Our mission is to create the Experience of a Lifetime for our employees, so they can, in turn, create the Experience of a Lifetime for our guests. We own and operate the most renowned destination resorts in the world as well as regional and local ski areas outside major cities, and connect them all through one unrivaled network. We are looking for ambitious leaders, innovators and creators to join our talented team. If you’re ready to pursue your fullest potential, we want to get to know you!
Candidates for year-round positions are reviewed on a rolling basis. Applications will be accepted up to 90 days after the posting date, or until the position is filled (whichever is first).
Job Summary:
Vail Resorts is seeking a Senior IT Production Manager to lead our high-energy and dynamic Retail Applications team. Partnering with key business stakeholders, technology vendors, and fellow IT departments within the organization, this is an exciting opportunity to lead a strong team of Production Business Analysts instrumental in delivering high-quality solutions within Vail Resorts Retail.
The Retail Applications IT team oversee the IT environment for Commercial Applications for the Retail and Rental division of Vail Resorts enterprise across merchandise strategy, warehouse fulfillment, and store operations business groups, to optimize operational efficiency system stability and enhance guest experiences.
As a Senior IT Production Manager, you will:
- Oversee the day-to-day operations of the Retail Applications team production environment, ensuring the smooth and reliable delivery of critical systems and applications. Including Monitoring and reporting on system performance and stability
- Manage Production Management team of Business Analysts, drive resolution of technical issues and ensure application compliance requirements are achieved
- Implementing strategic initiatives to optimize production efficiency and stability, requires a deep understanding of operations processes and best practices.
- Manage and execute enhancement delivery, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to delivery timelines and budgets.
- Collaborate closely with IT and business stakeholders, fostering strong relationships and ensuring alignment on operational performance and strategic goals.
- Vendor management and accountability, fostering strong relationships and ensuring alignment on operational performance and strategic goals.
Job Specifications:
- Starting Wage: $121,000 - $155,000 + annual bonus
- Employment Type: Year Round
- Shift Type: Full Time
- Minimum Age: At least 18 years of age
- Housing Availability: No
Job Responsibilities:
Production Support Ownership
- Lead in ensuring application support responsibilities are met, including management of support queue, maintenance activities, and upgrade tasks in accordance with defined procedures and SLAs for multiple applications
- Manage and monitor the application ecosystem in collaboration with IT Infrastructure partners including servers, network infrastructure, applications, and databases to maintain uptime and performance levels.
- Identify and address potential production issues proactively, including performance bottlenecks, system failures, and security vulnerabilities.
- Develop and enforce change management procedures to mitigate risks associated with production deployments.
- Act as a role model for developing and maintaining positive, collaborative relationships with all constituents including business, IT (Information Technology) peers and leaders
Team Ownership:
- Provide leadership and coaching for a technical production business analyst team to ensure successful implementation of key initiatives across a diverse technology landscape spanning variety of Retail Applications and business groups.
- Create standards in process and templates for Production Management across the portfolio – effectively implementing a repeatable methodology to control support and enhancement processes.
- Analyze production trends and resource utilization to proactively plan for future capacity needs.
- In partnership, the Project Delivery Team and Production Management Team, orchestrate vendor development work and release planning to ensure teams are educated about critical milestones/software features and able to deliver against project plans
Incident Management:
- Manage incident response processes, including timely escalation of critical issues, root cause analysis, and post-incident reviews.
- Ensure effective communication of production incidents to stakeholders.
Compliance and Security:
- Ensure adherence to IT security policies and industry regulations related to production environments.
- Monitor production systems for potential security threats and implement necessary mitigation strategies.
- Manage quarterly SOX Compliance responsibilities and deadlines, ensuring all compliance requirement tasks are met.
Business Partnership:
- Align IT solutions with business strategies in to enable operational excellence and efficiency through technology
- Identify opportunities to better integrate with various lines of business to enhance automation and streamline process.
Vendor Management:
- Building and maintaining strong relationships with vendors, managing contracts, and incorporating vendor upgrades into roadmaps.
- Holding Vendors accountable to deliverables and escalating as needed.
- Manage relationships with 3rd party vendors, including RFPs, contract negotiations, invoice payment and tracking as well as accountability to SLA’s
Teamwork & Culture:
- Fostering a collaborative environment, driving team efficiency, and contributing to team development.
- Act as a role model for developing and maintaining positive, collaborative relationships with all stakeholders including business, IT (Information Technology) peers and leaders
- Identify and apply industry best practices to improve the team’s overall work product
- Work across multiple teams in an open and collaborative way to design holistic solutions in a fast-paced environment
- Other duties as assigned
Job Requirements:
Required Skills & Experience:
- Education: Bachelor's Degree required
- Leadership Skills
- 5+ years managing large scale diverse application sets, vendors, stakeholder groups and IT production Support teams
- Ability to lead and motivate technical teams, fostering collaboration and effective problem-solving
- Strong leadership experience with a history of increasing responsibility and career growth
- Strong IT & Business Acumen: Extensive experience in IT production support for commercial applications and experience in the Retail Industry.
- Analytical Skills: Strong analytical skills to identify trends, analyze data, and make informed decisions regarding production optimization.
- Problem-Solving: Ability to troubleshoot complex technical issues in a timely and efficient manner.
- Communication & Interpersonal: Excellent communication and presentation skills to effectively convey technical information to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Organizational & Time Management: Exceptional organizational and time management skills for managing multiple projects and tasks simultaneously.
- Technical Proficiency: Expertise in MS Office Suite, project management tools (SmartSheets, Jira), and basic database querying.
Preferred Skills:
- Prior experience with Aptos, MMS, Oracle or similar retail software application experience
- Work order system experience, such as IT Connect, ServiceNow, Jira, etc.
- Experience in a ski resort or retail field, working knowledge of Vail Resorts organization and processes
The expected Total Compensation for this role is $121,000 - $155,000 + annual bonus. Individual compensation decisions are based on a variety of factors.
Job Benefits
- Ski/Mountain Perks! Free passes for employees, employee discounted lift tickets for friends and family AND free ski lessons
- MORE employee discounts on lodging, food, gear, and mountain shuttles
- 401(k) Retirement Plan
- Employee Assistance Program
- Excellent training and professional development
Full Time roles are eligible for the above, plus:
- Health Insurance; Medical Insurance, Dental Insurance, and Vision Insurance plans (for eligible seasonal employees after working 500 hours)
- Free ski passes for dependents
- Critical Illness and Accident plans
Employees can work remotely from British Columbia, Washington D.C., and the 16 U.S. states* in which we currently operate. This includes: California, Colorado, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Washington State, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Please note that the ability to work in person or off-site, and the particulars related to such work, are subject to change at any time; and, accordingly, the Company reserves the right to change its policies and/or require in-person/in-office work or off-site work at any time in its sole discretion.
In completing this application, and when submitting related documentation, applicants may redact information that identifies their age, date of birth, and/or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.
We follow all federal, state, and local laws including restrictions on child/minor labor. Minors hired into this position will not be asked or permitted to engage in any activities restricted to adult workers.
Vail Resorts is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other status protected by applicable law.
Requisition ID 512700
Reference Date: 11/23/2025
Job Code Function: Applications
