Director, It

The Director, IT leads day-to-day delivery of technology services and operational security. Reporting to the VP Finance, IT and Risk, this role is YWCA's senior technology leader, setting technology direction and translating it into execution by running reliable IT operations and strengthening cybersecurity controls that protect YWCA’s clients, staff, and organisational reputation.
Reporting and governance
Reports to:
Vice President, Finance, IT and Risk (VP Finance, IT and Risk)
Direct reports:
Senior IT Systems Manager, plus additional technical staff as required
Governance:
provides operational metrics and risk updates to the VP Finance, IT and Risk;
participates in cross-functional governance forums as required
Delegated authority and decision rights
Runs day-to-day operations across sites, including escalation pathways, on-call structure, service workflows, and operational communications to staff.
Approves routine operational changes, configuration standards enforcement, and remediation plans (patching, vulnerability remediation coordination, endpoint baselines) consistent with standards approved by the VP Finance, IT and Risk.
Recommends technology standards, policies, and the annual IT operating and capital budget for approval by the VP Finance, IT and Risk.
Defines and enforces operational processes (incident/problem/change), service catalogue structure, and operational metrics.
Manages renewals, service performance, and vendor issue escalation;
can approve vendor workorders and operational purchases within budget and delegated signing limits.
Owns operational control implementation and upkeep (monitoring, endpoint protection, email protections, conditional access operations) and ensures evidence is maintained for audits and cyber insurance.
Leads performance management, scheduling, coverage planning, and hiring for operational roles (with VP Finance, IT and Risk approval for net-new roles or material restructuring).
What you’ll be doing:
IT operations and service management
Run day-to-day IT operations, ensuring stable services, responsive support, and clear escalation pathways for front-line teams.
Implement service management practices, including ticketing workflows, incident and problem management, and change coordination.
Define and track operational performance metrics (for example, ticket volumes, time to resolution, recurring issues) and drive continuous improvement.
Infrastructure, platforms, and endpoint management
Oversee network, connectivity, collaboration, and core cloud services to ensure availability, security, and supportability.
Ensure consistent execution of endpoint management, patching, configuration standards, and identity and access operations (including Joiner-Mover-Leaver (JML) processes and access reviews).
Support the operational health of data pipelines and BI tools, ensuring data sources are reliable and accessible for enterprise reporting.
Provide operational support for network-connected physical security systems (e.G., CCTV, access control).
Oversee configuration, support, and integration of core business applications (e.G., client management, finance, and HR systems), working with system owners across the organisation.
Maintain backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity capabilities for critical systems, including regular restore testing.
Vendor, procurement, and asset management
Own the device and asset lifecycle program: standards, procurement coordination, tagging, inventory accuracy, deployment, transfers, replacements, secure wiping, and disposal.
Enforce mobile and BYOD access controls appropriate to risk, including limitations on local storage and expectations for incident reporting, remote wipe, and support boundaries.
Manage operational vendor relationships, renewals, and service performance, escalating risks and material issues to the VP Finance, IT and Risk.
Manage the IT operating and capital budget, including license and subscription costs, and report on spending against plan.
Cybersecurity operations and control implementation
Operationalize security controls and maintain security tooling configurations and monitoring across endpoints, networks, and cloud services.
Coordinate vulnerability management, including scanning, risk-based prioritization, and remediation tracking.
Maintain operational readiness for incidents, including runbooks, escalation, evidence preservation support, and post-incident corrective actions.
Apply privacy and safety safeguards to systems that hold sensitive client information, and support privacy impact assessments and breach response.
Maintain IT policies and staff guidance (e.G., acceptable use) and deliver security awareness training, including phishing simulations.
Project delivery and change enablement
Lead delivery of operational technology projects (upgrades, migrations, tooling improvements), managing scope, timelines, and stakeholder communication.
Work with program leaders to translate needs into feasible solutions and sustainable support models.
Ensure changes are adopted successfully through training, communications, and transition to steady-state operations.
Develop and maintain the multi-year technology roadmap in partnership with the VP Finance, IT and Risk, and translate it into actionable project plans, ensuring operational readiness for all new deployments.
People leadership
Lead, coach, and develop the IT operations team, including performance management, training plans, and coverage planning.
Establish clear on-call, escalation, and handoff practices that protect staff wellbeing and maintain service reliability.
What you’ll need:
Required experience and capabilities
8+ years of progressive IT experience, including leadership of infrastructure and end‑user computing in a multi‑site environment.
Demonstrated experience operating and improving IT service delivery, including ticketing, incident management, and operational metrics.
Practical cybersecurity experience, including patching discipline, endpoint security, identity and access practices, and incident response support.
Strong vendor and contract operations capability, including renewals, service performance management, and procurement coordination.
Ability to communicate clearly with non‑technical stakeholders and drive adoption of consistent practices.
People leadership experience, including coaching, performance management, and coverage planning for reliable operations.
Experience developing multi‑year technology roadmaps and managing IT budgets.
Post‑secondary degree or diploma in information technology, computer science, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Preferred experience
Experience in non‑profit, housing, or human services environments with heightened privacy and safety considerations.
ITIL or comparable service management training, and project delivery experience (formal or practical).
Working conditions
Based in Metro Vancouver with occasional travel to multiple sites as required.
Hybrid work may be supported depending on operational needs, incident readiness, and leadership expectations.
This role participates in incident response leadership and may require after-hours availability for critical incidents and scheduled maintenance windows.
What we offer:
We offer our eligible employees the following benefits as part of their total rewards package:
Extended medical and dental benefits
Pregnancy, parental and adoption leave top up
22 vacation days and 3 personal days, in addition to paid sick leave.
Flexible working arrangements for applicable positions
Employee Family Assistance Program, a confidential and voluntary support service for employees and their eligible family members
A workplace that prioritizes employee health, safety and well-being, including many learning and growth opportunities such as our employee mentorship program and three equity committees that help to support our goals towards achieving meaningful equity and inclusion.
Free staff membership to our Health + Fitness Centre
Discounts at our YWCA Hotel
Priority in YWCA Child Care centres
Pay Rate: $119,101.32 per annum
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