Head of IT Operations & Infrastructure

Job Description Summary

Become part of a winning team and help to deliver the Green Energy transition.

As the Head of IT Operations & Infrastructure is responsible for the secure, resilient and effective operation of the UK IT estate.

The role leads the UK operational IT organisation, including infrastructure, end-user services, IT service management and the operation of UK-controlled Defence environments.

Working for the Digital Technology Director, the role will translate the UK technology strategy into a practical operating model, building the people, processes and technical capability required to support the growth of the UK business and its increasing Defence obligations.

The role will be central to moving the organisation from a predominantly traditional infrastructure environment toward a modern hybrid operating model, while maintaining the security, resilience and assurance required for UK Defence work.


🔒 Security Clearance Note: Some aspects of this role may involve access to information or facilities requiring UK government Security Check (SC) clearance. Candidates who hold or have previously held SC clearance, or who are eligible to obtain it, are encouraged to apply. SC clearance requires sole British Nationality. If you are unsure whether this applies to your situation, please speak with the recruiter.

Job Description

Key Accountabilities

IT Operations and Service Management

• Lead day-to-day operation of the UK IT environment, ensuring services are secure, reliable and supportable.
• Own IT service management across incident, problem, request, change, asset, configuration and service performance.
• Establish clear service ownership, operational KPIs, service reviews and continuous improvement.
• Improve Joiner, Mover and Leaver processes and associated identity, access, device and application provisioning.
• Develop effective escalation and support models across local teams, suppliers and corporate Centres of Excellence.
• Ensure operational processes are documented, repeatable and not dependent on individual knowledge.

Infrastructure and End User Technology

• Lead UK infrastructure, workplace and end-user technology operations.
• Own the operational lifecycle of servers, storage, networks, endpoints, collaboration services and associated platforms.
• Develop the capability required to support future hybrid-cloud adoption.
• Build operational understanding and capability across Microsoft Azure, Azure Virtual Desktop, modern endpoint management, infrastructure as code, automation, identity and access management, monitoring and observability, backup and cyber recovery, disaster recovery and operational resilience.
• Ensure infrastructure standards support both commercial and Defence requirements.

UK Defence Enclave

• Operate and mature the UK-controlled Defence technology environment.
• Ensure appropriate access, support, change and operational controls are maintained for restricted environments.
• Establish effective interfaces between the UK enclave, wider business systems and corporate technology services.
• Work closely with Cyber Security and Information Security to maintain appropriate technical and operational controls.
• Ensure the environment remains supportable as Defence demand and data sensitivity increase.

Cyber, Assurance and Resilience

• Work with Cyber Security and Information Security leads to ensure operational IT supports the required Defence assurance model.
• Support achievement and maintenance of Cyber Essentials Plus, CSM v4 requirements, Defence Cyber Certification from L0 through the required target level, and relevant contractual and customer security obligations.
• Ensure technical evidence, operational processes and controls can be demonstrated during audit and assurance activity.
• Develop and exercise disaster-recovery, cyber-recovery and business-resilience capabilities.
• Reduce single points of failure across technology, process and people.

Organisation and Capability Development

• Build and lead a scalable UK IT operations organisation as the business grows.
• Define clear team structures, accountabilities and career paths.
• Develop capability internally rather than relying indefinitely on professional services or individual technical specialists.
• Identify skills gaps and establish training and succession plans.
• Create a culture of ownership, operational discipline and continuous improvement.
• Manage a blended environment of employees, contractors and strategic partners.

Delivery of Technology Strategy

• Translate strategic direction set by the Digital Technology Director into executable operational plans.
• Prepare the operational organisation for major technology changes including cloud adoption, modern workplace, infrastructure modernisation and changes to corporate applications.
• Ensure new solutions have an appropriate support model before entering production.
• Contribute operational requirements and non-functional requirements into architecture and project decisions.
• Support major programmes including ERP, MES, PLM, PPM, Field Service and associated infrastructure changes where operational readiness is required.

Corporate and Supplier Integration

• Work effectively with global Centres of Excellence where corporate platforms and services can meet UK requirements.
• Ensure local requirements and Defence constraints are understood and appropriately represented within corporate services.
• Manage third-party operational suppliers and ensure clear accountability for performance and outcomes.
• Challenge suppliers and corporate services where they do not meet UK operational, security or service requirements.
• Ensure knowledge and operational capability remain within the UK organisation.

Leadership Scope

• The role will have responsibility for a growing multidisciplinary operational organisation covering areas such as:
• IT Service Management
• Service Desk / End User Support
• Infrastructure Operations
• Networks
• Cloud / Platform Operations
• Workplace / Endpoint
• Identity and Access
• Defence Enclave Operations
• Operational supplier management
• Initial organisational scope will evolve as the UK operating model matures, with the team expected to scale in line with business and Defence growth.

Essential Experience

• Significant experience leading IT operations, infrastructure or service-management teams.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary IT teams and third-party suppliers.
• An advanced understanding of enterprise infrastructure, networking, endpoint, identity and workplace technologies.
• Experience operating in regulated, controlled or security-sensitive environments (UK MoD).
• Proven IT service-management discipline and experience improving operational processes.
• Experience building teams, developing capability and introducing clearer operational accountability.
• Demonstrable experience of disaster recovery, resilience, backup and operational risk management.
• Good understanding of modern Microsoft infrastructure and cloud technologies.
• Experience working with Cyber Security and Information Security functions.
• Ability to translate strategic technology direction into practical operational delivery.

Defence Requirements

• Existing UK security clearance or the ability to obtain the required clearance.
• Experience working within UK Defence, government, nuclear, critical national infrastructure or an equivalently controlled environment would be highly advantageous.
• Understanding of UK Defence assurance expectations including Cyber Essentials Plus, CSM/DCC and secure information-handling environments is desirable.

Desired Experience

• Microsoft Azure and hybrid-cloud environments.
• Azure Virtual Desktop.
• Infrastructure as code and infrastructure automation.
• Modern identity and endpoint-management technologies.
• Cyber-recovery and clean-room recovery concepts.
• Enterprise monitoring and observability.
• Experience transitioning services from project delivery into BAU operation.
• Experience building an IT organisation during significant business growth or transformation.

Leadership Characteristics

• Comfortable building structure where maturity is still developing.
• Combines operational discipline with pragmatism.
• Prepared to challenge poor processes rather than simply perpetuate them.
• Comfortable working in an environment of significant change.
• Develops people rather than becoming the technical answer to every problem.
• Communicates effectively with technical teams, suppliers and senior business stakeholders.
• Comfortable taking strategic direction and converting it into operational delivery.
• Understands when global standards should be adopted and when UK requirements require a different approach.

🔒 Security Clearance Note: Some aspects of this role may involve access to information or facilities requiring UK government Security Check (SC) clearance. Candidates who hold or have previously held SC clearance, or who are eligible to obtain it, are encouraged to apply. SC clearance requires sole British Nationality. If you are unsure whether this applies to your situation, please speak with the recruiter.

Additional Information

Candidates should be aware that this role involves a client's critical infrastructure; shortlisted candidates would therefore be subject to heightened security checks as directed by our clients. All personal data will be handled with the utmost confidentiality and in accordance with our data protection policies, solely for recruitment and security purposes.