Director of Information Technology

Scion Staffing has been engaged to conduct a search for a Director of IT for a rapidly growing, private education services organization that partners with schools nationwide to deliver innovative operational and technology solutions. This hybrid opportunity is based in the Phoenix, Arizona area and is ideal for a hands‑on technology leader who enjoys mentoring teams, solving technical challenges, and driving operational excellence within a collaborative, fast‑paced environment.

Hybrid schedule: onsite 2-3 days / week

Our partner is seeking a hands-on, player-coach Director of IT, Central Services to lead corporate IT operations while mentoring a lean, high‑performing IT team. This role combines technical leadership with day‑to‑day operational involvement and is responsible for corporate infrastructure, Microsoft technologies, cybersecurity, identity and access management, vendor relationships, budgeting, enterprise applications, and end‑user support for approximately 400 employees. The ideal candidate enjoys rolling up their sleeves to solve complex technical challenges, coaching their team, driving operational improvements through automation and AI, and delivering an exceptional employee technology experience.

• Competitive salary plus comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and retirement benefits.
• Hybrid work environment offering flexibility and collaboration.
• Opportunity to lead a highly visible IT function with executive partnership and significant ownership.
• Manage a $1 million IT budget while influencing technology strategy, infrastructure improvements, and cybersecurity initiatives.
• Join a growing organization that embraces innovation, AI‑driven automation, and continuous improvement while maintaining a collaborative, people‑first culture.

• Lead, mentor, and develop a lean IT team in a hands‑on player‑coach capacity
  , serving as the primary escalation point for complex Tier III technical issues while fostering a collaborative, service‑oriented culture.
• Oversee corporate IT operations, including help desk services, Microsoft 365, Azure, Entra , endpoint management, networking, hybrid infrastructure, and end‑user support.
• Manage identity and access administration, including provisioning, deprovisioning, single sign‑on (SSO), role‑based access controls, privileged access, and audit readiness across enterprise systems.
• Direct cybersecurity operations, including endpoint protection, vulnerability management, MFA, incident response coordination, security awareness, compliance support, and risk mitigation.
• Manage IT vendors, software licensing, procurement, asset lifecycle management, contract renewals, and the organization's approximately $1 million IT operating budget.
• Administer centrally managed enterprise applications and partner with business leaders to ensure secure, reliable, and scalable technology solutions.
• Lead IT planning and execution for acquisitions, including technology assessments, migrations, employee onboarding, system integrations, and infrastructure standardization.
• Drive continuous improvement by identifying opportunities for automation, AI‑enabled solutions, process optimization, and enhanced employee technology experiences.

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive IT experience, including leadership across IT operations, infrastructure, help desk, cybersecurity, and vendor management, with demonstrated success leading a hands‑on player‑coach IT team.
• Strong hands‑on technical experience supporting Microsoft 365, Azure, Entra , Windows environments, networking, endpoint management, SaaS…