Johnston Group provides employee benefit solutions to over 30,000 companies, ranging from one employee to thousands across various product lines, including Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan, Canada’s #1 employee benefits plan for small businesses. JG is a platinum member of Canada’s Best Managed Companies and was named one of Manitoba’s Top Employers. We support a positive work atmosphere where we value the diversity in the people we serve and are looking for talent who will contribute to our diverse and inclusive workplace; where individual differences are recognized, appreciated, and respected. JG believes in giving back and contributes significantly to local health, arts, sports, and other community organizations.

The Manager, Technical Services is accountable for Technical Services strategy, prioritization, budget, and enterprise outcomes. This role leads and develops the team and partners with IT Development, IT Security, Support, and business units to set direction for current and future needs. The Manager, Technical Services provides oversight, sets direction, approves priorities, and remains accountable for performance, risk, and results across the portfolio, including network, server, virtualization, physical infrastructure, and desktop support.

• Hybrid working model based out of our Winnipeg, MB office, with three days in-office per week.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Technical Services team through clear direction, coaching, and performance management (recruiting, onboarding, conflict resolution, engagement, and performance processes, career growth and goals).

• Oversee Technical Services project delivery by setting direction, approving priorities, and ensuring resourcing, governance, and outcomes from analysis through implementation and retrospectives.

• Own portfolio prioritization by approving backlog priorities and aligning maintenance, operations, and project work to enterprise goals in coordination with team leads.

• Set direction and approve priorities for continuous improvement of IT architecture and networking (including change-management expectations), and review outcomes for standards alignment.

• Consolidate operational status, risks, and issues across specialized platforms and Technical Services functions, and provide leadership reporting and escalation as needed.

• Evaluate and oversee hardware, software, and infrastructure solutions, supporting procurement decisions (cost, fit, risk, and standards), inventory management, and refresh‑cycle coordination across the IT environment.

• Provide strategic direction and oversight for IT infrastructure and platforms, including virtualization, physical infrastructure, lifecycle planning, vendor evaluation, network architecture, and data center or office hardware, while managing the IT Operations software‑licensing portfolio in accordance with signing‑authority guidelines.

• Oversee enterprise infrastructure and system risk management by setting risk tolerance, prioritizing mitigation efforts, and reviewing outcomes to support business continuity.

Qualifications

• Degree or diploma in Project Management or related program. Other I.T. Management and agile development training would be considered an asset. Continued educational programs are mandatory.
• A minimum of 5 years’ work experience leading an I.T. technical services team along with 10 plus years of progressive experience in I.T.
• Ability to communicate written and verbal information to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality at all times.
• Strong team player with eagerness to collaborate with others, demonstrating exceptional organizational skills.
• Ability to organize a number of projects and keep each on track.
• Experience managing budgets and vendor contracts is required.
• Ability to analyze problems and/or requirements and recommend corrective action.
• Ability to work with employees with various business backgrounds and skill sets within the organization.
• Ability to work well in a team environment, particularly in a leadership role.
• Experience in the group insurance industry would be very valuable.

The successful candidate must be legally eligible to work in Canada. We thank all applicants for their interest. Please note that only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

JG welcomes the opportunity to provide accommodation throughout the selection process. Please contact us to discuss your requirements by email at human.resources@johnstongroup.ca or by phone at 204-786-0421.