IT Manager / Senior Manager, Technology & Innovation

The IT Manager / Senior Manager, Technology & Innovation ensures CSL’s technology is ready for where the company is going. This leader keeps day-to-day technology running reliably while building a modern, connected, AI-enabled platform that supports CSL’s growth strategy.

The role is both hands-on and strategic: setting up new hires one day, and the next, expanding CSL’s use of AI, connecting core systems, and integrating the technology of acquired firms. Partnering with executive leadership and every function, this leader turns business priorities into a practical technology roadmap that scales with CSL’s growth.

Essential Responsibilities

Technology Strategy and Business Alignment

- Translate business needs into clear technology priorities, investment recommendations, and implementation plans. Develop and maintain a multi-year technology roadmap aligned with CSL’s enterprise strategy, growth plans, and operating priorities.

- Partner with executive leadership to understand where the business is headed and identify the technology capabilities required to get there. Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders across Operations, Finance, Human Resources, Sales, and Marketing on how technology can improve performance.

- Present technology recommendations, progress, and risks to executive leadership in clear business terms. Evaluate the current technology environment, identify gaps and redundancies, and recommend a practical path to a more modern, connected platform. Build an IT Roadmap for the company.

AI Strategy, Enablement, and Adoption

- Own CSL’s AI strategy across all tools and platforms, moving from individual use to embedded, repeatable workflows in project delivery, proposals, reporting, recruiting, finance, and communications.

- Continuously scan the market for AI and emerging technologies, including AI assistants, agents, workflow automation, document intelligence, analytics, and AI built into existing platforms, and keep leadership informed of what matters for CSL.

- Run focused pilots with clear success criteria, scale what delivers measurable value, and recommend build, buy, or partner decisions based on cost, risk, security, and long-term fit.

- Build shared resources such as prompt libraries, templates, and connectors, and integrate AI tools with CSL’s core systems and data.

- Lead training and champion networks that build AI fluency at every level, and measure adoption and business impact to prioritize what comes next.

- Establish responsible AI guidelines covering data privacy, client confidentiality, and human review of AI-generated work.

Systems Integration and Data

- Map CSL’s current systems, including ERP, project management, HRIS, CRM, collaboration, and document management, and design integrations that eliminate manual entry, duplicate records, and disconnected reporting.

- Establish a reliable source of truth for core employee, client, project, and financial data, with standard definitions, ownership, and quality practices.

- Partner with Finance and Operations to deliver accurate, timely dashboards and reporting that give leaders real-time visibility into company, regional, and project performance.

Future-Ready Architecture for Scalability and M&A Integrations

- Design a scalable, cloud-first architecture that supports CSL’s growth in people, offices, clients, service lines, and acquisitions, prioritizing secure, interoperable platforms and avoiding single points of failure.

- Rationalize the software portfolio and set repeatable standards for system selection, configuration, documentation, change management, business continuity, and disaster recovery.

- Serve as the technology lead for acquisitions, assessing each target’s technology, data, security posture, licensing, and contracts during diligence to identify risks and integration costs.

- Own a repeatable integration playbook covering Day 1 readiness, user and data migration, and system retirement, so acquired teams are productive quickly with minimal disruption, and refine it after each integration.

End-User Support, Onboarding, and Equipment

- Own the technology experience for new hires, including equipment procurement and setup, account provisioning, system access, and day-one orientation.

- Personally support equipment setup and troubleshooting, particularly for new hires, while building processes that make onboarding faster and more consistent over time.

- Manage offboarding to ensure timely recovery of equipment and removal of system access.

- Maintain an accurate inventory of hardware, software, and licenses across all offices and remote employees.

- Deliver responsive, high-quality help desk support and use recurring issues to drive permanent fixes.

- Partner with Human Resources to integrate technology steps into the broader onboarding and exit processes.

Security, Governance, and Risk

- Maintain a strong cybersecurity program covering identity and access management, endpoint protection, backup, and incident response.

- Ensure technology practices meet client, contractual, insurance, and regulatory requirements.

- Develop and maintain IT policies, including acceptable use, data handling, and AI usage guidelines.

- Lead security awareness training and promote a culture of shared responsibility for protecting company and client information.

- Identify, escalate, and resolve material technology risks through appropriate leadership channels.

Vendor, Budget, and Team Leadership

- Develop and manage the annual IT operating and capital budget, balancing investment in innovation with responsible cost management.Manage relationships with technology vendors, managed service providers, and consultants, including contract negotiation and performance oversight. Should we be more specific about management outsourced IT consulting company.

- Build, lead, and develop IT staff and external partners as the function grows, with clear expectations and accountability. Champion change management so new tools and processes are adopted, not just deployed.

- Operate as an enterprise leader who balances immediate support needs with CSL’s long-term technology direction.

Estimated Scope of Responsibility

- Employee population supported: all CSL employees across offices and remote locations, including newly acquired teams

- Systems portfolio: enterprise applications, infrastructure, collaboration tools, security platforms, and AI tools

- Budget accountability: IT operating and capital budget, to be defined during the planning process

- Acquisition scope: technology diligence and integration for each acquired firm

- Leadership scope: enterprise-wide, partnering with executive leadership and all functions and regions

Required Qualifications

- Typically 8 or more years of progressive IT experience for the Manager level, or 12 or more years for the Senior Manager level, including leadership responsibility.

- Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

- Demonstrated experience deploying AI tools such as Claude in a business environment and driving measurable adoption.

- Hands-on experience with Microsoft 365, cloud platforms, identity management, and endpoint management.

- Proven experience integrating business systems, such as ERP (Deltek a plus), HRIS, CRM, and project management platforms, using APIs, integration platforms, or automation tools.

- Experience supporting technology integration during mergers or acquisitions is strongly preferred.

- Working knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks, data governance, and IT policy development.

- Willingness and ability to roll up sleeves on day-to-day support, including equipment setup and troubleshooting.

- Strong vendor management, budgeting, and project management skills.

- Curiosity and a bias for experimentation, with the judgment to scale what works and stop what does not.

- Executive-level communication skills, with the ability to explain technology in clear business terms.

Success in the Role

Success is demonstrated when:

- New hires have working equipment, accounts, and access on their first day.

- AI tools are embedded in everyday workflows, with clear evidence of time saved and quality improved.

- Core systems share data reliably, and leaders trust the reports they use to run the business.

- CSL has a clear, funded technology roadmap that leadership understands and supports.

- Acquired firms are integrated onto CSL platforms quickly, securely, and with minimal disruption.

- The technology environment is simpler, more secure, and ready to scale with CSL’s growth.

- Employees view IT as a strategic partner, not only a help desk.

- Minimize downtime due to network disruptions.

- No cyber-attacks that create a material impact to the company performance or financials