Director of Information Technology, San Francisco Bay Area, CA

Director of Information Technology Role Overview

A well-established financial services organization in the San Francisco Bay Area is hiring a Director of Information Technology to oversee and evolve the firm’s technology operations, infrastructure, security initiatives, and end-user support. The role carries accountability for a secure, scalable, and highly reliable technology ecosystem aligned with the organization’s objectives.

The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise with strategic thinking, vendor management capabilities, and a service-oriented leadership approach. In a financial services setting, that work runs alongside frameworks such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and the technology governance and risk practices associated with ISACA. The position maps to the computer and information systems manager profile.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Infrastructure and Operations Leadership

• Provide leadership and oversight for the organization’s technology infrastructure and support operations.
• Manage enterprise hardware, software, cloud services, communications platforms, and end-user technologies.
• Oversee technology onboarding, offboarding, provisioning, and lifecycle management processes.
• Support collaboration technologies, meeting environments, and workplace productivity solutions.
• Monitor, maintain, and optimize infrastructure performance, availability, and reliability.
• Support office expansions, relocations, and other infrastructure-related projects when necessary.

Cybersecurity, Risk, and Governance

• Lead cybersecurity initiatives, risk management efforts, and technology governance programs.
• Coordinate security assessments, audits, testing initiatives, and remediation activities as required.

Vendor, Budget, and Procurement

• Maintain relationships with technology vendors, service providers, and strategic partners.
• Manage technology budgets, procurement activities, licensing, and asset management programs.

Strategy, Policy, and Improvement

• Develop and execute technology initiatives that enhance operational effectiveness and business continuity.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend solutions that improve efficiency, security, and scalability.
• Develop policies, procedures, and best practices that support business objectives and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to identify opportunities for process improvement and technology enhancement.

Required Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in IT operations, infrastructure management, or technology leadership in a professional or financial services environment.

Skills and Attributes

• Strong understanding of cybersecurity principles, risk management frameworks, and technology governance.
• Experience managing third-party vendors, service providers, and technology contracts.
• Ability to lead multiple initiatives simultaneously while maintaining exceptional service levels.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proven leadership experience with a collaborative and hands-on management style.

Preferred Background

• Experience supporting multi-office or distributed work environments.
• Familiarity with cloud-based infrastructure, collaboration platforms, and modern workplace technologies.
• Exposure to compliance-driven environments and information security programs.
• Experience developing long-term technology roadmaps and strategic initiatives.

Who Thrives as a Director of Information Technology

The strongest candidates work comfortably at two levels at once. They can set the technology roadmap with leadership and then move straight to the operational reality of keeping infrastructure, endpoints, and collaboration tools running. In a financial services firm, that range matters, because the same leader is accountable for both the strategy and the uptime.

Security and governance are treated as part of daily operations, not a side project. People who do well here are fluent in risk management frameworks and technology governance, and they fold assessments, audits, and remediation into the normal rhythm of running the function. Vendor and budget judgment rounds it out, since much of a modern stack is delivered and licensed through third parties that need to be selected and managed well.

Above all this is a service-oriented leadership role. The firm depends on technology that simply works, so the people who enjoy it are the ones who measure success by a secure, reliable environment and steady improvement over time.

About Excelon Associates

Excelon Associates is a retained executive search firm founded in 2007, headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, with offices in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, Florida. The firm recruits leadership and specialized talent across financial services, higher education, healthcare, and government.

This Director of Information Technology search is being conducted on behalf of a confidential client, with an Excelon recruiter as the single point of contact through screening, interviews, and offer. You can explore the firm’s financial services recruitment practice, browse current open roles, or review recent campaigns to see the kinds of searches Excelon runs.

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How to Apply for This Director of Information Technology Role

Excelon does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, marital or veteran status, disability, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.