Sr. Manager, IT Operations in Sarasota, Florida at Kreate

About Kreate

Kreate is a family-owned plastic injection molding company headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, with operations across five states. We design and manufacture consumer products sold through major retailers—everyday items that improve how people live, work, and experience the world around them.

What makes Kreate different is our mindset. We are focused on reimagining familiar product categories and turning “same old” into “better.” That approach influences everything we do—from product development and manufacturing to how we invest in people and technology.

Innovation at Kreate extends beyond engineering or product design. It shows up on the plant floor, in continuous improvement efforts, in how we adopt new systems and tools, and in how we support our teams. We believe great ideas can come from anywhere, and we build an environment where improvement is constant and expected.

As a family-owned business, we take a long-term approach to growth. We value accountability, teamwork, and pride in workmanship. Employees here have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact, learn new skills, and help shape how we operate and grow.

If you’re looking for a place where technology supports real-world manufacturing, where your work directly helps employees stay productive, and where continuous improvement is part of the culture, Kreate offers a strong place to build your career.

Position Summary

We are seeking a hands-on, strategic Sr. Manager, IT Operations to lead and optimize our enterprise IT environment during a period of rapid growth and transformation.

This role serves as the internal owner of IT operations, partnering closely with our Managed Service Provider (MSP) while maintaining accountability for infrastructure, Microsoft cloud technologies, security governance, identity management, networking, IT service delivery, and overall end-user experience.

The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with strong operational leadership and is comfortable working across infrastructure, cybersecurity, Microsoft cloud platforms, vendor management, and process optimization. This is not a purely managerial role — the successful candidate will contribute technically, challenge vendors effectively, and help scale the organization’s technology environment alongside business growth.

Key Responsibilities

IT Operations & Infrastructure

• Lead day-to-day oversight of enterprise IT infrastructure and operational services
• Drive operational standards, governance, documentation, and process improvement initiatives
• Support cloud and hybrid infrastructure environments across Azure and on-prem systems
• Oversee networking environments including switching, routing, wireless, VPNs, firewalls, and WAN connectivity
• Participate in disaster recovery, backup validation, business continuity, and scalability planning

MSP & Vendor Management

• Serve as the primary internal owner for MSP performance and execution
• Manage relationships with external IT vendors, telecom providers, and technology partners
• Hold vendors accountable to SLAs, escalation management, documentation quality, and operational performance
• Lead quarterly business reviews and evaluate new technologies and service providers

Microsoft 365 & Cloud Administration

• Oversee administration and optimization of Microsoft 365 and Azure environments
• Manage Microsoft licensing strategy, allocation, and cost optimization
• Support and enhance:
• • Entra ID (Azure AD)
  • Exchange Online
  • Teams
  • SharePoint Online
  • Intune
  • Defender
  • Azure infrastructure services
• Assist with governance and rollout planning for Microsoft Copilot and AI-enabled collaboration technologies

Security, Identity & Access Governance

• Lead enterprise MFA and SSO strategy across business applications
• Manage onboarding, offboarding, provisioning, and role-based access controls
• Develop Conditional Access policies and security baselines
• Coordinate access reviews, privilege management, compliance initiatives, and incident response readiness
• Partner with leadership and vendors on cybersecurity strategy and risk reduction efforts

IT Service Management & Process Optimization

• Improve IT ticketing systems, workflows, and service delivery operations
• Develop KPIs, operational reporting, and service metrics
• Implement IT operational best practices aligned with ITIL principles
• Drive automation initiatives to improve efficiency and user experience
• Enhance endpoint lifecycle management, asset tracking, and operational visibility

Required Experience

• 7+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, cloud administration, or IT operations
• 3+ years managing MSPs, vendors, or enterprise IT environments
• Strong experience with Microsoft 365 and Azure administration
• Experience implementing MFA, SSO, Conditional Access, and identity governance
• Strong understanding of enterprise networking and infrastructure operations
• Experience improving ITSM platforms, ticketing systems, and operational workflows
• Experience supporting multi-site or rapidly growing organizations

Technical Expertise

Strong working knowledge of:

• Microsoft 365 ecosystem
• Azure infrastructure and administration
• Entra ID / Azure AD
• MFA and SSO platforms
• Intune and endpoint management
• Microsoft licensing models
• Networking fundamentals (switching, routing, VPNs, firewalls)
• IT security best practices
• ITSM platforms and ticketing systems
• Backup and disaster recovery concepts

Preferred:

• Microsoft Defender ecosystem
• Sentinel
• PowerShell scripting and automation
• Hybrid AD environments
• Manufacturing, distribution, or ERP-integrated environments

Leadership Competencies

• Strong organizational and prioritization skills
• Ability to balance strategic planning with hands-on execution
• Excellent communication and vendor management skills
• Strong problem-solving and operational decision-making abilities
• Ability to drive accountability and continuous improvement in fast-paced environments

Company Details:

• Location: Kreate – 2033 Main Street, Sarasota FL, 32437
• This position will report to the VP of Technology

Kreate is an equal opportunity employer. The Statements used herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by an employee in this position and are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties and skills required. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the Company.