IT Operations Manager – Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, or Croatia (Remote-friendly)
We are looking for a hands-on IT Operations Manager to take full ownership of internal IT service delivery at an international law firm with 500 to 1,000 professionals across 10+ offices, multiple jurisdictions, and continued growth.
The firm is in the middle of a major technology transformation: migrating from legacy infrastructure and Citrix Virtual Desktops to a modern Microsoft 365 cloud workplace, while modernising its financial, data, and reporting platforms in parallel. Someone needs to keep everything running while the ground shifts underneath. That someone is you.
You will own the operational backbone: Windows Server infrastructure, virtualisation, Active Directory, Exchange, backup and disaster recovery, monitoring, and vendor management. You will build and lead the operations team, drive ITIL-based service management, and act as the senior escalation point when things go wrong. The IT function operates close to the business, which means your impact is immediate and visible. When you get it right, everyone knows.
This is a permanent, in-house position with real operational authority, direct influence on how IT delivers across the firm, and full autonomy to shape the function. You will report directly to the Group IT Director and work closely with the IT Manager, IT Support Team, COO, Office Managers, and infrastructure service providers. The pace is demanding, the expectations are high, and we need someone who can make decisions, stay calm under pressure, and speak for IT with confidence at every level. In return: a rare opportunity to run operations end to end across a complex, multi-jurisdiction environment with real trust and real responsibility.
In this position you will:
- Keep all IT services running, reliable, and performing well across all offices;
- Spot risks early using infrastructure monitoring (PRTG) and act before they become outages;
- Build and develop the operations team;
- Drive ITIL-based service management practices and ensure consistent use of the ITSM platform;
- Report on system health, patterns, and capacity;
- Act as the senior escalation point for major incidents across all offices. Lead resolution with urgency and clear stakeholder communication;
- Drive root cause analysis and ensure lasting fixes, not just workarounds;
- Oversee and govern the firm’s Windows Server infrastructure, virtualisation platforms, Active Directory, Exchange, data centre operations, backup/recovery, and disaster recovery readiness;
- Manage vendors, hosting partners, and service providers. Hold them to their SLAs and coordinate infrastructure and platform work together;
- Secure the Citrix Virtual Desktop environment during transition and ensure continuity throughout the migration to Microsoft 365 cloud;
- Contribute to IT budget planning with accurate operational data;
- Ensure compliance with IT policies, security standards, and multi-jurisdiction regulatory requirements.
Key skills and experience required:
- Minimum 10 years of hands-on experience in IT operations, infrastructure management, or a senior technical leadership role within a multi-site, multi-country organisation;
- Strong technical depth across Windows Server, Active Directory, virtualisation, enterprise backup/recovery, and core networking (DNS, DHCP, firewalls, VPN, WAN);
- Experience with ITSM platforms, monitoring tools, and change-management processes;
- Experience with M365 cloud services (Exchange Online, SharePoint, Intune, Defender) is a strong advantage; Citrix or virtual desktop environment experience is preferred;
- Ambitious, energetic, and self-driven; takes personal ownership and works independently under pressure;
- Confident leadership presence: commands respect from technical teams and communicates complex situations clearly to non-technical stakeholders;
- Strong communication skills in English (written and spoken); additional CEE/EMEA languages are an advantage;
- BSc degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field; ITIL, Microsoft, or VMware certifications are a plus;
- Experience in a law firm, professional services, or regulated environment is strongly valued.
What we offer
At Kinstellar, we prioritize your goals. We begin by understanding your strengths and ambitions as an employee and strive to create opportunities that unlock your full potential. By joining our team of exceptional talents, you become part of our high culture where we are committed to your personal and professional growth. We offer:
- High-level corporate culture: Our culture comes to life through our five core values: Excellence, Insight, Integrity, Team Spirit and Drive. At Kinstellar, we place a premium on integrity and are the only regional law firm with a dedicated risk and compliance team, along with a comprehensive anti-corruption compliance program.
- Learning & development: Benefit from professional development and training in a leading Central & Eastern Europe (CEE), Southeast Europe (SEE) and Central Asia (CA) law firm, engaging in interesting work for reputable local and international clients.
- Wellbeing: Experience comprehensive benefits tailored to individual needs, fostering your mental and physical wellbeing. We prioritize your work-life balance with firm-wide days off and offer competitive compensation, including future salary growth and an annual performance bonus.
- Social impact: Engage in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives for both local and global impact. Our employee-driven Community Investment program includes pro bono work, volunteering, donations, and sponsorships.
Why Kinstellar?
At Kinstellar, we provide premium legal services and pride ourselves on having a collaborative, team oriented, future looking culture providing unique development opportunities to grow in a highly supportive working environment throughout all stages of your career. At Kinstellar you will have the opportunity to work with outstanding lawyers of Central & Eastern Europe (CEE), Southeast Europe (SEE) and Central Asia (CA), and of the world’s greatest referring law firms on highly complex cases. We are a purpose-driven organization, with outstanding sector and service line expertise, knowledge and commitment to client service and innovation.
We know our people value flexibility around when and where they work. So, we are committed to offering a more adaptable way to work, balancing the way you work and your lifestyle with hybrid working options.
We will support your career aspirations by offering access to mobility programs such as intra- office secondments and secondments with referring law firms where possible. These programs give you the chance to travel to other countries, engage with international clients, lawyers and develop your networks.
Equal opportunities
Kinstellar provides equal opportunities to all employees and applicants and strictly prohibits discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other protected characteristics.
Joining Kinstellar means working with some of the finest legal minds in CEE, SEE & CA on the region's most challenging mandates. We attract the best and brightest talents to help us continue our stellar growth.
Do you consider yourself Stellar? Apply Now!
At Kinstellar we welcome direct applications. Please send your application (CV and cover letter) in English to . We will then be in touch with you once we have reviewed your application. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
By submitting your application, you agree to provide us with your personal data for the purposes of the recruitment process at Kinstellar. Your personal data will be processed in strict confidentiality by Kinstellar solely for the purposes of selection and recruitment and will not be transferred to other data controllers unless required by law.
By submitting your application, you understand and consent to Kinstellar retaining your personal information for a period of up to 12 months so that we may contact you again for future career opportunities.
By submitting your application, you hereby acknowledge that you understand and consent to Kinstellar's Privacy Policy.
All information provided will be treated with strict confidentiality.