POSITION SUMMARY
The Manager, Infrastructure oversees the planning, design, installation, maintenance, and connectivity of all new and existing network hardware, software, servers, storage, VMware, telecommunications, hybrid identity environments (AD/Entra ID), and AV systems to ensure the stable and secure operation of the Chicago Housing Authority’s IT assets. The Manager directs the activities of network and server engineers and defines the technological structure required to support CHA’s infrastructure environment, establishing procedures to ensure adherence to industry best practices.
This role requires strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively convey technical information to audiences of varying technical aptitude and organizational levels. The Manager must demonstrate the ability to lead people and foster teamwork among diverse technical and business groups. They must also possess strong technical acumen and extensive experience related to network/server/storage design, development, and maintenance.
The Manager works closely with the IT Security team to strengthen security posture, oversee infrastructure-related risk mitigation, and ensure disciplined execution of patching, configuration management, and disaster recovery capabilities. They ensure that all programs, projects, and initiatives are prioritized, aligned with IT risk, service delivery expectations, and CHA business operational objectives.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Infrastructure Leadership & Operational Management
- Accountable for the ongoing management, reliability, resiliency, and performance of the Chicago Housing Authority’s IT infrastructure, including servers, storage, VMware, networking, telecommunications, hybrid identity environments (AD/Entra ID), and AV systems.
- Oversee the IT Infrastructure Engineering function, directing the activities of network and server engineers and driving a positive team culture that promotes ownership, accountability, and collaboration.
- Maintain stable and secure operations across all new and existing infrastructure hardware/software, ensuring high availability, performance, secure user authentication, and adherence to industry best practices.
Strategic Planning & Roadmap Management
- Maintain and continuously update a comprehensive 5‑year infrastructure roadmap, covering servers, storage, networks, telecom, AV, virtualization, DR (Disaster Recovery), BC (Business continuity) and converged technologies.
- Lead long-range planning efforts to modernize CHA’s infrastructure, evaluate emerging technologies, and retire legacy platforms responsibly.
- Ensure infrastructure initiatives remain aligned with IT risk management objectives, service delivery goals, and CHA business operational needs.
Budgeting, Contracting & Financial Stewardship
- Assist in creating and managing the annual infrastructure budget, including forecasting for new purchases, maintenance, licensing, services, renewals, and ongoing vendor contracts.
- Conduct cost-benefit analysis, lifecycle planning, and vendor/contract oversight to ensure accurate long-term financial management of infrastructure assets.
Systems, Network & Capacity Management
- Provide configuration management, fault management, and capacity management of systems and network infrastructure services.
- Lead planning, configuration, implementation, troubleshooting, and tuning of servers in physical and virtualized environments.
- Lead planning, configuration, installation, and maintenance of enterprise networks and converged voice/video/data technologies.
Security Collaboration, Patch Management & Disaster Recovery
- Work closely with the IT Security team to ensure a strong security posture, disciplined patching practices, configuration management, vulnerability remediation, and risk‑aligned infrastructure operations.
- Ensure strong disaster recovery (DR) readiness, including backup integrity, replication health, DR documentation, and annual testing.
Documentation, Reporting & Governance
- Prepare operational reports and analyses that detail progress, adverse trends, performance metrics, SLAs, KPIs, and recommendations for improvement.
- Maintain robust documentation, SOPs, network/server diagrams, and lifecycle maintenance plans for all infrastructure components.
- Assume ownership of assigned responsibilities and ensure follow-through to effective resolution.
Technical Requirements
- Active Directory (On‑Prem & Azure/Entra ID) – Administration of hybrid identity, GPOs, domain services, directory synchronization, and cloud identity governance.
- Windows Server Administration – Management of server operations including patching, hardening, clustering, file services, IIS, and certificates.
- VMware Virtualization (vSphere/ESXi) – Oversight of virtual infrastructure including vCenter, HA/DRS, resource optimization, and troubleshooting.
- Enterprise Storage & Backup Systems – Support for SAN/NAS, storage provisioning, replication, backup platforms, and restoration testing.
- Networking (LAN/WAN) – Configuration and maintenance of routing, switching, VLANs, firewalls, VPNs, QoS, and distributed network environments.
- Telecommunications & Unified Communications – Administration of VoIP systems, SIP trunks, call routing, and coordination with telecom vendors.
- Call Center Technologies – Experience with call routing platforms, IVR systems, queue management, performance metrics, and integration with VoIP/UC environments.
- Monitoring & Management Tools (e.g., SolarWinds) – Use of monitoring systems to track performance, generate alerts, maintain dashboards, and support capacity planning.
- Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity – Maintenance of DR/BC plans including replication strategies, failover procedures, backup integrity validation, and testing.
- Security, Patching & Configuration Management – Implementation of secure configuration baselines, patch cycles, vulnerability remediation, and alignment with IT Security policies.
QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration, or related field preferred; Master’s Degree a plus. 7+ years of experience in IT infrastructure architecture, design, operations, and support across networks, servers/storage, and telecommunications. Experience managing teams responsible for AV, servers, networking, telecom, and storage systems. Industry certifications preferred (e.g., MCSE, CCNP/CCDP, virtualization technologies, ITIL, PMP). Strong understanding of DR, backup systems, patch management processes, telecommunications, and infrastructure security. Demonstrated ability to lead people, manage complex technical environments, prioritize tasks, and foster collaboration. Excellent written, oral, and presentation skills, with ability to convey information to audiences of varying technical expertise.
BENEFITS AT-A-GLANCE
- Vacation, Sick and Personal, competitive PTO package
- Medical (HMO, PPO, and No employee cost High-Deductible PPO) Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
- Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance
- Long-Term Care Insurance
- Pet Insurance
- Parking Transit
- Prepaid Legal Services
- Brightstar 529 College Savings Plan
- Identity Theft Protection
- Hospital Indemnity Insurance
- Voluntary Critical Illness Insurance
- Deferred Compensation Plan: Empower 457/401(a) with a 3% employer match
- Pension Plan: CHA makes contributions on behalf of the employee, along with the employee's 3% contribution; 100% vesting occurs after 6 years of continuous employment or opt-out of CHA's Retirement Plan and continues to participate in the Municipal Employees Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago
Salary Range: $140,000 Grade: S9 FLSA: Non Exempt Union: None
"Applications will be accepted for 30 days from the date of posting. However, the position may be closed at any point if a sufficient number of qualified applications are received.”
