Job description

Senior Vice President of Infrastructure & Operations The Senior Vice President of Infrastructure & Operations will report to the SVP Technology and is responsible and accountable for leading our global IT infrastructure strategy, overseeing cloud services, network architecture, and the technological platform that powers our worldwide manufacturing and retail operations. This executive role demands a visionary leader who can drive technological excellence while leading high-performing global teams with the goal of shaping the future of our enterprise technology backbone and ensuring the foundational technology supports the rapid innovation and scalability required to maintain Ashley's #1 position in the furniture industry. Strategic Infrastructure & Operations Leadership • Develop a comprehensive IT Infrastructure & Operations strategy and roadmap that aligns directly with Ashley Furniture's overall business objectives, global expansion plans, digital transformation goals (Industry 4.0, omni-channel retail), and emphasis on continuous improvement. • Drive modernization initiatives, including strategic hybrid, multi-cloud migration, infrastructure automation, network transformation, and the adoption of cutting-edge operational technologies in manufacturing and distribution. • Ensure the foundational technology backbone supports the rapid innovation and scalability required to maintain Ashley's #1 position in the furniture industry. • Define and execute a forward-thinking, resilient, and scalable IT infrastructure strategy that directly supports a large, complex, and integrated manufacturing, distribution, transportation, and retail enterprise. Operational Excellence & Service Delivery • Oversee all global IT infrastructure services, including cloud and on-premise compute, storage, data centers, enterprise networking, telecommunications, and end-user computing, ensuring high performance, availability, and reliability (24/7/365 where applicable). • Establish and enforce rigorous operational standards, Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to guarantee maximum uptime, minimal disruption, and efficient resource utilization. Lead incident management, problem management, change management, and disaster recovery planning and execution, minimizing business impact and ensuring rapid recovery. • Implement IT Service Management (ITSM) best practices (e.g., ITIL) to optimize service delivery and support operations. Demonstrate deep expertise in IT operations management, ITIL frameworks, incident/problem/change management, disaster recovery, and ensuring high-availability of critical systems (24/7/365). Security & Compliance • Partner closely with the CISO and cybersecurity teams to design, implement, and maintain a robust and resilient security posture across all infrastructure components (network, servers, cloud, endpoints), adhering to Ashley's "Dirty Fingernail" value of meticulous inspection. • Ensure strict compliance with all relevant industry regulations (e.g., PCI DSS for retail payments), data privacy laws (e.g., CCPA, GDPR), and internal security policies. • Oversee vulnerability management, patching, and security hardening processes for all infrastructure assets. • Apply strong understanding of infrastructure security principles, vulnerability management, security hardening, and operational collaboration with CISO teams. Cost Optimization & Financial Management • Manage multi-million dollar annual operating and capital budgets for IT Infrastructure & Operations, driving cost efficiency, optimizing spend, and maximizing the return on technology investments. • Implement FinOps practices to optimize cloud spend and on-premise infrastructure costs. Analyze total cost of ownership (TCO) for IT services and infrastructure assets, identifying opportunities for savings without compromising performance or security. • Demonstrate exceptional ability to manage large IT budgets, drive FinOps, analyze TCO, and identify significant cost savings while maintaining service quality. Vendor & Partner Management • Lead the evaluation, selection, negotiation, and management of strategic vendor relationships for hardware, software, cloud services, and outsourced operational support. • Ensure external partners deliver services in alignment with Ashley's values and operational requirements. • Apply proven expertise in managing strategic technology vendors, negotiating contracts, and ensuring optimal service delivery from third parties. Talent Leadership & Development • Build, mentor, and lead a large, high-performing global team of infrastructure engineers, network specialists, cloud architects, site reliability engineers, and IT operations professionals. • Foster a culture of continuous learning, technical excellence, passion, drive, and discipline, empowering leaders at every level. Oversee talent acquisition, performance management, career development, and succession planning within the Infrastructure & Operations organization. • Demonstrate success in building, mentoring, and leading large, diverse, and geographically distributed teams of highly technical professionals. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Business Alignment • Collaborate extensively with business unit leaders and Application Engineering to ensure IT infrastructure proactively supports strategic initiatives, new product launches, manufacturing expansions, and retail growth. • Act as a key IT liaison in cross-functional projects, providing infrastructure expertise and ensuring seamless integration of technology solutions across Ashley's boundaryless operations. • Apply superior analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to diagnose complex technical issues quickly and effectively, ensuring business continuity. Additional Responsibilities: • Make technology decisions and/or recommendations on infrastructure investments, vendor selections, system implementations, performance improvements, security enhancements, cost optimizations, etc. • Coordinate and manage the work of infrastructure teams by directing members across global operations to meet technology and business goals. Audit regularly to ensure infrastructure standards, security protocols, and operational procedures are being adhered to across all environments. • Manage team performance and assist professionals in making improvements to their technical capabilities through coaching, mentoring and administering performance reviews. • Recommend, plan and/or implement infrastructure training and skill development activities for technical teams. • Audit, maintain and ensure infrastructure monitoring, capacity planning, and performance metrics are accurate and actionable. • Communicate technology strategy and operational status to executive leadership and facilitate team growth and development through regular meetings, coaching, training, and company-offered learning opportunities. • Manage resources to optimize infrastructure, platforms, personnel, processes and technologies across global operations. • Demonstrate the company's Core & Growth Values in the performance of all job functions. Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related technical field, required. Master's degree (MBA or equivalent), strongly preferred. Experience: • Minimum of 18 years of progressive experience in enterprise IT, with at least 10 years in a senior leadership role overseeing large-scale IT Infrastructure & Operations (e.g., managing teams of 100+ professionals). • Proven track record of successfully leading major infrastructure transformations (e.g., significant cloud migrations, data center consolidations, network modernizations) that delivered measurable business value. • Extensive experience supporting critical manufacturing (OT/IT convergence), supply chain, distribution, transportation, and retail systems (POS, e-commerce). • Experience in a large, privately held company with integrated manufacturing, distribution, transportation, and retail operations is highly desirable. Licenses or Certifications: • Deep expertise in IT Service Management (ITSM) frameworks and tools, preferred. • Strong understanding of cybersecurity best practices and compliance requirements (e.g., PCI DSS), preferred. • Cloud platform certifications (AWS, Azure, GCP), preferred. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: • Cloud & Hybrid Architecture: Extensive experience in designing, implementing, and managing complex hybrid cloud environments (public cloud, private cloud, on-premise data centers), with strong knowledge of leading cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP). • Network & Data Center Expertise: Profound knowledge of enterprise-level networking (WAN, LAN, wireless), data center operations, compute, storage, and virtualization technologies. • Strategic planning and execution across various technology functions. Demonstrated leadership and collaboration through various global technology operations. • Working knowledge of Continuous Improvement, Lean, Six Sigma methodologies.. • Proficient computer skills, including experience with infrastructure management tools, cloud platforms, monitoring systems. • Perform under strong demands in a fast-paced global technology environment. • Display leadership, understanding and patience with technical teams and business stakeholders. • Respond professionally in situations with difficult vendor/technology/business issues or inquiries.

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