Senior IT Manager - Concord, CA,

ATHENS POSITION DETAILS · Position Title: · Senior IT Manager · Department: · Information Technology · Reports To: · Vice President of Information Technology · FLSA Status: · Exempt · Job Grade: · 19 · Career Ladder: · Next step in progression could include VP of IT · ATHENS ...

Job description

ATHENS POSITION DETAILS

Position Title:

Senior IT Manager

Department:

Information Technology

Reports To:

Vice President of Information Technology

FLSA Status:

Exempt

Job Grade:

19

Career Ladder:

Next step in progression could include VP of IT

ATHENS ADMINISTRATORS
Explore the Athens Administrators' difference: We have been dynamic, innovative leaders in claims administration since our founding in 1976. We foster an environment where employees not only thrive but consistently recognize Athens as a "Best Place to Work." Immerse yourself in our engaging, supportive, and inclusive culture, offering opportunities for continuous professional growth. Join our nationwide family-owned company in Workers' Compensation, Property & Casualty, Program Business, and Managed Care. Embrace a change and come make an impact with the Athens Administrators family today
 
POSITION SUMMARY:
Athens Administrators has an immediate need for a full-time Senior IT Manager to join our IT department with the high-level objective of protecting Athens, and Athens' client's data and to enable the business. This position will be hybrid out of our Concord, CA office, estimated 4 days a week in the office and 1 working remotely from home. Athens offices are open for business Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. local time. The schedule for this position is Monday-Friday at 37.5 hours a week.
 
The Senior IT Manager position will lead enterprise IT infrastructure and operations within a secure, compliant, and high-performance environment. This strategic role is accountable for overseeing systems administration, network architecture, cloud services, infrastructure scalability and security across the organization. The Senior IT Manager will partner with the Helpdesk Supervisor and the Director of Software Development to ensure seamless day-to-day operations while aligning IT capabilities with organizational objectives, security frameworks and compliance requirements (SOC 1/2, HIPAA, DLP, access controls etc.).
 
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Our new hire should have the skills, ability, and judgment to perform the following essential job duties and responsibilities with or without reasonable accommodation. Additional duties may be assigned:

Infrastructure & Systems Oversight

• Manage daily operations and strategic planning of infrastructure systems including Microsoft 365, Mimecast, Zoom, eFax, VMware, and AWS environments.
• Take ownership of the Claims Administration system (SIMS (AKA ClaimsXPress or CXP)) from a technical perspective and take responsibility for the work that our Managed Service Provider (MSP) does in this space.
• Partner with the Director of Software Development to ensure that the SIMS ecosystem including the technical aspects of our mailroom are fully functional at all times.
• Oversee device lifecycle management including procurement, imaging, onboarding logistics, and end-of-life processing aligned with security standards.
• Implement and maintain consistent backup and retention strategies aligned with business continuity plans and regulatory frameworks.
• Test and if needed, enhance the existing disaster recovery and business continuity plans to minimize downtime and data loss in the event of an incident.
• Ensure all existing Policies and Procedures make sense and are always followed.
• Administer anti-spam and anti-malware solutions.

Security & Compliance Leadership

• Oversee vulnerability and patch management lifecycle through Qualys, working in tandem with Security Analyst and System Admins to ensure endpoint and server security.
• Develop and maintain controls to support successful SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type 2 audits, including documentation, evidence collection, and remediation planning.
• Ensure CrowdStrike endpoint deployments are fully functional, monitored, and integrated into alerting systems such as DataDog SEIM.
• Lead remediation efforts for internal and third-party penetration testing and work with InfoSec stakeholders to reduce exposure.
• Maintain DLP enforcement standards through policy updates and escalation monitoring across Mimecast, Microsoft 365, email, and web environments.
• Create phishing tests and provide Security, Privacy and Phishing training for all employees on a regular basis.
• Manage and work with our Security Analyst to ensure we have the appropriate security posture when it comes to MFA, Identity Management, SOC other audits, vulnerability and penetration testing.

