Information Technology Manager

What sets us apart?

Competitive compensation plan, base salary, and annual incentive

Health Benefits : medical, dental, vision, short term and long- term disability and wellness programs

401-k plan with company match

Comprehensive Paid Time Off and Holidays

Collaborative and Innovative work environment

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Vantage Apparel is the nation’s top source for custom logo apparel, serving as the premier choice of renowned global brands. Established in 1977, we have consistently demonstrated B2B innovation in the promotional apparel industry and earned the prestigious designation of one of the “Best Places to Work” in our field. In 2024, our commitment to excellence in apparel decoration was underscored by consecutive securing the 29th PPAI Gold Pyramid award for embroidery, consistently recognized in ASI Counselor® Magazine’s Top 40 company, and the PPAI Gold Pyramid for Marketing content. These honors affirm our persistent dedication to setting industry standards.

ROLE HIGHLIGHTS

The Information Technology Manager plays a critical role in ensuring the reliability, security, and efficiency of the organization’s technology environment. This position collaborates closely with internal teams, external technology vendors, and the Managed Service Provider (MSP) to support daily operations and the successful execution of technology initiatives. The ideal candidate brings a strong background in IT operations and support services and is passionate about maintaining high system availability, enforcing IT standards and cybersecurity controls, leading incident response efforts, managing vendor relationships, and ensuring that end-user technologies and infrastructure operate seamlessly to support the organization’s digital and operational needs.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following.

Other duties may be assigned.

Oversee daily IT operations, including Help Desk, PC Support, endpoint management, device lifecycle, and user onboarding / offboarding.

Manage and mentor IT Support Specialists (Tier I and II), ensuring efficient ticket resolution, documentation, and adherence to operating procedures.

Monitor IT performance metrics, SLAs, and operational tickets to ensure high levels of service and responsiveness.

Develop and implement IT operational processes, SOPs, documentation, and best practices to increase efficiency and consistency.

Ensure high availability of network, servers, cloud platforms, wireless infrastructure, printers, communication systems, and related devices.

Oversee configuration, maintenance, patching, and monitoring of IT systems through internal staff and the external MSP.

Conduct regular infrastructure health checks, capacity planning, and preventive maintenance activities.

Manage inventory and lifecycle of hardware assets, licenses, warranties, software versions, and equipment deployment.

Execute cybersecurity standards including endpoint protection, MFA, identity access management, vulnerability remediation, and patch compliance.

Ensure alignment of corporate security policies and partner with Director of Business Systems on system-level governance.

Lead first-response investigation of security incidents and coordinate with MSP and leadership as required.

Enforce compliance across user devices, network segments, mobile devices, and cloud services.

Serve as primary point of contact for the managed IT service provider (MSP) and other infrastructure vendors.

Manage vendor escalations, monitor contractual SLAs, evaluate performance, and ensure timely issue resolution.

Review quotes, service agreements, invoices, and budgeting for IT operational expenses.

Lead technical incident response for outages, downtime, cybersecurity alerts, or system failures.

Partner with the Director on disaster recovery, business continuity planning, and execution of DR testing.

Maintain communication channels during IT incidents to keep stakeholders informed and aligned.

Work closely with Operations, Warehouse, Customer Service, Digital Commerce, and Business Systems to ensure IT supports operational workflows.

Provide guidance to employees on technology use, issues, and escalations.

Participate in project planning where infrastructure or operational readiness is required.

Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and / or ability required.

Proactive, forward-thinking team player thriving in collaborative environments.

Collaborates effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels to support organizational goals.

Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

Skilled in analyzing data to create, implement, and execute service plans.

Experience working with or managing a Managed Service Provider (MSP).

Proven ability to lead and mentor technical staff and build high-functioning IT support teams.

Strong troubleshooting, incident management, documentation, and communication skills.

Experience in manufacturing, distribution, or multi-facility organizations.

Experienced in solving both simple and complex problems.

Proficient in process management and business workflow optimization.

Knowledgeable in consumer journey mapping to deliver best-in-class experiences.

EDUCATION AND / OR EXPERIENCE COMPUTER SKILLS

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.

10+ years of progressive IT operations experience, including leadership or team-lead responsibilities.

Strong technical knowledge of Windows environments, networks, firewalls, switches, VPNs, endpoint management, Active Directory, Office 365, and cybersecurity tools.

Knowledge of virtualization environments (VMware / Hyper‑V), cloud services, and VOIP systems.

Familiarity with ERP systems, warehouse devices (RF scanners), and integrated operational technologies.

At Vantage Apparel we are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, sex, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship, age, marital status, disability, gender identity, Veteran status, or other legally protected status.

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