The Opportunity
The Director, IT Operations is responsible for the reliability, performance, and security of all core technology systems supporting the organization’s business operations, training facilities, and game-day environments. This role leads IT operations, infrastructure, and end-user support, ensuring 24/7 availability for mission-critical systems and liaises with our networking team to connect our IT capabilities across the corporate environment and the sports and entertainment venue(s).
This leader plays a central role, along with our enterprise technology and cybersecurity teams, in directing and managing our IT resources to both further business goals and to build the brand of the IT function within the organization.
In This Role You Will
IT Operations Leadership
- Lead day-to-day IT operations across corporate offices and arena.
- Manage and mentor infrastructure, network, and service desk teams.
- Establish and enforce IT service management practices (ITIL or equivalent).
- Own incident management, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Infrastructure & Systems Management
- Oversee on-premises and cloud infrastructure (servers, storage, virtualization, backups).
- Ensure high availability and disaster recovery for business- and game-critical systems.
- Lead capacity planning and infrastructure modernization initiatives.
- Manage endpoint management, identity systems, and collaboration platforms.
Network & Connectivity
- Collaborate on redundancy and failover planning for game-day and broadcast operations.
- Partner with Networking team and Broadcast team on event readiness.
Service Desk & End-User Experience
- Deliver a high-quality IT support experience for executives, staff, coaches, and players.
- Define SLAs and performance metrics for support services.
- Oversee IT asset lifecycle management, procurement, and inventory control.
Vendor & Budget Management
- Manage relationships with MSPs, telecom providers, hardware/software vendors.
- Own IT operations budget, forecasting, and cost optimization.
- Negotiate contracts and ensure vendor accountability.
Security & Compliance Partnership
- Partner with the SVP, Business Administration and the cybersecurity team to implement security best practices.
- Ensure infrastructure complies with organizational security and data privacy policies.
- Support audits, vulnerability remediation, and access controls.
Game-Day & Event Readiness
- Participate in pre-event readiness planning and post-event reviews when requested.
- Ensure staffing, monitoring, and contingency plans are in place for live events.
Leadership & Collaboration
- Act as a trusted advisor to the SVP, Business Administration on operational technology needs.
- Collaborate with networking, enterprise technology, and cybersecurity leaders.
- Communicate clearly with executives during incidents or outages.
- Be a person who enjoys people and contributing to the professional development of others.
- Other duties as assigned by SVP, Business Administration.
The Experience You Will Bring
- Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field (or equivalent experience).
- 8–10 years of progressive IT experience, including 5+ years in IT operations leadership.
- Strong expertise in:
- Infrastructure (servers, virtualization, cloud platforms)
- IT service management and support operations
- Familiarity with Networking (LAN/WAN/Wi-Fi)
- Proven vendor and budget management experience.
- ITIL, PMP, or relevant infrastructure certifications.
- Experience supporting executive-level stakeholders and comfortability in high-pressure environments.
Nice To Have
- Experience managing distributed environments (multiple sites/facilities).
- Experience in organizations with more than 250 people.
- Experience in large venue IT operations
Key Competencies
- Operational excellence and reliability mindset
- Calm decision-making under pressure
- Strong people leadership and mentoring skills
- Clear, executive-level communication
- Proactive problem-solving and continuous improvement
- Ability to balance innovation with stability and costs
Work Environment & Expectations
- On-site presence required; availability during games and major events as required, which may include nights, weekends and holidays.
- High-visibility role with direct impact on end-user experience and organizational success.
What We Offer
At the Memphis Grizzlies our internships provide an opportunity for you to put your education into practice, develop your leadership skills and gives you a competitive advantage of working in professional sports at the end of your internship. In addition to offering a competitive hourly wage and paid holidays, we have a host of other tangible benefits.
Keeping You Healthy
- Industry leading health coverage
- Wellness programs through EAP and Headspace
Discounts and Perks
- Team Store Discounts
- Happy Hours and other fun activities
- Qualified parking and game night meals
- NBA Sponsored Discount Programs
- Employee Referral Bonuses
- Employee Recognition Programs
Taking Time Off
- Generous paid holidays, including but not limited to, MLK Day, Juneteenth, July 4 th , Labor Day and more
Professional Growth & Development
- Gain coveted work experience
- Develop and refine skills applicable to future careers
- Establish and foster critical networking connections
- Gain confidence and master professional soft skills
Memphis Basketball LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to treating all applicants and team members fairly based on their abilities, achievements and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other classification protected by law.
Applicant Safety: The Memphis Grizzlies have been made aware of bad actors using our company's name for fake employment opportunities using social media and instant messaging platforms. The Memphis Grizzlies will never require candidates to send or deposit money in exchange for, or as a condition of, an offer of employment. The Grizzlies will also never ask for any sensitive personal information such as social security numbers, dates of birth, or bank account details via email, social media or messaging platforms, or during interviews. If you are contacted by anyone claiming to represent the Memphis Grizzlies and cannot confirm they are with our company, please contact us with the details.