Network & Identity Governance

• Oversee secure configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting of all Athens-managed firewalls (Fortinet), network switches, and access points across offices (HPE Aruba).
• Lead the administration of identity and access systems: OKTA for SSO, Entra ID for identity lifecycle management, and Duo MFA for endpoint trust policies.
• Manage Cloudflare Access for enforcing browser isolation and secure application authentication across remote endpoints.
• Ensure secure and audited file transfers via Secure FTP infrastructure for claims workflows and external vendor communication.

Team Leadership & Operational Excellence

• Directly supervise the Systems Administrators, ensuring alignment with SLAs, ITSM best practices, and KPI tracking.
• Establish team performance review cycles and implement operational standards to improve helpdesk ticket closure rates, escalation handling, and end-user satisfaction.
• Directly supervise the Security Analyst, assist with security questionnaires from customers, vendors, insurance companies, if applicable.
• Build a strong relationship with all SLT members to ensure business support.
• Manage the relationship with our Managed Services Provider that oversees our AWS Cloud environments, ensure that the local team members are able to perform these functions as a moments notice if required.
• Build a strong relationship with the Director of Technical Project Management to ensure that we understand what's needed to work our project, any roadblocks are cleared and their status is known at all times.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement through process optimization, mentorship, team cross-training, and professional development.
• Lead knowledge base content creation and ensure accurate, audit-ready documentation of system processes and user support procedures.

Strategic Planning & Vendor Relations

• Develop and manage infrastructure budgets in collaboration with the VP of IT, focusing on cost-effective service delivery and technology ROI.
• Evaluate and engage vendors for networking hardware, managed services, security tools, and SaaS platforms.
• Monitor vendor SLAs and performance; escalate critical issues and support renewals, negotiations, and security reviews.
• Work with department heads to forecast system needs, align resources, and ensure technical readiness for new initiatives or business expansion.
•  

Supervisory Responsibilities
Supervising, scheduling, assigning, monitoring, and evaluating the work of assigned staff are responsibilities for supervisory positions.

• Reporting to this position will be System Admin, Security Analyst and a Managed Services Provider

 
Fiscal Responsibilities
The Senior IT Manager is responsible for the effective financial management of IT infrastructure, security, and operational services, ensuring fiscal discipline while enabling business objectives.
Key fiscal responsibilities include:

• Develop, manage, and forecast annual IT infrastructure and security budgets in partnership with the Vice President of Information Technology.
• Review, approve, and reconcile vendor invoices to ensure accuracy, contract compliance, and adherence to approved budgets.
• Participate in vendor contract negotiations, renewals, and pricing reviews to ensure favorable financial and service outcomes.
• Ensure technology investments align with business priorities, security requirements, and long-term infrastructure strategy.
• Support financial planning for disaster recovery, business continuity, and compliance-related initiatives to ensure adequate funding and risk mitigation.

ESSENTIAL POSITION REQUIREMENTS
The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  While it does not encompass all job requirements, it is meant to give you a solid understanding of expectations.
 
Education Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
  • High School Diploma or equivalent (GED) required for all positions.

 
Experience Requirements

• 8–12+ years in IT infrastructure, systems, or operations management with 3–5+ years of proven team leadership experience.
• Strong penetration test and audit compliance experience with SOC 1/2, HIPAA, or ISO 27001.
• Experience working with claims administration systems such as ClaimsXPress (AKA SIMS/CXP) preferred but not required.
• Hands-on knowledge of Highly Available/Redundant environments running in AWS VPC's using AWS cloud services (EC2, IAM, FSx, DRS, S3, Backups) and VMware vSphere clusters.
• In-depth experience with Active Directory, OKTA, Entra ID, Duo MFA, and Cloudflare for Zero Trust frameworks.
• Experience implementing, managing, or integrating DataDog SEIM and Qualys vulnerability scanning platforms.

 
Certifications (Preferred)

• Relevant certifications such as MCSA, MCSE, CompTIA Server+, Network+, Security+, Project+, Cloud+ are highly desirable.
• CISSP or CISM for information security governance.
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect.
• Microsoft Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert.
• VMware VCP or higher.
• ITIL v4 Foundation or equivalent process maturity certifications.
• Qualys Certified Specialist (preferred for vulnerability lifecycle owners).

