Sr Manager, Systems Administration

The Role at a Glance

The Senior Manager, Systems Administration provides leadership across key end-user operational domains. This role balances strategic execution and hands-on management, ensuring reliable, secure, and efficient IT services while driving continuous improvement, operational excellence, and talent development. The Senior Manager partners closely with IT leadership and business stakeholders, and plays a key role in translating enterprise strategies into actionable operational outcomes.

What you'll be doing

Leadership & Strategy

• Maintains deep knowledge of current and emerging technology trends across infrastructure and end-user services; assesses impacts and partners with leadership to incorporate into short- and mid-term roadmaps.
• Leads and supports change management initiatives, ensuring successful adoption of new technologies, processes, and operating models. Establishes and drives team priorities, performance goals, and objectives aligned with departmental and enterprise outcomes.
• Acts as a senior escalation point for complex operational, service, and infrastructure issues.

Operational Management

• Oversees day-to-day operations across end-user service domains, up to and including C-suite support, ensuring service delivery meets defined SLAs and operational standards.
• Ensures effective incident, request, and escalation management, with clear communication to stakeholders during business-impacting events.
• Partners with peer IT teams (e.g., network, security, application, service desk) to ensure seamless end-to-end service delivery.
• Ensures operational documentation, procedures, and runbooks are current, accurate, and consistently followed.

Process Improvement & Execution

• Identifies, prioritizes, and drives process improvements that reduce operational risk, improve service quality, and increase efficiency.
• Uses data, KPIs, and trend analysis to measure effectiveness and inform decision-making.

People & Talent Management

• Leads, coaches, and develops staff; provides clear, candid feedback and supports career development and succession planning.
• Ensures workloads are balanced appropriately across teams and that staffing models align with service demand.
• Plays an active role in hiring, retaining, and developing top talent, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and engagement.
• Builds organizational capability by strengthening both technical depth and leadership skills across teams.

Stakeholder Partnership

• Serves as a trusted partner to IT leadership and business stakeholders, translating operational insights into actionable recommendations.
• Represents assigned areas in cross-functional initiatives, projects, and governance forums.
• Communicates operational performance, risks, and improvement initiatives to leadership on a regular cadence.

Financial & Planning Support

• Supports budget planning, expense management, and vendor oversight for assigned areas, as applicable.
• Evaluates cost-benefit considerations for technology and service improvements in partnership with leadership.

What we’re looking for

Must Haves:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Systems, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 6–9+ years of progressive IT experience aligned to infrastructure and/or end-user operations.
• 3–5+ years of leadership experience, preferably managing managers and/or team leads, as well as technical staff. Demonstrated experience balancing operational execution with strategic initiatives.

Application Deadline

Applications for this position will be accepted through November 30, 2026, subject to earlier closure due to applicant volume.

What’s it like to work here?

At Lincoln Financial, we love what we do. We make meaningful contributions each and every day to empower our customers to take charge of their lives. Working alongside dedicated and talented colleagues, we build fulfilling careers and stronger communities through a company that values our unique perspectives, insights and contributions and invests in programs that empower each of us to take charge of our own future.

What’s in it for you:

Clearly defined career tracks and job levels, along with associated behaviors for each of Lincoln's core values and leadership attributes

Leadership development and virtual training opportunities

PTO/parental leave

Competitive 401K and employee benefits

Free financial counseling, health coaching and employee assistance program

Tuition assistance program

Work arrangements that work for you

Effective productivity/technology tools and training

The pay range for this position is $106,875 - $171,000 with anticipated pay for new hires between the minimum and midpoint of the range and could vary above and below the listed range as permitted by applicable law. Pay is based on non-discriminatory factors including but not limited to work experience, education, location, licensure requirements, proficiency and qualifications required for the role. The base pay is just one component of Lincoln’s total rewards package for employees. In addition, the role may be eligible for the Annual Incentive Program, which is discretionary and based on the performance of the company, business unit and individual. Other rewards may include long-term incentives, sales incentives and Lincoln’s standard benefits package.

About The Company

Lincoln Financial (NYSE: LNC) helps people to confidently plan for their version of a successful future. We focus on identifying a clear path to financial security, with products including annuities, life insurance, group protection, and retirement plan services.

With our 120-year track record of expertise and integrity, millions of customers trust our solutions and service to help put their goals in reach.

Lincoln Financial Distributors, a broker-dealer, is the wholesale distribution organization of Lincoln Financial. Lincoln Financial is the marketing name for Lincoln Financial Corporation and its affiliates including The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company, Fort Wayne, IN, and Lincoln Life & Annuity Company of New York, Syracuse, NY. Lincoln Financial affiliates, their distributors, and their respective employees, representatives and/or ins