IT Manager

The Opportunity
NexTech Solutions LLC (NTS) is a cleared defense and government technology contractor headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, building software and delivering technical services for Department of State and Department of War customers. The IT Manager runs NTS corporate IT day to day: infrastructure, endpoints, identity, collaboration tools, business systems, and the technical controls behind our CMMC Level 2 / NIST SP 800-171 program. You lead a team of six in-house IT technicians, manage the vendors and resellers behind our tooling, and work daily with the COO, CFO, HR, the Cybersecurity Director, and engineering leads. You are the escalation point when anything in the environment is down, at risk, or out of compliance.
This is a hands-on management role. You will set direction and run vendors, and you will also log into the tenant and fix things yourself.

Key Responsibilities (Principal Duties and Accountabilities *Essential Functions)

• Infrastructure and operations
  
  • Own the Microsoft 365 GCC High tenant: Entra ID, Exchange Online, SharePoint/OneDrive, Teams, Intune, Defender, Purview, and licensing.
  • Administer on-premises servers, networking, firewalls, Wi-Fi, and backup/disaster recovery across NTS facilities, including a self-hosted AI/GPU server environment.
  • Manage endpoint lifecycle for Windows and Mac devices: imaging, patching, encryption, MDM, hardware refresh, and asset inventory.
  • Run IT onboarding and offboarding for employees and contractors, including account provisioning, access reviews, and equipment return.
  • Deliver tier 2/3 support and maintain an SLA-driven help desk; keep ticket, change, and incident records current.

• Security and compliance
  
  • Implement and maintain the technical controls behind the CMMC Level 2 / NIST SP 800-171 program as directed by the Cybersecurity Director: identity and access, endpoint configuration, logging, patching, encryption, and backup.
  • Provide control evidence, system inventories, and configuration documentation for the SSP, POA&M, and assessments.
  • Enforce CUI and ITAR/export-controlled data handling in the environment (U.S.-person access, data boundaries) in coordination with the Cybersecurity Director and Empowered Official.
  • Execute the technical response to IT security incidents under the Cybersecurity Director's lead.

• Business systems and vendors
  
  • Administer and integrate corporate systems including Unanet GovCon (ERP/timekeeping/billing), UKG Ready (HR/payroll), Slack, and the company website/DNS stack with its external vendor.
  • Manage IT vendors and support contracts (Microsoft, hardware, software, telecom) and own escalations against their SLAs.
  • Manage the IT budget and recommend spend: software licensing, renewals, and hardware procurement; work with vendors and resellers on pricing.
  • Support evaluation and pilots of new tools (M365 Copilot, AI agents, automation) within security boundaries and cost targets.

• People and integration
  
  • Participate in IT integration for acquired companies and new offices: tenant consolidation, identity migration, and device standardization.
  • Write and maintain IT policies, runbooks, and user-facing documentation.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Directly supervises six (6) IT technicians: hiring, scheduling, performance reviews, coaching, and professional development.
• Sets team priorities, assigns tickets and projects, and manages on-call/after-hours coverage for outages and maintenance windows.

• Fluency in English (written and spoken).
• U.S. citizenship required. This position has access to ITAR/EAR-controlled technical data and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI); NTS must verify U.S.-person status under 22 CFR 120.62.
• No security clearance is required for this position.
• Must have unrestricted work authorization in the U.S., as sponsorship is not available at this time.
• Must pass a background check as a condition of employment.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Required Skills, Experience & Abilities

• 7+ years of progressive IT experience, including 2+ years leading IT staff or an IT function.
• Hands-on administration of Microsoft 365 and Entra ID in a regulated environment (GCC, GCC High, or equivalent), including Intune and Defender.
• Experience implementing NIST SP 800-171 or similar technical controls and supplying evidence for audits.
• Windows Server, Active Directory/hybrid identity, virtualization, networking (VLANs, firewalls, VPN), and backup/DR fundamentals.
• Experience managing IT vendors and support contracts against defined SLAs.
• Experience administering at least one line-of-business platform (ERP, HRIS, or timekeeping) and its integrations.
• Clear written communication: able to explain an outage to an executive and write a runbook a technician can follow.
• One of: CompTIA Security+, Network+, or a Microsoft certification (MS-102, SC-300, AZ-104, or similar).

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior IT leadership at a defense or federal contractor; familiarity with DFARS 7012/7019/7020, SPRS, and CMMC assessment preparation.
• Direct experience with Unanet GovCon, UKG Ready, or Slack Enterprise administration.
• Experience with ITAR/EAR technical data controls and U.S.-person access restrictions.
• Experience with post-acquisition IT integration (tenant-to-tenant migration, identity consolidation).
• Familiarity with self-hosted AI/LLM tooling (GPU servers, Ollama/Open WebUI or similar) or M365 Copilot deployment.
• Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting mindset; initiative and ownership of tasks and projects.

Physical Demands & Work Environment
The physical demands and work environment described are representative of those that an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Ability to lift and move up to 50 lbs. on occasion (servers, network equipment, monitors, and shipping boxes) and to work in server rooms, under desks, and on step ladders when racking or cabling equipment.
• Ability to perform tasks involving typing, cabling, and handling small electronic components.
• Ability to effectively communicate, participate in meetings, and identify and troubleshoot technical issues using appropriate tools and methods.
• Ability to travel domestically up to 15% of the time to other NTS sites, which may include extended periods of standing, walking, or navigating airports and secure facilities. Professional office environment with standard office equipment; regular work in server/network rooms with moderate noise and cooling.
• Frequent interaction with executives, staff, and vendors in both in-person and virtual settings.
• On-site at the Huntsville, AL headquarters; not a remote or hybrid position.
• Travel to other NTS sites (approximately 15%).
• Fast-paced, deadline-driven environment requiring adaptability and responsiveness; after-hours availability for outages, maintenance windows, and incidents.
• Work is performed in a CUI/ITAR-controlled environment requiring adherence to security protocols.