IT Infra Systems Operations Team Leader - EMEA

The Company

Imerys is the world’s leading supplier of mineral-based specialty solutions for the industry with €3.8 billion in revenue and 13,700 employees in 54 countries in 2023. The Group offers high value-added and functional solutions to a wide range of industries and fast-growing markets such as solutions for the energy transition and sustainable construction, as well as natural solutions for consumer goods. Imerys draws on its understanding of applications, technological knowledge, and expertise in material science to deliver solutions which contribute essential properties to customers’ products and their performance. As part of its commitment to responsible development, Imerys promotes environmentally friendly products and processes in addition to supporting its customers in their decarbonization efforts.

The Position

Job Summary

Job Purpose

This position is part of the Global IT organization in the Infrastructure team.

The IT Systems Operations Team Leader is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the IT infrastructure, ensuring system reliability, performance, and security across all IT and Industrial / Operational systems of IMERYS.

This role leads a team of IT professionals and collaborates with other IT departments and business stakeholders to align IT operations with business objectives.

The team will be responsible for the following key areas:

Support SysOps and IT-OT infrastructure in their regions (Run operation)
Provide SysOps and IT-OT support in other regions during high-impact incidents that occur within their working hours (Run Operation)
Assist with out of hours maintenance in regions that overlap with team normal working hours (Run Operation)
Ensure global alignment on SysOps and IT-OT infrastructure (Run Operation)
Participate to delivery of projects when it is requested

The role reports to the regional IT Infrastructure Systems Manager.

Responsibilities

Team Leadership

Lead, mentor, and manage a team of IT systems administrators and support staff.
Oversee team presence, workload, and performance through weekly follow-ups and regular reviews.
Assign resources to projects and tasks in collaboration with PMO sessions.
Drive professional development through training, objective setting, and annual reviews.

Service Delivery & Systems Operations

Ensure reliable, secure, and efficient operation of enterprise IT infrastructure.
Manage incident response and problem resolution processes, adhering to SLAs.
Provide support to regional managers during high-impact incidents and ensure "follow-the-sun" support for global Imerys infrastructure systems.
Monitor and report on weekly KPIs, including:
- Backup failures and resolution times.
- Service delivery metrics and ticket resolutions.
- Patch management and administration.
- Monitoring tool KPIs (e.g. OpManager, Site24x7) for system availability, performance, and capacity.
Oversee changes to infrastructure, assessing risks and minimizing business impact.
Maintain up-to-date IT documentation, including operational manuals, inventories, and CMDB integrity, review and certify support documents provided by Infrastructure Architecture teams for conformity with SysOps standards.
Supervise and execute routine maintenance, backups, patches, and system upgrades.
Collaborate across teams to ensure minimal production impact during updates or system changes.

Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity

Design, test, and execute backup and disaster recovery plans.
Conduct hands-on disaster recovery drills and resolve backup issues to ensure readiness.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

Collaborate with IT teams, business units, and stakeholders to deliver effective IT services.
Support regional managers during high-impact incidents and ensure "follow-the-sun" support for global systems.
Travel to regional sites for hands-on operations, stakeholder meetings, and project support, sometimes on short notice.

Continuous Improvement

Analyze KPI data to identify and implement operational improvements.
Conduct Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for recurring incidents and identify corrective actions.
Recommend and enforce optimized processes, solutions, and IT policies.
Contribute to obsolescence management and implement emerging technologies.

Other Responsibilities

Manage vendor relationships and contracts related to IT systems.
Provide input on IT project planning and execution in alignment with SysOps standards.
Ensure out-of-hours availability to address major incidents or emergencies as needed.
Manage virtual IT resources, AWS accounts, containers, and orchestrators (training provided).

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

5+ years of experience in IT systems administration and operations and robust expertise in managing and optimizing enterprise-level IT infrastructure operations.
2+ years of team leadership or management experience
Strong knowledge (hands-on and technical) of IT infrastructure, including networks, servers, and cloud technologies
Understanding of virtualization technologies and cloud platforms (e.g., VMware, AWS, Azure)
Experience with ITIL framework and IT service management principles
Proficiency in IT monitoring and management tools
Knowledge of automation and scripting languages (e.g., PowerShell, Python)
Familiarity with cybersecurity best practices and risk management

Desirable

Experience of working within a culturally diverse global company
Conversant in French or another European language would be advantageous
Knowledge of Imerys IT architecture and operations

Position Type

Full time

and

Permanent

Only technical issues will be monitored through the below inbox:

recruiting.support@ imerys.com

PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT RESUMES OR APPLICATIONS TO THIS EMAIL, AS THEY WILL NOT BE REVIEWED.

To ensure fairness and legal compliance in our recruitment processes, only applications received through the online application process will be considered.

IMERYS is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and it is our policy to not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state or local laws.