Director, IT Operations

Director, IT Operations

Calgary, AB (Hybrid In-Office)

For over 55 years, H&R Block has prepared taxes for millions of Canadians annually. Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, we serve taxpayers in more than 1,000+ offices, through our upload from home service, and online with our DIY tax software. Our dedicated team of Tax Experts use the latest in electronic processing and filing technology to prepare all types of returns, including personal, small business, corporate, farm, trucker, fishing, U.S., rental and estate.

Becoming an H&R Block Associate is an opportunity to grow with the strongest brand in the tax preparation industry. We are looking for people who want to provide help and inspire confidence in our clients and communities. We know that the ability to deliver outstanding client service starts with having the best talent on our team, and if you want to be part of our success story then we want to hear from you!

Purpose

Reporting to the VP of IT for Canada, the Director, IT Operations plays a key role in strategic and operational leadership. You will be responsible for overseeing and managing the technical infrastructure, support and operations for our clients and internal teams across Canada.

Your primary objective will be to ensure the smooth and efficient functioning of all IT systems, services, and processes, to drive continuous improvement initiatives, and spark innovation to enhance operational effectiveness and value from IT investment. The Director, IT Operations leads a team of approximately 35 full time and 40 seasonal staff in Canada and India, collaborates with peer teams in the US, and cross-functional departments in Canada to align technical operations with overall strategic business objectives.

This position is based in Calgary and offers a hybrid work schedule, with 3 days per week in-office.

Key Responsibilities

1. Technical Infrastructure Management:

• Develop and implement strategies for the design, deployment, and maintenance of technical infrastructure, including networks, servers, and storage in both our Azure cloud-native platforms and on-premises systems.
• Establish efficiency and efficacy standards, providing recommendations for improvement of IT infrastructure.
• Ensure high availability, scalability, and security of technical systems to meet business requirements.
• Stay up to date with emerging technologies and trends and evaluate their potential for improving operational efficiency.
• Work with the Director of Software Development and the Enterprise Architecture office to propose, refine and maintain our technology strategy and roadmap.

2. Operations Management:

• Establish and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs) to streamline technical operations and ensure consistent performance.
• Monitor system performance, troubleshoot issues, and lead resolution efforts to minimize downtime and disruptions.
• Implement disaster recovery plans and procedures to safeguard critical data and systems.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define operational metrics, track performance, and implement improvements as needed.
• Develop and implement business continuity processes to minimize disruption to business operations in the event of a crisis or emergency situation.
• Drive operational excellence; highly scalable and reliable systems infrastructure, excellent team member services using efficient and agile operations.
• Manage and lead improvements in the IT Service Management practice such as change and problem management.

3. Leadership:

• Establish IT departmental goals, objectives, standards, and operating procedures that support business goals in collaboration with senior management and stakeholders.
• Establish and apply metrics to facilitate continuous evaluation and improvement of operations and delivery.
• Effectively communicate project expectations to team members and stakeholders in a timely & clear fashion.
• Act as technology advisor to business teams.
• Strategically organize on- and off-shore teams to optimize efficiency, delivery, and employee satisfaction.
• Collaborate within the IT Senior Leadership Team to build and implement IT strategy.
• Recruit, train, mentor, and motivate a team of technical professionals, providing guidance and support in their career development.
• Foster a collaborative and innovative work environment, promoting knowledge sharing and cross-functional collaboration.
• Conduct performance evaluations, provide feedback, and address performance issues in a timely manner.

4. Vendor and Budget Management:

• Evaluate and select vendors and service providers.
• Manage vendor relationships to ensure effective delivery of technical services.
• Develop and manage the technical operations budget, tracking expenditures, and identifying cost optimization opportunities.

5. Compliance and Security:

• Ensure compliance with relevant regulations, industry standards, and best practices in data privacy, security, and disaster recovery.
• Implement and maintain robust security measures to protect the organization's technical infrastructure and sensitive information.
• Partner with our global information security team to identify security vulnerabilities and eliminate them with strategic solutions that increase our security posture.
• Responsible for the overall security posture, championing cyber security initiatives and roadmap.

6. Customer Care:

• Define and achieve organizational objectives related to contact center service levels and customer experience.
• Oversee the development of a Customer Care strategy that is focused on performance enhancement and achievement of service levels.
• Drive quality and consistency while optimizing the Customer Care operations service delivery, efficiency, and outcomes to create a customer centric, responsive, and trusted organization and brand.
• Oversee the evolution of operational reporting and target setting to ensure ongoing strategic/tactical alignment and organizational objectives are being met.
• Oversee development of customer-centric procedures, policies, reporting and standards that allow for timely and consistent delivery of services to customers.
• Oversee the building of capability and support systems that will be required for H&R Block to position itself as a trusted service provider to customers.

Key Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Management Information Systems or similar required.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in IT at a Senior Manager level.
• Background as a technical hands-on contributor preferred.
• Experience leading a team, including working with/managing functional and technical resources globally.
• Experience managing information technology budgets.
• Excellent organizational and leadership skills.
• Possess excellent technical and non-technical communication skills and the ability to speak to a wide variety of audiences.
• Excellent English written and verbal skills. French written and verbal skills an asset.
• Strong interpersonal skills needed to relate technical topics in simple and accessible language across technical, business and leadership teams.
• Experience with public cloud technology (Azure preferred).
• Knowledge of application security, networking and Identity and Access Management desirable.

Do you have a passion for IT Infrastructure and Operations, along with the skills and qualifications required for this GREAT opportunity?

If so, we invite you to send your resume to employment.opportunities@hrblock.ca, including Director, IT Operations in the subject line.

We encourage all interested individuals to apply. Successful candidates must have legal authorization to work in Canada on a full-time basis for any employer. Proof of legal authorization to work in Canada will be required as part of the recruitment process. Only those candidates selected for interview will be contacted.

H&R Block fosters a workplace in which individual differences are recognized, appreciated, and respected. Accommodation is available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process.