AVP, Network Services (Remote)

Crum & Forster Company Overview

Crum & Forster (C&F), with a proud history dating to 1822, provides specialty and standard commercial lines insurance products through our admitted and surplus lines insurance companies. C&F enjoys a financial strength rating of "A" (Excellent) by AM Best and is proud of our superior customer service platform. Our claims and risk engineering services are recognized as among the best in the industry.

Our most valuable asset is our people: more than 2500 employees in locations throughout the United States. The company is increasingly winning recognition as a great place to work, earning several workplace and wellness awards for four years running, including the 2025 Great Place to Work® Award for our employee-first focus and our steadfast commitment to diversity, equity and Inclusion.

C&F is part of Fairfax Financial Holdings, a global, billion dollar organization.  For more information about Crum & Forster, please visit our website: www.cfins.com.

Job Description

Crum & Forster is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Assistant Vice President (AVP) of Network Services to lead several of our core infrastructure teams. This critical leadership role is responsible for the strategic direction, operational excellence, and overall performance of the Network, Citrix, SQL, AS400 and Autosys batch processing teams. The AVP will ensure the stability, security, and scalability of our shared IT infrastructure services, supporting approximately 3,500 employees and contractors across the United States and offshore. This role requires a blend of strategic vision, technical acumen, and strong leadership skills to drive innovation and maintain a high-performing team.

What you will do:

• Strategic Leadership
• Develop and execute the long-term vision and roadmap for network, Citrix, SQL, AS400 and batch processing services, with a focus on security and resilience.
• Create and publish well-architected designs for infrastructure teams in alignment with industry best practices.
• Align infrastructure strategies with business goals and divisional needs in a decentralized environment.
• Drive continuous improvement, innovation, and adoption of best practices across all managed domains.
• Operational Excellence
• Oversee day-to-day operations, ensuring high availability, performance, and security of all managed systems, with a particular focus on network security.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs).
• Lead incident response and root cause analysis for major infrastructure events, including security incidents.
• Develop and implement robust monitoring, alerting, and incident management processes to minimize downtime and ensure rapid resolution of issues.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant security and regulatory requirements.
• Team Leadership & Development
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of Network, Citrix, SQL, AS400 and Autosys professionals.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and professional growth, with an emphasis on security awareness and best practices.
• Manage resource allocation, recruitment, and performance management.
• Set clear goals and expectations for team members, providing regular feedback and performance evaluations.
• Identify and develop talent within the team, providing opportunities for growth and advancement.
• Technical Expertise
• Serve as a technical escalation point for complex troubleshooting and critical incidents, with a focus on network engineering and security-related issues.
• Stay current with emerging technologies and industry trends, particularly in network security and threat management; evaluate and recommend new solutions.
• Ensure compliance with security policies, regulatory requirements, and audit standards.
• Participate in technical design reviews and architecture discussions to ensure that solutions are aligned with best practices and meet business requirements.
• Collaboration & Communication
• Partner with divisional IT leaders, application teams, and business stakeholders to understand requirements and deliver secure solutions.
• Communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences, including executive leadership, with a focus on cybersecurity risks and mitigation strategies.
• Manage vendor relationships and contracts for relevant infrastructure services, with a focus on security-related vendors.

What you will bring to C&F:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in IT infrastructure management, with a focus on networking and security.
• Proven experience leading and managing technical teams, with a track record of success in building high-performing organizations.
• Industry certifications (e.g. CCNP, CCDP, and/or CCIE).
• Advanced knowledge of TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, EIGRP, BGP, OSPF SDWAN, IPS/IDS (Firepower/Fortinet/Palo Alto) and Citrix Netscaler.
• Advanced knowledge of cloud networking technologies such as AWS VPC, Azure Vnet, VPN, Direct Connect, Load Balancers, and CDN.
• Experience with Palo Alto firewalls and migration from Cisco firewalls.
• Advanced knowledge of network security, including the design, configuration, and tuning of Cisco security appliances & Cisco ISE.
• Specific experience with Cisco routers, switches and firewalls, specifically Nexus and ASAs.
• Experience in the design and implementation of macro/micro segmentation.
• Experience in the design and implementation of zero trust architecture.
• Understanding of, and experience with, design and implementation of networking between on-premise and cloud platforms/applications.
• Strong understanding of cybersecurity principles, threat landscape, and security technologies (e.g., firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems
• Strong understanding of ITIL principles and best practices for service management.
• Extensive experience in network engineering, including design, implementation, and troubleshooting of complex network environments.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• Ability to think strategically and develop innovative solutions to complex problems.
• Experience managing budgets and vendor relationships.
• Prior experience in the Property & Casualty insurance industry is a plus.

#LI-MS

#LI-REMOTE

What C&F will bring to you

• Competitive compensation package
• Generous 401K employer match
• Employee Stock Purchase plan with employer matching
• Generous Paid Time Off
• Excellent benefits that go beyond health, dental & vision. Our programs are focused on your whole family’s wellness, including your physical, mental and financial wellbeing
• A core C&F tenet is owning your career development, so we provide a wealth of ways for you to keep learning, including tuition reimbursement, industry-related certifications and professional training to keep you progressing on your chosen path
• A dynamic, ambitious, fun and exciting work environment
• We believe you do well by doing good and want to encourage a spirit of social and community responsibility, matching donation program, volunteer opportunities, and an employee-driven corporate giving program that lets you participate and support your community

At C&F you will BELONG

If you require special accommodations, please let us know. We value inclusivity and diversity. We are committed to equal employment opportunity and welcome everyone regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. If you require special accommodations, please let us know

For California Residents Only:  Information collected and processed as part of your career profile and any job applications you choose to submit are subject to our privacy notices and policies, visit https://www.cfins.com/onlineprivacypolicy/ca/noticeatcollection/  for more information.

Crum & Forster is committed to ensuring a workplace free from discriminatory pay disparities and complying with applicable pay equity laws.  Salary ranges are available for all positions at this location, taking into account roles with a comparable level of responsibility and impact in the relevant labor market and these salary ranges are regularly reviewed and adjusted in accordance with prevailing market conditions. The annualized base pay for the advertised position, located in the specified area, ranges from a minimum of $141,800 to a maximum of $236,400. The actual compensation is determined by various factors, including but not limited to the market pay for the jobs at each level, the responsibilities and skills required for each job, and the employee’s contribution (performance) in that role. To be considered within market range, a salary is at or above the minimum of the range. You may also have the opportunity to participate in discretionary equity (stock) based compensation and/or performance-based variable pay programs.