Director of IT
Michael Sullivan & AssocDirector of Information Technology
JOB DESCRIPTION
Department: Information Technology
Reports To: Executive Director
Location: Remote - California. Periodic travel to firm offices and leadership meetings.
FLSA Status: Exempt
Position Summary
The Director of Information Technology leads the firm's technology function through its next phase of modernization. The firm operates a hybrid technology model in which an internal information technology team works alongside a managed services provider that delivers much of the day-to-day operation. The Director is responsible for the overall Information Technology program encompassing vendor accountability, security and compliance maturity, cloud cost discipline, critical business platform support, and more.
The firm is seeking a practical, business-minded technology leader who can effectively manage key compliance initiatives (e.g. SOC 2), strengthen IT operations, oversee managed services provider performance, and partner with firm leadership on important objectives.
Essential Responsibilities
Technology Strategy and Operating Model
- Maintain a multi-year technology roadmap aligned with the firm's business objectives, client service expectations, risk profile, and growth plans.
- Advise the Executive Director and firm leadership on technology investment, security risk, AI considerations, infrastructure modernization, and vendor strategy.
- Define the operating model across internal staff, the managed services provider, cloud vendors, security partners, and legal technology platforms.
- Translate business priorities into project plans, budgets, and executive-ready reporting.
Managed Services Provider and Vendor Governance
- Own the relationship with the firm's managed services provider, including scope, service levels, escalation paths, reporting, performance reviews, cost management, and contract accountability.
- Establish service-level expectations for availability, response and resolution times, change quality, user satisfaction, security operations, and project delivery.
- Lead quarterly business reviews, renewal planning, vendor scorecards, and corrective action when service quality or cost performance falls short of expectations.
- Evaluate, select, and manage technology vendors across legal platforms, Microsoft and Azure partners, cybersecurity tools, telecommunications, hardware, and emerging solutions.
Infrastructure, Cloud and Core Systems
- Maintain the performance, reliability, security, and scalability of the firm's technology environment, including Azure infrastructure, Microsoft 365, identity and access management, endpoints, networking, telephony, backups, and business continuity capabilities.
- Develop cloud cost management discipline for Azure, including spend visibility, tagging, budgets, alerts, usage optimization, vendor accountability, and executive reporting.
- Oversee lifecycle planning, modernization, disaster recovery, incident response readiness, and technology standards.
- Ensure the technology environment supports a secure, productive remote and hybrid workforce.
Legal Technology and Business Platforms
- Partner with attorneys, practice leaders, and business teams to support and improve the firm's legal and business platforms, which may include practice management, document management, time and billing, matter intake, litigation support and eDiscovery, document automation, knowledge management, collaboration tools, and reporting systems.
- Improve platform governance, access controls, change management, adoption, training, vendor support, and integration strategy.
- Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, reduce manual effort, improve data quality, and enhance the attorney and staff technology experience.
Information Security, Risk and SOC 2
- Lead the firm's information security program in partnership with executive leadership, the managed services provider, security vendors, auditors, and internal stakeholders.
- Advance SOC 2 Type II program including examination support, evidence collection, control operation, remediation tracking, policy management, and ongoing compliance discipline.
- Coordinate security domains including identity and access management, multifactor authentication, endpoint protection, vulnerability management, security awareness, logging and monitoring, vendor risk, incident response, backup and recovery, and periodic access reviews.
- Maintain policies and standards that protect confidential client and firm information while enabling attorneys and staff to work effectively.
End-User Experience and Service Delivery
- Champion a responsive, service-oriented information technology culture for attorneys, legal professionals, and business staff.
- Improve onboarding, offboarding, equipment, access provisioning, support processes, collaboration tools, and training.
- Use ticket analytics, user feedback, and recurring-issue analysis to improve service quality and reduce avoidable friction.
Budget, Planning and Leadership
- Develop and manage the annual information technology budget, including operating expenses, capital investments, cloud spend, managed services provider and vendor costs, security tools, and project investments.
- Provide executive reporting on roadmap progress, risk, cost, service levels, security posture, and vendor performance.
- Lead, coach, and develop internal information technology staff; clarify roles between internal team members, the managed services provider, and specialized vendors.
- Build a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, security awareness, and practical innovation.
Required Qualifications
- History of progressive information technology leadership experience, including ownership of infrastructure, cloud services, security, vendor management, and business-facing technology delivery.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft 365, Azure, identity and access management, endpoint management, networking, backup and recovery, and modern security operations.
- Strong understanding of security, compliance, audit readiness, policy management, or control operations using frameworks such as SOC 2, NIST CSF, CIS Controls, or ISO 27001.
- Demonstrated ability to manage information technology budgets, cloud spend, vendor contracts, and multi-year technology roadmaps.
- Executive communication skills and the ability to translate technical issues into business, risk, cost, and productivity terms.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience managing an outsourced or co-managed information technology model, including a managed services provider, contract scope, service levels, escalations, reporting, cost controls, and performance accountability.
- Experience in a law firm, legal services, professional services, financial services, consulting, or other high-trust environment.
- Familiarity with legal platforms such as practice management, document management, time and billing, litigation support and eDiscovery, document automation, knowledge management, or client intake systems.
- Direct experience supporting SOC 2 Type II readiness or examination cycles.
- Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CISA, CRISC, PMP, ITIL, or Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 credentials.
- Bachelor's degree in information technology, computer science, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
Compensation and Benefits
The total target compensation opportunity for this role is between $170,000 and $210,000, structured as a combination of base salary and performance-based incentive compensation. Incentive eligibility is tied to firm technology, security, compliance, service, cost management, and innovation objectives.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Michael Sullivan & Associates LLP is an equal opportunity employer. The firm considers qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.