Director, IT Operations

What Cognite is: Relentless to achieve Cognite operates at the forefront of industrial digitalization, building AI , and data solutions that solve the world’s hardest, highest-impact problems. With unmatched industrial heritage and a comprehensive suite of AI capabilities, including low-code AI agents, Cognite accelerates the digital transformation to drive operational improvements. We thrive in challenges. We challenge assumptions. We execute with speed and ownership. If you view obstacles as signals to step forward - not backwards - you’ll feel right at home here. Our Moonshot is bold: Unlock $100B in customer value by 2035, and redefine how global industry works. Join us in this venture where AI and data meet ingenuity, and together, we will forge the path to a smarter, more connected industrial future. How you’ll demonstrate Ownership The Director, IT Operations is the operational leader and strategic partner who ensures Cognite's internal IT infrastructure and support teams run with excellence, velocity, and user delight. You lead a global IT support team across service desk and on-site operations, serving 700+ employees across Oslo, Phoenix, Houston, Bangalore, and remote locations. You report to leadership and own the complete lifecycle of IT operations—from service delivery and vendor management to process automation and continuous improvement. Your mandate: transform IT Operations into a high-velocity, user-centric function that enables innovation while maintaining security, cost discipline, and operational excellence toward our $100B moonshot. Accountability: Lead a global IT support team across service desk and on-site operations, ensuring SLA attainment across all locations. Own ticketing (Jira), CMDB inventory, and task flow optimization. Drive efficiency through automation and process redesign—reducing manual work and scaling support without proportional headcount growth. Manage vendor relationships and IT policies balancing security, cost, performance, and user experience. Contribute to governance of 100+ SaaS applications in GCP and Azure. Autonomy: Make independent decisions on IT operations strategy, vendor selection, and resource allocation. Lead team prioritization and workflow management without constant escalation. Own end-to-end problem-solving—discovering root causes, designing solutions, testing, and validating improvements. Collaborate across IT Security, Infrastructure, and Finance to align operations with business priorities. Core Challenge: Balance hands-on technical work with team leadership in an entry management role. Scale support for rapid growth while maintaining user experience. Support diverse operating systems (70%+ Mac, 5% Linux, 25% Windows) across cloud platforms without legacy infrastructure. Drive automation where every improvement compounds to enable innovation. Build a culture of grit and persistence—enabling your team to solve problems creatively and delight internal users. The Impact you bring to Cognite We value demonstrated financial impact and strategic business acumen. To make an impact, you must show a history of turning financial analysis into better business decisions—not just accurate spreadsheets. In this role, that includes translating cloud and AI economics into simple choices for Product and Engineering so cost-to-serve is part of upfront design and roadmap conversations, not a downstream surprise on the P&L. IT Operations & Team Leadership: Hands-on experience managing IT support teams through process improvements and challenging projects. Deep understanding of ticketing, CMDB, SLA management, and vendor relationships. Thrive in modern, cloud-native environments supporting diverse operating systems, GCP, Azure, and distributed global teams. Teams grounded in accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning. Process Improvement & Automation: Proven track record identifying inefficiencies and driving automation—reducing manual work, improving resolution times, and scaling without proportional headcount growth. Comfortable with Jira, ticketing systems, CMDB, and automation frameworks. View every process as improvable and approach challenges with curiosity and persistence. End-to-End Problem-Solving: Able to tackle technical and procedural tasks across IT operations—discovering solutions from analysis through execution and validation. Understand what's small vs. big, focus on what matters, and know when to persist or pivot. Unblock yourself and your team through collaboration and creative thinking. Technical foundation to credibly engage with infrastructure and security teams. User-Centric Leadership: Create policies balancing cost, security, performance, and user experience. Collaborate seamlessly across IT Security, Infrastructure, Finance, and Application Service Owners. Communicate clearly with non-technical stakeholders and position IT as business enabler. Enable team growth through coaching and feedback. Foster persistence and adaptation—leading with high energy and modeling independence balanced with collaboration. Required Qualifications 5+ years experience leading IT Operations or IT Support teams at a high-growth SaaS or technology company, including team prioritization, workflow management, and performance feedback. Relevant technical background with hands-on IT support experience (service desk, on-site support, or equivalent IT operations role). Strong understanding of IT operations processes, SLA management, ticketing systems (Jira or similar), and CMDB concepts. Experience with vendor management and negotiation for IT support services. Familiarity with modern IT environments including cloud platforms (Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure), Slack, Google Workspace, and M365. Comfort supporting diverse operating systems (Mac, Windows, Linux) and hybrid-enabled environments. Experience with modern IT management tools (Terraform, GitHub, Cisco Meraki, or similar infrastructure-as-code approaches). Familiarity with AI-assisted tools (Copilot, Gemini, Cursor) or emerging productivity technologies. Demonstrated ability to identify, design, and execute process improvements and automation initiatives. Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills across technical and non-technical audiences. Ability to thrive in fast-paced, global, distributed environments. Ability to work independently while remaining open and collaborative with own and other teams. Strong attention to detail, analytical rigor, and ability to manage multiple projects and team priorities. Willingness to stay hands-on with technical and procedural tasks while leading the team. Preferred Experience Track record of driving large-scale process improvements or automation initiatives that measurably improved efficiency Experience in entry management or team lead roles balancing hands-on work with team leadership Exposure to global IT operations or supporting distributed, multi-timezone teams A snapshot of our many perks and benefits as a Cogniter * Join an organization of 60 different nationalities 🌐 with Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) in focus 🤝 * A highly modern and fun working environment with sublime culture across the organization, follow us on Instagram @ cognitedata 📷 to know more * Flat structure with direct access to decision-makers * Opportunity to work with and learn from some of the best people on some of the most ambitious projects found anywhere, across industries, with cutting edge technology * Join our HUB 🗣️ to be part of the conversation directly with Cogniters and our partners. * Get access to private health services with Cognite Care. * Hungry? We’ve got your back. A company sponsored lunch at the canteen is delivered * We take your mental- and physical health seriously by having a broad health offering and a free membership to one of the reputed gym outlet Learn more about us Impact 2025 Cognite's Industrial AI: Moonshot We’re globally recognized domain experts with an international presence that spans Phoenix, Houston, Oslo Tokyo, Bengaluru, and Abu Dhabi. Equal Opportunity Cognite is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment at work and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive the same level of consideration for employment.