Head of IT and Innovation

About RYZE Claim Solutions

RYZE Claim Solutions is a national insurance claims management TPA serving carriers across property, casualty, commercial, and specialty lines. We're a Bain Capital Insurance portfolio company with a distributed team of 200+ professionals across the country. Our culture is friendly, fast-moving, and built on real ownership — we believe in giving people the room to do great work and the support to grow.

Our Values in Action

Six values guide how we work and how we treat each other. Here's what they look like in this role:

• Integrity — Every system you build, every vendor you select, and every security decision you make carries the trust of our carrier partners, our policyholders, and our team. You protect that trust with rigor and transparency.
• Ownership — You own the technology function end to end. When something breaks, you fix it. When something is missing, you build it. You do not wait to be asked.
• Service Excellence — IT exists to enable everyone else to do their best work. You are a partner to Operations, Claims, Finance, and HR — not a bottleneck. Responsiveness and reliability are how you deliver excellence.
• Passion — Technology moves fast and so do we. Bring genuine curiosity to what's next — in security, in automation, in AI — and the discipline to know what is ready to act on and what is not.
• One Team — No technology initiative succeeds in isolation. You collaborate across every function, translate business needs into technical solutions, and build trust at every level of the organization.
• Celebrate Success — Recognize your team when they deliver, when they grow, and when they solve hard problems under pressure. Build a culture where doing great work is something people are proud of.

About the Role

The Head of IT and Innovation is a senior leadership role reporting directly to the CEO. This person owns the full technology function at RYZE — infrastructure, security, systems, and the innovation agenda that will define how we operate at scale. They will inherit a lean IT team and be expected to stabilize, secure, and modernize our technology environment in year one, while building the roadmap that carries us forward.

This is a hands-on leadership role. The right candidate is equally comfortable in a strategic conversation with the CEO and in the weeds of a security audit or systems migration. They understand the urgency of getting the fundamentals right before layering in innovation.

What You'll Do

IT Infrastructure and Operations

• Own the stability, reliability, and performance of RYZE's technology infrastructure across a fully distributed workforce of 200+.
• Manage cloud environments, network architecture, endpoint management, and helpdesk operations.
• Ensure all employees and independent adjusters have the tools, access, and support they need to work effectively from anywhere.
• Lead hardware and software lifecycle management, vendor relationships, and IT procurement.
• Define and enforce IT policies, standards, and change management processes that scale with the business.

Cybersecurity and Compliance

• Build and maintain a security posture appropriate for a PE-backed insurance TPA handling sensitive carrier and policyholder data.
• Lead risk assessments, vulnerability management, incident response planning, and employee security awareness.
• Ensure compliance with carrier security requirements, insurance industry data standards, and applicable regulatory frameworks.
• Own relationships with security vendors, managed service providers, and external auditors.
• Report security posture and risk exposure to the CEO and leadership team on a regular cadence.

Systems and Integrations

• Oversee RYZE's core systems stack including claims management platforms, HRIS, ERP, and productivity tools.
• Lead systems integrations that reduce manual work, improve data flow, and support operational scale.
• Partner with Operations, Finance, and HR to identify system gaps and prioritize improvement.
• Manage external implementation partners and technology vendors to deliver on time and on budget.

Innovation and Automation

• Develop and maintain a technology roadmap aligned to RYZE's four strategic pillars: Customer Confidence and Retention, Operational Excellence, Organizational Strength and Talent Depth, and Process Maturity.
• Identify, evaluate, and pilot emerging technologies including AI, automation, and straight-through processing tools that create measurable efficiency.
• Partner with Operations and Claims leadership to apply automation where it reduces friction and improves throughput.
• Translate innovation opportunities into business cases with clear ROI before committing resources.

Team Leadership

• Lead and develop the existing IT team. Set clear expectations, build capability, and create a high-performing function.
• Identify gaps in the team and make the case for headcount or managed services as the business grows.
• Serve as an accessible, credible technology voice on the senior leadership team.
• Build a culture of ownership, responsiveness, and continuous improvement within IT.

What We're Looking For

Required

• 10+ years of progressive IT leadership experience, with at least 3 years in a senior or head-of-function role.
• Proven track record managing IT infrastructure and security in a distributed, remote-first workforce.
• Strong working knowledge of cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, or GCP), endpoint management, and network security.
• Experience in a PE-backed, high-growth, or mid-market company where resources are lean and execution pace is fast.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a team, manage vendors, and own a technology budget.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to non-technical executives and stakeholders.
• Strong project management discipline — you track what you commit to and deliver.

Nice to Have

• Insurance, TPA, or financial services background.
• Familiarity with claims management platforms and carrier technology requirements.
• Experience implementing or scaling automation tools (Power Automate, RPA, AI-assisted workflows).
• Relevant certifications: CISSP, CISM, AWS/Azure Solutions Architect, PMP, or similar.

What We Offer

• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience.
• Employer-sponsored health, dental, and vision coverage.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Generous PTO and paid holidays.
• Fully remote with optional hub access in Dallas or Tampa.
• A direct line to the CEO and real influence over how RYZE operates and scales.
• A leadership team that values expertise, acts on feedback, and invests in its people.