Manager IT Application Operations

Job Title

Job Description

At Academy Sports + Outdoors our vision is to be the best sports + outdoors retailer in the country — but what truly sets us apart is our people. We're a passionate, purpose-driven team that's as committed to each other as we are to our customers.

We've spent over 80 years building a culture that puts people first. We believe in creating opportunities for growth, fostering meaningful connections, and supporting every Team Member's journey. What fuels us? Our belief in the power of fun.

Here, you won't just help customers gear up for their next adventure — you'll launch one of your own. Whether you're starting out or leveling up, Academy is a place where fun can't lose!

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field of study or equivalent years of related work experience required.

At least 8 years of related management experience in the retail industry IT field.

Prior people leadership experience, including management of employees, contractors, and/or managed service providers

Experience supporting enterprise-scale applications across one or more business domains (e.g., Supply Chain, Retail Operations, Finance, Digital, Corporate Systems)

Possess the capability to manage direct reports who may be contractors as well as employees in a managed services environment

Experience managing a technical staff with a variety of technical skills, administering and supporting a portfolio of enterprise applications and systems

Experience managing a technical team providing 24/7 on-call support

Experience supporting enterprise application platforms across one or more business domains, with oversight to related support towers such as Stores, BI/Reporting, Financials, or Digital as required.

Experience in building and maintaining a comprehensive Application Catalog of applications and business customers

Working knowledge of the latest technological trends, including observability, automation, and AI.

Coordinate with project managers, business analysts, development managers, and the Infrastructure teams on new application projects, and ensure application and database performance and stability

Provide regular and proactive communication to senior IT management on project status, potential risks, concerns, team successes and challenges, as well as the progress of individual performance

Maintain current knowledge on new IT tools, hardware, software, and technology, and make recommendations to meet current and future business challenges

Must possess excellent customer service, inter-personal, leadership, conflict resolution, and problem-solving skills

Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment and ensure Business SLA's and project deadlines are met

Experience in product-based IT Operations and SRE principles is a plus

Acceptable level of hearing and vision to perform job duties

Communication - effective listening, speaking, and writing

Provide leadership across assigned enterprise application support teams and platforms

Manage the application lifecycle for Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Transportation Management Systems (TMS), and Labor Management Systems (LMS)

Oversee the IT interface with automated Material Handling Equipment (conveyors, sorters, robotics, and ASRS). Ensure high availability for mission-critical distribution center hardware/software interfaces

Maintain the "source of truth" for inventory data as it moves through the supply chain into Merchandising and Store systems

Maintains smooth and efficient operation of assigned departments

Responsible for service reliability, cross-functional incident/problem/change governance

Performs general managerial duties, including hiring, training, coaching, reviewing, performance, compensation, and termination for regular and contract associates as applicable

Able to enumerate and assign tasks to staff and establish metrics to assess performance

Mentor team members to ensure continuous learning and engagement, maximizing individual talents and strengths where they serve the team(s) best, and report on these to management

Maintains budget including project expenses, salaries, training, travel & entertainment

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