Job Details

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Department: Information Systems                               

Position Purpose: Lead and direct a significant portion of Petco’s IT Network operations organization.  The duties include engineering and operation of the Petco Network, Data Centers, processing platforms, IT Service Management, and/or the IT leadership of major Petco acquisitions.  The position must ensure that Network infrastructure systems are available, maintained and operational to meet or exceed business processing requirements.  Responsible for strategy, tactical project execution, and daily infrastructure operations.

Director, IT Engineering & Operations
•Will Lead 3-4 teams that have over 40 direct reports within the groups.
•Tech exp must have’s: Networking( routing/switching ), Systems (servers, SAN, VMware ) and IT  day to day operations.
•This is leadership role not a hands on manager.  Must come for major enterprise class environments that has exp managing Engineering and Operations Teams.
•Experience with managing new technology such as SDWAN and DevOps infrastructure.   

Essential Job Functions:  The incumbent must be able to perform all of the following duties and responsibilities with or without a reasonable accommodation.
•Be an active member of the leadership team, working to optimize the utilization of IT investments in the most efficient and effective manner.  Oversee emerging technology strategy, development, and deployment. Evaluate, select, implement and maintain technology conforming to the IT Reference Architecture in support of business functions. Work cross-functionally to establish the strategic direction of information technology and its utilization to benefit the company.
•Ensure that PETCO's network infrastructure platforms remain operational on a 24-hour basis; directs the teams as necessary that troubleshoots and resolves infrastructure/operations problems; and that systems have the necessary levels of redundancy and disaster recovery capabilities to meet business needs.
•Make decisions on infrastructure architecture and design that will maximize reliability, performance and scalability while taking advantage of new, cost-effective technologies as they become available. Ensure the integrity of Petco’s infrastructure as it relates to security and stability.  
•Prepare and successfully manage department budgets and lead the assigned IT teams.
•Oversee specific infrastructure technology projects and ensure the infrastructure components are planned, implemented, and executed well for all projects. This includes managing teams of technical personnel through all phases of project development, roll-out and implementation. Interface with other departments and management through the project process and manage changes to project plans. Propose budgets and schedules, set timetables for information systems projects, allocate resources, monitor progress and troubleshoot solutions to project challenges.
•Plan and implement policies, procedures and systems to avoid service interruptions and continuously improve infrastructure operations and processes. Plan and oversee implementation of facilities and system modifications and upgrades.
•Establish and maintain multiple vendor partnerships to ensure they provide optimal service and long term benefits and support to PETCO’s strategic and operational business goals. Ensure outsource partners operate to the required levels, continuously improve, and deliver the required value and levels of support to Petco.  Partner with Procurement on the investigation, evaluation, and acquisition of vendor products and services
•Ability and experience to manage complex, geo-distributed network infrastructure with technologies as SDWAN. Superiror understanding of PBR, IP SLA, EIGRP, OSPF and BGP.

Duties and Responsibilities:
1.Model leadership behaviors to management, staff and associates. Provide proactive leadership to maintain a positive business climate that motivates the team and its internal clients and external vendors.  Serve as an effective advocate for change and growth.
2.Establish and promote an organization culture that encourages leaders to seek and formulate ideas and opportunities that increase efficiency and that improve cost control, loss prevention, customer satisfaction and company image. Ensure a culture that values and promotes collaboration between all stakeholders and business partners.
3.Ensure associates in management positions are proven leaders who can successfully execute strategic plans, meet operational objectives and manage an engaged workforce.  Hire, mentor and coach and develop direct reports to ensure the highest competency and skill set necessary to meet and exceed PETCO’s objectives. Ensure continuation of excellence in PETCO’S workforce through frequent discussions of high potential associates and initiating developmental opportunities. Actively pursue the development of bench strength through internal training, cross-training, and external recruitment.
4.Promote and support PETCO’s total reward strategy to motivate and retain associates by ensuring objective performance management, equitable compensation treatment, access to job related training, assistance with career development/planning, appropriate rewards and recognition and communication of strategy to reporting departments.
5.Assure initiation, monitoring and maintenance of systems and policies necessary to safeguard the physical, financial and human capital of the organization and customers.
6.Represent PETCO to significant stakeholders. Prepare information and make presentations to various audiences including the executive, senior and mid-level managers and PETCO associates.
7.Interact professionally and effectively through verbal and written communication with all professional contacts with an emphasis on the Company's interests
8.Independently prioritize and accomplish multiple tasks within established timeframes and through the work of subordinates.
9.Performs additional duties as required or as assigned.
10.Participate on committees as required.

Nature of Supervision: This position requires a minimal level of supervision and has discretionary judgment in regard to the best course of action to achieve departmental and company goals.  The Director will be responsible for decisions regarding the Company’s computing and operations solutions and strategic planning for such systems.  

Planning and Problem Solving: The Director will possess superior planning skills to allow for the cross-functional and multi-platform environment at PETCO.  The Director is required to ensure consistency of standards and that all audit requirements are maintained across all projects.

The Director will possess superior problem solving skills so that they are able to efficiently determine the correct course of action to resolve technology issues in a timely manner and to minimize the impact to the business.

Impact: This position has an impact across the entire PETCO organization as the infrastructure and systems that the Director’s group maintains and supports are core to the business functions at PETCO. These applications are responsible for ensuring that all the base functions to support our store, DC and NSC operations are available, accurate and working efficiently.   

Supervisory Responsibility: Manage staff comprised of Information Systems associates and direct, as necessary, outsource partner activities. Responsibilities include recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training, mentoring/coaching, providing functional guidance, assignment delegation and follow-through, and, partnering with Human Resources, discipline up to and including termination.

Education/Experience: A Bachelor’s Degree with emphasis in Information Systems or the equivalent combination of education and experience is required.  A minimum of ten years progressively responsible experience including 5 years at the manager Level.  Must be skilled across multiple platforms and technologies including current knowledge on emerging technologies and their application. Excellent decision making, interpersonal and project management experience is required. Well-developed verbal and written communication skills are required to interact professionally and effectively with all internal and external contacts including senior and executive management. Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to influence strategic information systems decisions, project management experience and a thorough understanding of all elements of a project lifecycle are necessary.  Must have vendor management skills including contract experience and vendor performance management.  Must be able to work on multiple projects simultaneously and manage cross functional teams.

Work Environment: The majority of tasks are performed while indoors in an office environment, but occasional travel to store locations is required.  In addition, non-standard hours, such as late night or early morning work, are frequently required when performing system upgrades or roll-outs.

Contacts: The primary contacts are with Vendors, Petco Management and direct reports. The nature of interaction may range from strategic planning, design and implementation of systems to routine instruction and exchange of information.