IT Operations Manager

WRA is an employee-owned environmental consulting firm that partners with public agencies, nonprofits, and private clients to plan, design, permit, and implement complex environmental projects across California and the western U.S. Our work is collaborative, technically rigorous, and mission-driven. 

As WRA continues to grow, reliable and well-coordinated technology systems are essential to how our teams operate in the field, in the office, and with clients. While we partner with a managed IT services provider for technical delivery, we need an internal leader who ensures technology priorities are clearly communicated, initiatives move forward effectively, and staff are supported through change. 

The Role 

The IT Operations Manager serves as WRA’s internal IT champion and the primary bridge between the organization and our managed IT provider.  

This is not a hands-on technical support role. Instead, it is a coordination, communication, and operational leadership role focused on ensuring that technology initiatives align with business needs and are implemented across the firm. You will work closely with Internal Operations, People Operations, Finance, and department leaders to ensure technology-related work is coordinated effectively. 

Success in this role comes from building strong relationships, creating clarity across stakeholders, and ensuring that technology-related work is well-planned, well-communicated, and effectively executed.  

WRA has offices in the San Francisco Bay Area (San Rafael, Petaluma, and Emeryville) and in San Diego. This position may be performed remotely by candidates located in California, Colorado, Arizona, or Oregon. 

Key Responsibilities 

IT Partnership & Coordination 

• Serve as the primary internal point of contact for our managed IT services provider
• Participate in regular check-ins, planning meetings, and project reviews
• Translate technical recommendations into clear, actionable guidance
• Ensure IT priorities are aligned with organizational needs

Project Leadership & Execution Coordination 

• Lead IT-related initiatives from discovery through rollout
• Develop project plans, track timelines, and manage dependencies
• Coordinate internal stakeholders, testing, training, and adoption
• Partner closely with the IT provider to ensure timely and high-quality delivery

Operational Oversight of IT Services 

• Monitor support queues, service levels, and vendor responsiveness
• Ensure systems remain reliable, secure, and well-documented
• Identify and remove internal barriers that slow down IT initiatives

Communication & Change Management 

• Proactively communicate technology changes and upcoming initiatives
• Ensure staff understand impacts, timelines, and expectations
• Develop documentation and internal guidance materials
• Partner with leadership and People Operations on change management

Systems, Vendors, & Licensing Management 

• Oversee software licensing, renewals, contracts, and vendor relationships
• Coordinate procurement and ensure tools remain aligned with business needs
• Evaluate technology solutions that improve organizational effectiveness

Employee Technology Experience 

• Coordinate onboarding and offboarding technology processes
• Partner with People Operations and Internal Operations to ensure smooth transitions
• Support staff adoption of new systems and workflows

Asset & Process Management 

• Maintain inventory of hardware and software assets
• Manage procurement, lifecycle tracking, and audits
• Improve processes through documentation and automation

To be successful in this role, you will need:  

• 5–8 years of relevant experience in operations, project coordination, vendor management, IT coordination, or a related field. Candidates with less direct experience but strong transferable skills in coordination, communication, and project leadership are still encouraged to apply.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to clearly explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and project tracking abilities
• Experience coordinating multiple stakeholders and priorities
• Proactive, highly communicative working style
• Comfort working with both technical and non-technical partners

It will be helpful for you to have: 

• Experience working with external vendors or managed service providers
• Project management or change management experience
• Exposure to IT systems or technology implementations
• Experience supporting organizational communications or training

Not Required 

• Deep technical or engineering expertise. (This role focuses on coordination and execution support rather than hands-on IT work.)

Who you are 

• A natural connector who enjoys bringing people, ideas, and priorities together
• Someone who gets energy from helping teams succeed and removing friction from how work gets done
• Comfortable being the person who keeps everyone informed and engaged
• Curious about how technology can make work easier, more reliable, and more collaborative
• Motivated by enabling shared organizational success

WRA uses an established internal leveling system that aligns with market-informed salary bands. Level placement depends on relevant experience, education, and expected scope of responsibility.  

We have posted a salary range that corresponds to the appropriate level for this position. In your first conversation with our recruiter, we will discuss leveling and compensation with you to make sure that our expectations are aligned.  

*The salary range for this position is $90,000-$120,000, depending on the amount of direct relevant experience.  

Who we are 

WRA’s an employee-owned environmental consultancy. We are a tenacious team of planners, engineers, and scientists, and we aim to leave the lands we love better than we found them.  

Our clients and partners hire us because we’re skilled at navigating through challenging projects involving wildlands, parks, community spaces, and infrastructure. We bring over four decades of expertise, long-standing relationships, and connections to our local communities to make sure that projects are pursued in responsible ways where both people and the environment thrive.  

As an organization, we believe that independence and interdependence are not mutually exclusive. We invest in systems, processes, and employee programs to support our staff’s collective engagement and success. At the same time, we encourage our employees to operate with an ownership mindset, taking responsibility for outcomes and being true to our commitments.  

WRA’s company vision is to cultivate a sustainable future where people and the environment thrive, and that effort starts first with our staff. We are committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment, and we have developed flexible policies, internal practices, and are investing in programs that prioritize learning and sustainability. We aim to create conditions that allow employees to prioritize their families, lead healthy and balanced lives, and to bring their authentic selves to work every day. We believe that by creating an exceptional workplace, our employees will be able to do their best work and be able to meaningfully contribute to the sustainability of the environment and the communities in which we live. 

WRA is an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to creating a diverse environment. We recruit, employ, train, compensate and promote regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law.