IT Operations Manager in London

Samba is an AI-powered media intelligence company on a mission to give marketers the complete picture of their audiences. Our AI indexes media consumption across millions of smart TVs and 2.5 billion web pages, combining that data with third-party signals through the Samba Knowledge Graph, a map of the real interests, behaviors, and purchase intent of 1.5 billion user profiles globally. Brands, agencies, publishers, and platforms use Samba to make smarter decisions across every stage of the marketing funnel.

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated IT Operations Manager (IC) to serve as the West Coast site lead for our San Francisco and Los Angeles offices. This role is designed for an experienced IT professional who can independently manage the full scope of corporate IT at their assigned locations — from end-user support and device management to identity and access management, office infrastructure, and security compliance. The IT Operations Manager will serve as a subject matter expert across multiple IT disciplines without direct team management responsibilities, operating autonomously day-to-day with strategic direction from the VP of Technology Operations.

Key Responsibilities:

• System Administration & End-User Support: Serve as the primary IT contact for all employees at assigned West Coast office locations. Maintain, monitor, and manage IT infrastructure including end-user devices, office networks, SaaS services, and AV systems. Troubleshoot and resolve hardware, software, and connectivity issues with a focus on rapid resolution and high system availability. Manage IT helpdesk tickets, ensuring issues are prioritized, tracked, and resolved within SLA targets. Build and maintain a local knowledge base and self-service resources to empower users and reduce repeat requests.
• Device Management & Procurement: Own the full device lifecycle: procurement, imaging, deployment, maintenance, and decommissioning for Mac and PC environments. Manage MDM platforms (Jamf, Intune, or similar) including device enrollment, policy enforcement, app deployment, and compliance monitoring. Coordinate hardware procurement with vendors, managing orders, inventory tracking, and asset management. Oversee hardware and software asset management, maintaining accurate records and ensuring devices meet organizational standards.
• Employee Onboarding & Offboarding: Execute the full IT onboarding workflow for new hires: account creation, device provisioning, application access, and day‑one readiness. Manage IT offboarding processes including account deactivation, access revocation, device collection, and data handling. Continuously refine onboarding and offboarding workflows to improve efficiency and employee experience. Collaborate with HR, Finance, and hiring managers to ensure seamless technology transitions.
• Identity & Access Management: Administer Okta (or equivalent IdP) including user provisioning, SSO configurations, MFA enforcement, and group/policy management. Process access requests, role changes, and entitlement reviews in alignment with security policies. Implement and maintain security measures across the identity stack, monitoring for vulnerabilities and responding to incidents. Troubleshoot authentication and authorization issues across the SaaS application stack.
• Office Infrastructure & AV: Manage and maintain office network infrastructure including Wi‑Fi, switches, and local connectivity. Own conference room AV systems: setup, maintenance, troubleshooting, and upgrades. Coordinate with building management and ISPs for connectivity issues and office moves. Ensure office technology environments are reliable, secure, and support hybrid work requirements.
• Security & Compliance: Participate in ISO audit processes including evidence gathering, controls documentation, and audit walkthroughs. Enforce endpoint security policies through MDM and ensure devices meet compliance standards. Support vulnerability management and patch compliance at the endpoint level. Establish and maintain IT policies, procedures, and best practices to improve operational efficiency and security posture. Escalate security incidents appropriately and assist with incident response as needed.
• Vendor & Partner Management: Engage with external vendors for hardware, software, and services procurement. Manage vendor relationships to ensure quality service delivery and cost-effectiveness. Oversee contract renewals, maintenance agreements, and software licensing. Evaluate new tools and technologies that could improve IT service delivery at your sites.
• Project Management & Cross‑Functional Support: Lead and execute IT projects at your sites, including system upgrades, office buildouts, and technology rollouts. Define project scope, timelines, deliverables, and resource requirements for site‑level initiatives. Collaborate with other departments such as HR, Finance, and Operations to ensure alignment on technology needs and implementations. Provide input into long‑term IT strategy and roadmap development based on site‑level observations and needs.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of experience in IT system administration, IT operations, or a similar multi‑discipline IT role.
• Proven ability to independently manage corporate IT across multiple disciplines in a fast‑paced technology environment.
• Strong hands‑on experience with macOS and Windows endpoint management in enterprise environments.
• Proficiency with MDM platforms (Jamf, Intune, Kandji, or similar) including policy configuration, app deployment, and compliance enforcement.
• Experience administering identity providers (Okta, Azure AD, or similar) including SSO, MFA, and user lifecycle management.
• Working knowledge of networking fundamentals: Wi‑Fi, DNS, DHCP, VPNs, and basic firewall concepts.
• Strong problem‑solving skills with the ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non‑technical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting technology teams in AdTech, MarTech, or data‑driven industries.
• Relevant certifications (Apple Certified Support Professional, Jamf Certified, Okta Certified Professional, CompTIA, ITIL).
• Experience with IT service management tools (Jira Service Management, ServiceNow, Freshservice, or similar).
• Comfort with scripting and automation to streamline repetitive IT tasks (Bash, PowerShell, Python, or similar).
• Experience with AV/conference room technology setup and support.
• Experience supporting distributed, international teams across multiple time zones.
• Familiarity with cloud services (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) in a supporting capacity.
• Background scaling IT operations during rapid company growth phases.
• Experience supporting ISO, SOC 2, or similar compliance frameworks in an IT capacity.
• Knowledge of cybersecurity principles, including endpoint encryption, patch management, and data protection.

Cultural Fit:

• Tenacious & Zealous: You take ownership of your sites and take pride in keeping everything running smoothly. No problem is someone else’s problem.
• Courageous Voice: You advocate for the right technology decisions and raise concerns early, regardless of hierarchy.
• Simplify Complexity: You have the ability to manage complex IT environments but always seek the simplest, most maintainable solution.
• Fast Learner: Technology changes constantly and you stay current, adapting quickly to new tools and platforms.
• Humble & Grateful: No task is too small. You’ll image a laptop, crawl under a desk to fix a cable, and present to leadership in the same day.

Samba is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We strive to empower connection with one another, reflect the communities we serve, and tackle meaningful projects that make a real impact.