Director, Infrastructure Engineering

OUTGROWN YOUR OWN BACKYARD? COME PLAY IN OURS.

At Columbia, we’re as passionate about the outdoors as you are. And while our gear is available worldwide, we’re proud to be based in the Pacific Northwest, where natural wonders are our playground.  

Every product we make and every task we undertake is inspired by the famous words of our founder Gert Boyle: “It’s perfect. Now make it better.” As pioneers of relentless improvement, we are constantly evolving. 

We believe the outdoors is ours to protect and strive to keep our planet healthy. We believe in empowering people to experience the outdoors to the fullest.  

And we believe in you.

ABOUT THE POSITION

Although we're an apparel and footwear-focused company, technology is central to everything we do. Columbia Sportswear’s Digital Technology (CDT) group enables an IT infrastructure and applications across four global brands, a global supply chain, and 500+ geographically dispersed stores. These teams support in-store, mobile, and data platforms to enhance customer interface and service in an ever-evolving industry.

The Director of Infrastructure Engineering is a senior management role in the CSC Digital Technology group. Working in partnership with architects, engineers, product owners, leaders across these functions and others, you will build the strategy and oversee delivery and operations for enterprise infrastructure supporting global ecommerce, retail, supply chain, wholesale, corporate offices and functions. 

The Director of Infrastructure Engineering requires a proven leader who can manage multiple teams supporting current Infrastructure while also driving optimized, simplified, modern solutions as Columbia Sportswear Company moves forward in expanding its Global Omni-Channel business capabilities.  This leadership role will be expected to bring deep infrastructure expertise with a strong customer service orientation and a focus on delivering business value and outcomes. 

HOW YOU’LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Strategy and Planning: Define strategies and processes for global infrastructure. Develop technical roadmaps (covering 1-5 years) required to support the infrastructure and broader technology roadmap. Partner with engineering, product and architecture engineers, owners, leaders to collaboratively define, shape, articulate and prioritize work and business cases for new or changed technology. Support the prioritization using cost/benefit analysis

Partnerships: Proactively serve as a “trusted partner” and the primary point of contact from CDT for Infrastructure, articulating Infrastructure’s services, capabilities, and activities. Partner with CDT counterparts (Architecture/Product Management/Software Engineering/PMO) on goals and objectives. Ensure alignment throughout all areas of responsibility

Solution Delivery: Partner with the engineering, product and business to design solutions that satisfy tactical and strategic needs. Manage multiple Infrastructure teams consisting of managers, and infrastructure engineers and software developers working on global network, compute (includes end user compute) and storage solutions

Operations: Play a key role in overall resilience, scalability, observability and disaster recovery capabilities. Support CDT operational performance, playing a leading role in problem resolution and program requests. Ensure service management exceeds business expectations through defined SLAs, managing incident escalations and resolution, developing and reporting on KPIs, proactive monitoring and alerting for critical systems

Talent Management: Recruit, retain and develop world-class talent.  Drive development, performance, and talent programs through the global Infrastructure functions.  Work collaboratively with Human Resources to utilize programs and tools for organizational design, training, salary administration, succession planning, performance management, and hiring.  Achieve results through building strong teams

Vendor Management: Accountable for the operational and commercial relationship management of Infrastructure third-party suppliers and vendors

Financial and Compliance Management: Manage departmental budget, authorize expenditures and monitor results. Optimize contracts, drive cost containment and ensure solutions and processes are in place for license management. Responsible for timely execution of SOX and PCI controls, partners with CDT audit and finance partners to define, streamline and automate controls where appropriate

Continuous Improvement: Performs research on industry trends and best practices for infrastructure to determine best fit for current and future needs. Pursues IT innovations and efficiencies by envisioning and cultivating new capabilities by planning proofs of concept, training teams, and defining roadmaps for improved value across the enterprise  

YOU ARE

• Able to positively influence people at all levels in the organization
• Able to build strong working relationships with technology stakeholders, senior business leaders, and key vendor partners
• Able to understand key business processes and systems employed by the business
• Able to solve complex problems and manage risks in program delivery and production support with a diverse group of individuals across multiple departments 
• A global systems thinker who understands the complex interaction of processes and systems and the underlying infrastructure required to operate those systems
• Proficient in your understanding of infrastructure hosting methods and models, database, storage, network and compute principles and platforms
• Curious to proactively learn and find better solutions
• An authentic people leader who invests in nurturing potential, as well as proven talent. Conscious and supportive of diversity & inclusion, and the value it brings to customers, business and the team
• Collaborative, while firm on goals and driving the extended team toward actions (and deadlines) to achieve them
• An excellent verbal and written communicator with strong facilitation and negotiation skills

YOU HAVE

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or an equivalent field.  Relevant work experience in lieu of degree may be considered
• 10+ years of progressively increasing Infrastructure Leadership and Management experience in a complex global environment
• Working knowledge of infrastructure architecture, compute, database and network technologies and supporting solutions
• Experience setting up CMDB, event co-relation using JSM
• Implemented “shift left” initiatives with demonstrable reduction in MTTR and prevention of outages
• Experience setting up AIOps to reduce MTTR and improve resource productivity
• Managed migration of workloads to Azure and AWS cloud infrastructure, and managed hybrid cloud environments
• Experience managing an infrastructure and service delivery team spread across the globe
• Demonstrated strategic planning experience with proven ability to influence others to buy in while executing and operationalizing the strategy
• Proven ability to execute with urgency and pragmatism
• Experience with effectively leading, communicating, and managing infrastructure change in a matrixed, agile organization
• Ability to prioritize based on risk, reward and cost in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrated experience in managing and mentoring a team of diverse and often geographically distributed managers, engineers and contractors on a global scale to deliver complex and reliable solutions
• Experience managing department budget and financials inclusive of a high volume of third party spend and relationships for cloud, data center, internet, telecom, and hardware providers
• Rigorous attention to detail and are highly organized, but able to operate with ease at all levels (from strategy to execution)
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and interpersonal skills. Able to summarize large amounts of data from various inputs and articulate clearly, concisely with technology and business partners
• Exceptional communication skills both written and verbal
• Deep empathy for consumer / end user experience – always analyzing and assessing from the customers’ viewpoint
• Affinity toward technology as a customer experience enabler
• 5+ years of experience in Apparel and Footwear preferred

#LI-JD1

This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, but constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function in the company. 

Columbia Sportswear Company is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. Columbia Sportswear is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12.pdf. If you need reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please notify your recruiter.

At Columbia Sportswear Company, we’re proud to offer regular full-time employees a benefits package that includes a variety of services and products to help make your life and work more rewarding. Our benefit programs contribute to overall employee well-being by aligning those programs with the fundamental elements of well-being: physical, social/emotional, financial, career and community. Benefits that can protect your family’s financial future and help you save money through our 401k plan plus a generous company match. Columbia offers medical, dental, vision, life Insurance, disability, flexible spending accounts, health savings account, and an assortment of voluntary benefit offerings (accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and legal services). In addition, Columbia offers EAP + which is free and confidential 24/7/365 counseling services. We have extensive wellness benefits, employee discounts and a generous time off program available.

If you need an accommodation/adjustment to successfully complete and submit your application, please reach out to [email protected] with the Subject: Applicant Assistance Requested.