skills 

• CISSP, Security+ or similar experience equivalency in relevant information security concepts and practical application. Experience with security compliance and related audits. Experience with the PCI-DSS is a plus.
• VOIP communications system administration and troubleshooting.
• Excellent project management skills, including development and communication of written project plans, and a track record of completing projects on time, on budget, and with positive user acceptance.
• Ability to troubleshoot and understand core network equipment performance issues or failures, and work to resolve with the assistance of vendors as required
• Experience in implementing and managing both on-prem and cloud-hosted systems and data centers, and related network management matters.

Working knowledge and familiarity with the following: 

• Microsoft Active Directory 
• Microsoft Windows Environment 
• Microsoft Hybrid Exchange 
• Office 365 and related applications
• Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions and other Cloud-hosted services and service providers 
• Core network element interaction and operating systems, including switching, servers, firewalls, storage, and similar 
• Mobile device/MDM support and management
• Evaluation, architecting, selection and implementation of SAN/ SD-WAN/Cloud/Virtual solutions
• Network cyber security tools and solutions including anti-spam, anti-virus malware, EDR, IDS/IPS, DLP, SIEM, firewall and encryption
• Citrix remote access 
• Microsoft SQL Server 
• VOIP and Contact Center systems (RingCentral)
• Web technologies including intranet/extranet/collaboration platforms (e.g., Microsoft SharePoint – Online, MS Teams, cloud-based storage, etc.

This is an onsite position in our Raleigh, NC office.