IT Manager

THE ORGANIZATION

Founded at the University of Michigan Medical School, TRAILS (Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students) is among the most innovative and rapidly-growing school-based mental health solutions in the country. Today, our growing team is working toward the TRAILS mission of transforming the landscape of youth mental health care delivery by equipping school staff with the training and resources they need to provide evidence-based and culturally responsible programming to their students. 

To date, TRAILS has brought essential skills and resources to more than 14,000 teachers, administrators, and school mental health professionals. Our best-in-class program materials are built specifically for the school setting, and our unique training model is driven by research from the field of implementation science. Our website and library of materials are utilized by educators and clinicians across the United States and in more than 100 countries around the world. While our impact today is greatest in our home state of Michigan, TRAILS is expanding nationally with strong support from education and health sector leaders, public offices, and state policymakers. 

As we work to respond to massive demand for TRAILS programming from schools and districts throughout the United States, our team is guided by a core commitment to equity: The TRAILS growth strategy identifies Title I designated schools as our broadest target population, and we aim specifically to impact students who experience high risk for poor mental health outcomes and disproportionate barriers to quality care. As we grow our team, we seek candidates who share our commitment to equity in health and healthcare access, who practice cultural humility, and who thrive in and contribute to an inclusive working environment.

THE ROLE

TRAILS is seeking an experienced and highly organized professional to play a pivotal role in managing the organization’s technology operations. As a key leader and member of the Technology Operations Team, this role requires a versatile and technically skilled professional with exceptional organizational abilities and a collaborative, team-first approach. The IT Manager advances the mission of TRAILS by overseeing the daily operations of technology systems, leading and mentoring the Technology Operations team, and working to execute strategic technology initiatives that align with organizational goals. 

 

THE RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical Operations & Team Leadership  (25%)

• Manage the day to day operations of the Technology Operations team

• Directly supervise and support a small team of Technology Operations Specialists

• Create and implement Standard Operating Procedures for the Technology Operations team to establish and maintain service standards and ensure all standards are met

• Serve as an escalation point for complex and/or escalated technical issues

• Manage and maintain relationships with third-party managed service providers

 

Strategic Priorities (25%)

• Ensure Technology Operations resources are available and trained to support the organization’s strategic initiatives effectively 

• Collaborate across the organization and with department leaders to identify and address the technology needs of all TRAILS departments 

• Optimize application configurations to align with and adapt to evolving business requirements and strategic priorities 

• Co-lead the execution of the future TRAILS IT Security Strategic Plan in collaboration with the IT Director and other key players 

 

Application Support (25%)

• Ensure the Technical Operations team is equipped to support the organization’s core software, including Salesforce CRM, a future LMS, and other tools 

• Collaborate with other teams to understand business processes and ensure software configurations align with department and organizational needs 

• Develop and implement a hardware lifecycle management plan and oversee equipment replacement processes

• Maintain strong relationships with various application technology vendors

• Coordinate application upgrades and testing to ensure smooth transitions and minimize user disruptions 

• Support Tech Operations Specialists in application integrations to enhance system efficiency and interoperability

• Follow internal and broader technology best practices to communicate changes and minimize end user disruptions

 

IT Security Stewardship (15%)

• Collaborate across the organization to create and continually foster a security-first mindset among all TRAILS employees

• Conduct annual reviews of application permissions to ensure appropriate access controls are in place and maintained 

• Continually ensure best practices are followed for application security to safeguard organizational data 

• Assist with annual security audits and remediation of findings

 

General Team Responsibilities (10%)

• Attend team and all-staff meetings and participate in workgroups and other relevant TRAILS meetings

• Provide general back-up support to the IT Director and other members of the Operations teams as circumstances dictate

 

THE PERSON 

Our experience suggests that the following types of professional experiences lend themselves to this work:

• 4+ years of people management experience in a technical role

• 4+ years of enterprise application management and technical operations and project management experience

• Demonstrated prior experience creating, implementing, and evaluating IT policies, processes, and best practices from scratch 

• Demonstrated technical operations experience in a rapidly growing environment 

• Prior experience implementing strategic priorities 

 

Our experience suggests that the following types of skills lend themselves well to this work:

• Broad and deep technical proficiency and knowledge in both hardware and software

• Demonstrated proficiency with Salesforce, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office 365, Windows and OSX operating systems

• Demonstrated experience with enterprise application administration, including configuring software to meet business process needs

• Exceptional organization, prioritization, and task management skills, especially in a dynamic and growing work environment with competing demands

• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging 

• Willingness to travel within the US for 1-2 multi-day team meetings per year

 

EDUCATION

Our experience suggests the following certifications and degree(s) lend themselves well to this work:

• Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree in an Information Technology-related field

• Applicable experience and competencies may be considered in lieu of formal education

 

COMPENSATION

The salary range for this position is $107,593 to $113,570 annually. 

TRAILS offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision as well as a 403B with a safe harbor match and short and long term disability. We offer a generous holiday and paid time off package. 

 

APPLICATION NOTES

• Our job descriptions reflect TRAILS’ assignment of essential functions and qualifications of the role. Nothing herein restricts management's right to assign, reassign or eliminate duties and responsibilities to this role at any time. 

• We are only considering applicants who are legally authorized to work in the United States. 

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION 

Addressing inequities in access to evidence-based mental health care is intrinsic to the TRAILS mission. The intentionality behind this approach is woven into everything we do at TRAILS, resulting in a staff-wide commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion for all facets of our program. If this commitment is something to which you could positively contribute, we encourage you to apply, particularly if your voice represents a historically excluded perspective. 

TRAILS is an “at-will” and equal opportunity employer. Applicants and employees shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender (including pregnancy and gender expression) identity, color, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law or ordinance.