It Operations Lead

Salary Range: $80,000.00 To $95,000.00 Annually
SJC stands as Canada’s largest privately owned communications company, distinguished by its portfolio of leading media brands, including Toronto Life, Chatelaine, and Maclean’s. At SJC, creativity, technology and journalism intersect to deliver content that resonates and performs. From integrated creative studios and advanced ad-tech to a portfolio of iconic media brands, we craft and distribute award-winning stories for audiences and advertisers alike. Partnering with organizations across North America, we build marketing solutions that inform, inspire and empower on every platform—from print to emerging digital channels. Our influence—and a 22-year streak on Canada’s Best Managed Companies list—reflects a culture committed to excellence and constant evolution. To learn more about our organization, please visit
About the RoleOur IT team is seeking an IT Operations Lead to manage the people and systems that keep our infrastructure, network, and endpoints secure, reliable, and well maintained. This is a player-coach role: you'll manage and grow a small IT team while remaining hands‑on as our Tier 3 escalation point for the more complex issues that come up day to day. The role touches on-prem server administration, networking, cloud infrastructure, and endpoint management, with a strong emphasis on cybersecurity readiness—including planning and running tabletop exercises that stress‑test our incident response. We're also looking for someone who brings an automation‑first mindset, encouraging the use of AI tools and scripting to reduce manual toil across on‑prem and cloud environments. You'll work closely with the Director, Engineering & Technology and other stakeholders across the business to set IT priorities, develop your team, and keep our people prepared for whatever comes next.
What You’ll Do in this Role:
Lead, mentor, and develop a small IT team, setting priorities, running performance and growth conversations, and building the team's on‑call and incident response capabilities.
Own Tier 3 escalations: stepping in on the trickier infrastructure, networking, and security issues that Tier 1/2 support can't resolve.
Oversee on‑prem server infrastructure, corporate networking, cloud infrastructure and identity, and endpoint management, ensuring these are reliable, secure, and well maintained (working with vendors or MSPs where deep specialist support is needed).
Champion the organization's cybersecurity posture, including access management, patching cadence, and backup/recovery practices.
Plan and facilitate cybersecurity tabletop exercises to test and improve incident response readiness across IT and the broader business.
Enforce support standards and processes and hold the team accountable to them.
Assist the Director in evaluating external vendors and managed service providers.
Encourage and guide the adoption of AI tools and automation/scripting to streamline IT operations, user management, and security monitoring.
Collaborate with production, facilities, and business stakeholders to support office and infrastructure needs.
Ensure documentation, systems, and runbooks are kept current to support consistency and knowledge sharing across the team.
Other duties as assigned.
Experienced IT generalist with solid working knowledge of on‑prem server environments and enterprise networks, and a genuine interest in staying hands‑on with day‑to‑day technical problems.
Proven team‑lead experience coaching and developing IT staff;
1‑2+ years management experience. 4+ years contributing consistently on modern IT teams.
Some hands‑on exposure to cybersecurity practices, and comfortable planning or facilitating tabletop exercises and incident response discussions.
Working familiarity with cloud infrastructure and identity/access management concepts (provisioning/deprovisioning, access reviews, conditional access).
Comfortable overseeing endpoint fleets (Windows/MacOS) with the help of standard endpoint management tools.
Enthusiastic about using AI tools and automation/scripting to make IT operations more efficient, even if not a deep scripting expert.
Clear communicator who can explain technical risk and tradeoffs to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders, including leadership.
Comfortable with balancing hands‑on Tier 3 work with people management, planning, and strategic responsibilities.
Your Skills Include:
On‑prem & networking: General comfort administering Windows Server and/or Linux environments and troubleshooting LAN/WAN, VPN, and firewall issues.
Cloud & identity: Working knowledge of a major cloud provider (e.G., AWS, Azure, GCP) and identity/access tools (e.G., Active Directory/Entra ID, SSO).
Endpoint management: Familiarity with common endpoint management tools (e.G., Microsoft Intune, JAMF, SCCM) for provisioning and securing devices.
Cybersecurity: General understanding of incident response planning, tabletop exercise facilitation, and security best practices.
AI & automation: Interest and some experience in using AI tools or scripting/automation platforms to streamline IT operations.
Service management: Experience with ticketing/ITSM tools, SLA design, and Tier 1–3 support structures.
People leadership: Demonstrated experience managing, mentoring, or leading IT staff, including performance management and team development.
Education: A bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or equivalent practical experience.
SJC is committed to the well‑being and professional development of its employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes:
Health and Dental Benefits
Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP) and access to online health & wellness resources through Homewood Health.
Scholarship program available for employees’ children.
Exclusive employee subscription rates for SJC publications.
A complimentary 1‑year Toronto Life Insider membership.
Discounted annual GoodLife membership.
Participation in the Perkopolis Perk Program, offering employee pricing at a wide range of retailers.
A Workplace Built for Everyone:
SJC Values
Amaze our customers: We put our customers’ evolving needs at the heart of the business and inspire through our ideas, quality and service.
Be relentlessly curious: We take the initiative to learn, try new things and brainstorm the next big idea.
Respect every individual as equal: We value diversity as the means to creativity and cultivate a collaborative environment where everyone belongs.
Innovate and adapt with urgency: Forward‑thinking and flexible, we react quickly and boldly to change.
Contribute to our community: We apply our resources and passions to make a difference – for people and our planet
SJC is proud to be an equal‑opportunity employer, where everyone feels welcome and has the opportunity to thrive. We're committed to creating inclusive and barrier‑free recruitment processes and work environments. If you're contacted for an interview and require any accommodations to ensure a fair and equitable experience, please let our Human Resources team know. We'll handle any information you share with complete confidentiality.
Inclusion at SJCEquality and respect for all is one of our founding values and core beliefs at SJC. We are a diverse group with associates of all ages, orientations, races and talents. We celebrate this diversity and we draw strength from it. Inclusivity at SJC means fostering a culture that welcomes and respects each individual as equal – both inside our walls and within the larger community.
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