[Hiring] Senior Director, Information Technology @WattBridge

Role Description

WattBridge, the world’s preeminent LM6000 delivery platform, is seeking a Senior Director, Information Technology to develop, implement, and own the company’s information technology (IT), cybersecurity and data strategy that will support the origination, development and commercial operations of a full power delivery platform focused on data center campus style development.

The primary focus of this role is developing and leading the separation of IT and cybersecurity services from Parent Company under the Transition Services Agreement (TSA), stands up an independent, cloud-native technology platform within twelve months of close, and then runs that platform through a small internal team and a managed service model.

• Serve as WattBridge's TSA workstream lead for IT and cybersecurity, coordinating with the PROENERGY counterpart and owning monthly service reviews.
• Deliver the IT and cybersecurity exit milestones within the 12-month TSA term, including an independent Microsoft 365 tenant, a live MSP contract, and full endpoint migration.
• Build and execute the 90-day transition plans required before each TSA exit, including knowledge transfer, data migration, and systems access cutover.
• Enforce WattBridge data ownership and portability rights, ensuring all company data is extracted and validated before TSA systems access ends.
• Track TSA service levels, cost-plus charges, and scope changes, escalating issues through the governance model defined in the agreement.
• Define WattBridge's technology strategy and roadmap under the principle of outsourcing infrastructure while owning data and insights.
• Select cloud-native, low-administration platforms that employee growth and beyond without re-platforming.
• Partner with Finance, Commercial, Development, and HR leaders to select and deploy core business systems, including ERP, HRIS, project and pipeline management, and document management.
• Embed AI capabilities from day one, including Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption, a governed AI use-case pipeline, and an enterprise data and analytics foundation (Power BI).
• Plan the technology footprint for asset operations if O&M transitions from PROENERGY, including CMMS, asset performance monitoring, and predictive maintenance (AMPS / PI).
• Establish and lead the cybersecurity program, including policies, standards, risk management, identity and access management, and incident response.
• Oversee the managed detection and response (MDR/SOC) partner, Microsoft Defender endpoint protection, vulnerability management, and the incident response retainer.
• Secure OT/ICS environments at generation assets, including deployment of passive OT monitoring (Claroty or Dragos) and IT/OT segmentation.
• Ensure compliance with NERC CIP and other applicable regulatory requirements for generation assets, and support audits and regulatory inspections.
• Run security awareness training and phishing simulation for all employees and contractors.
• Establish IT governance aligned with NIST CSF, including IT general controls (ITGCs) that support lender reporting, audit, and future SOX readiness.
• Build and manage the IT and cybersecurity operating and capital budgets, including the one-time Day-1 infrastructure and end-user equipment plan.
• Report technology risk, cybersecurity posture, and program status to the executive team, PE sponsor, and board as required.
• Develop business continuity and disaster recovery capability, including backup (Azure Backup), recovery objectives, and tested recovery plans.
• Lead competitive selection of a Houston-based managed service provider and define contract scope, service level agreements, and performance reporting.
• Negotiate and manage all technology vendor, licensing, and telecommunications agreements for value and security compliance.
• Hire, lead, and develop IT staff, setting goals, standards, and on-call expectations.
• Deliver a consistent onboarding experience as the company scales through each hiring wave, from equipment and accounts on day one to security training.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Systems, or a related field.
• Minimum 15 years of progressive IT experience with 5+ years in IT leadership roles.
• Proven experience leading an IT carve-out, divestiture separation, or standing up IT for a new or spun-off company.
• Hands-on experience negotiating, governing, and exiting transition services agreements.
• Strong background building and leading cybersecurity programs, including OT/ICS security.
• Deep knowledge of the Microsoft cloud ecosystem (Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Intune, Defender, Azure).
• Experience selecting and managing MSP and MDR/SOC providers against defined service levels.
• Working knowledge of NERC CIP compliance and critical infrastructure regulatory requirements.
• Experience deploying or supporting core business systems such as ERP, HRIS, and document management platforms.
• Proven ability to build a lean technology function that relies on outsourced services while retaining ownership of data and architecture.
• Strong budget management, vendor negotiation, and contract management skills.
• Excellent executive communication skills, with the ability to explain technology risk and investment in business terms.
• Ability to operate hands-on in a small, fast-moving organization while setting enterprise-grade standards.
• Must be fluent in English, with strong speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension skills.
• Successful candidate will need to satisfactorily complete pre-employment drug screen and background check.
• US work authorization is a precondition of employment. The company will not consider candidates who require sponsorship for a work-authorized visa.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience in power generation, independent power producers, utilities, or other critical infrastructure.
• Experience in a private equity-backed company, including sponsor reporting and exit or IPO readiness.
• Knowledge of SOX IT general controls and audit support.
• Experience deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot and building an AI governance and use-case program.
• Familiarity with OT asset visibility and monitoring platforms such as Claroty, Dragos, or Nozomi.
• Knowledge of OSIsoft PI / AVEVA PI, historian, and asset performance management platforms.
• Familiarity with ERCOT market operations and generation asset connectivity.
• Experience with Power BI and building enterprise data and reporting foundations.

Certifications

• CISSP, CISM, or equivalent security leadership certification.
• GIAC Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional (GICSP) or equivalent OT security credential.
• ITIL 4 Foundation for service management.
• Project Management (PMP) or equivalent credentials.