 
Technical Skills

• Expertise in Microsoft 365, Mimecast, Zoom platform administration.
• In-depth experience with Active Directory, OKTA, Entra ID, Duo MFA, and Cloudflare for Zero Trust frameworks.
• Hands-on knowledge of AWS cloud services (EC2, IAM, FSx, DRS, S3, Backups), AWS VPCs, and VMware vSphere clusters.
• Experience with DataDog SEIM and Qualys vulnerability scanning platforms.

 
Leadership & Management Skills

• Effective team management, resource planning, project tracking, and vendor negotiation skills.
• Strategic thinker, capable of translating business requirements into effective IT strategies.
• Effectively influences people to achieve departmental and organizational objectives.
• Proven ability to analyze facts, identify issues and make appropriate recommendations and solutions for resolution.
• Seeks to include innovative strategies and methods to provide a high level of commitment to service and results.

 
Communication & Interpersonal Skills

• Excellent documentation, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Strong customer service and interpersonal skills.
• Patience and the ability to communicate technical information concisely to non-technical users.
• Ability to demonstrate care and concern for fellow team members and clients in a professional and friendly manner.

 
Ethics, Integrity, & Professional Conduct

• Ability to be trustworthy, dependable, and team-oriented for fellow employees and the organization.
• Athens' operations involve handling confidential, proprietary, and highly sensitive information, such as health records, client financials, and other personal data. Therefore, maintaining honesty and integrity is essential for all roles within the company.

 
Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills

• Proven ability to analyze facts, identify issues and make appropriate recommendations and solutions for resolution.
• Reasoning ability, including problem-solving and analytical skills, i.e., proven ability to research and analyze facts, identify issues, and make appropriate recommendations and solutions for resolution.

 
Work Environment, Physical Requirements & Logistics

• Ability to meet employer's attendance, time zone requirement, and hybrid remote work policy.
• Must have ability to physically be present in office, upon extremely short notice on hybrid work from home day, in emergencies.
• Ability to type quickly, accurately and for prolonged periods, sit for prolonged periods, and lift up to 40 lbs. with the help of a dolly or coworker.
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel locally; occasionally to one of our other offices.

 
APPLY WITH US
We look forward to learning about YOU If you believe in our core values of honesty and integrity, a commitment to service and results, and a caring family culture, we invite you to apply with us. Please submit your resume and application directly through our website at   Feel free to include a cover letter if you'd like to share any other details.   All applications received are reviewed by our in-house Corporate Recruitment team. The Company will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in accordance with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.  Applicants can learn more about the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Act, including their rights, by clicking on the following link:  
 
This description portrays in general terms the type and levels of work performed and is not intended to be all-inclusive or represent specific duties of any one incumbent. The knowledge, skills, and abilities may be acquired through a combination of formal schooling, self-education, prior experience, or on-the-job training.
 
Athens Administrators is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, sex, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship status, veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. We prohibit discrimination in decisions concerning recruitment, hiring, compensation, benefits, training, termination, promotions, or any other conditions of employment or career development.
 
THANK YOU
We look forward to reviewing your information. We understand that applying for jobs may not be the most enjoyable task, so we genuinely appreciate the time you've dedicated. Don't forget to check out our website at as well as our LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Facebook pages
 
Athens Administrators is dedicated to fair and equitable compensation for our employees that is both competitive and reflective of the market. The estimated rate of pay can vary depending on skills, knowledge, abilities, location, labor market trends, experience, education including applicable licenses & certifications, etc. Our ranges may be modified at any time. In addition, eligible employees may be considered annually for discretionary salary adjustments and/or incentive payments. We offer a variety of benefit plans including Medical, Vision, Dental, Life and AD&D, Long Term Care, Critical Care, Accidental, Hospital Indemnity, HSA & FSA options, 401k (and Roth), Company-Paid STD & LTD and more  Further information about our comprehensive benefits package may be found on our website