IT Operations Manager

Reporting to : Senior Director, IT Japan & Korea 
Team : 2 Outsourcing Vendors 

Who You Are: 

The IT Infrastructure & Service Desk Manager is responsible for leading and managing all IT support operations across Corporate Offices, Retail Stores, Data Centers, and Remote Users within Japan. 

This role oversees the end-to-end delivery of IT Helpdesk services, IT infrastructure operations, and outsourced support teams, ensuring stable, secure, and efficient technology services for business users and retail operations. 

The position serves as the primary escalation point for IT service issues and is responsible for maintaining high service levels, infrastructure availability, operational excellence, and continuous improvement across the IT environment. 

The successful candidate will work closely with business stakeholders, global IT teams, vendors, and managed service providers to ensure technology services effectively support business growth and operational requirements. 

What You’ll Do:  

IT Service Desk Leadership 

• Lead and oversee all IT Helpdesk operations supporting Corporate Offices and Retail Stores. 

• Ensure timely resolution of incidents, service requests, and escalations with SLAs. 

• Act as the highest operational escalation point for major incidents and business-critical outages. 

• Monitor service desk performance through KPIs, ticket trends, resolution times, and customer satisfaction metrics. 

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance user experience and service quality. 

• Establish and maintain support processes aligned with ITIL best practices. 

Infrastructure Operations Management 

• Own the operational stability, performance, and availability of all IT infrastructure environments. 

• Manage infrastructure supporting Corporate Offices, Retail Stores, Warehouses and Distribution Centers, and Remote/Mobile Workforce. 

• Network infrastructure (LAN, WAN, Wi-Fi with Meraki Cloud) 

• Servers and cloud platforms with ServiceNow 

• End-user computing devices and mobile devices in Ivanti Management 

• Microsoft 365 services including co-pilot, co-work environment 

• Printing and collaboration technologies 

• Retail store technology platforms 

• Coordinate infrastructure upgrades, patching, hardware refreshes, and technology standardization initiatives. 

Retail Store Technology Support 

• Ensure stable operations of all store technology environments including POS systems, payment devices, store networking, mobile devices, digital solutions, and store back-office systems. 

• Partner with Retail Operations teams to support business continuity and peak trading periods. 

• Lead resolution efforts for store-critical incidents to minimize business impact. 

• Develop and maintain store technology standards and operational procedures. 

Vendor & Outsourced Service Management 

• Manage outsourced Helpdesk and Infrastructure support providers. 

• Establish performance expectations and monitor vendor SLA compliance. 

• Conduct regular service review meetings and performance assessments. 

• Ensure vendors deliver high-quality support services while maintaining cost efficiency. 

• Manage support contracts, renewals, and service improvement plans. 

Incident, Problem & Change Management 

• Lead Major Incident Management processes and communications. 

• Drive root cause analysis activities for recurring issues. 

• Implement corrective and preventive actions to improve service stability. 

• Govern Change Management activities to minimize operational risks. 

• Ensure proper documentation and adherence to change control procedures. 

Infrastructure Projects & Continuous Improvement 

• Lead infrastructure-related projects from planning through implementation. 

• Collaborate with regional and global IT teams on strategic initiatives. 

• Support technology transformation projects including: 

• Cloud adoption and Modern Workplace solutions 

• Network & Retail technology enhancements 

• Identify opportunities for automation, operational efficiency, and service optimization. 

Security & Compliance 

• Ensure infrastructure and support services comply with corporate security standards and policies. 

• Partner with Cybersecurity teams to address vulnerabilities and audit findings. 

• Support compliance initiatives including PCI DSS and regulatory requirements. 

• Ensure endpoints, network, and user access controls are maintained appropriately. 

Stakeholder Management 

• Build strong relationships with business leaders, retail operations teams, and global stakeholders. 

• Communicate service performance, risks, issues, and improvement plans regularly. 

• Serve as the primary IT operational liaison between business stakeholders and technology teams. 

• Provide executive reporting on service health, operational metrics, and infrastructure performance. 

What You’ll Bring:  

We’re looking for someone with the following experience and skills — but these aren’t set in stone. If you bring something extra to the table, we’d love to hear from you! 

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, or related field. 

• 5+ years of experience in IT Infrastructure, Service Desk, or IT Operations management. 

• Proven experience managing IT services across multiple locations. 

• Experience supporting both Retail and Corporate technology environments. 

• Experience managing outsourced IT service providers and vendor relationships. 

Solid technical knowledge of: 

• Strong command of English, both verbal and written 

• Networking, Windows environments, Microsoft 365 

• Retail technology ecosystems  

• Endpoint management and cloud technologies 

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities. 

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills. 

• Experience in retail or consumer-facing industries is preferred