IT Applications Manager

London (Hybrid) Professional Services | Legal Sector (Essential) A leading professional services firm is hiring an IT Applications Manager to take ownership of its business-critical applications estate and significantly improve how technology supports fee earners and the wider business.Reporting to the Head of Technology, this role will lead a mixed portfolio of in-house and off-the-shelf systems, introduce a formal SDLC / Secure SDLC, and mature release, change, and governance processes. Stakeholder engagement is central — this role acts as the bridge between Technology, Partners, and fee earners.This is a leadership-led role, not hands-on development, but requires strong technical depth and credibility.Key Responsibilities• Own and improve the firm’s applications landscape (custom and COTS)• Define and implement SDLC and Secure SDLC (aligned to OWASP ASVS)• Lead application governance, lifecycle management, and integrations• Improve engagement and outcomes with Partners and fee earners• Oversee releases, change, testing, and prioritisation across BAU and projects• Support application readiness for Azure migration alongside Infrastructure• Ensure application security, compliance, and contribution to ISO27001 / CE+Key Requirements• E xperience in the legal sector• Strong background managing enterprise applications in a professional services environment• Proven experience implementing SDLC / SSDLC and maturing delivery processes• Solid technical understanding of modern application architecture, APIs, databases, and secure development• Confident senior stakeholder management — credible with lawyers and Partners• Able to balance operational stability with transformation and changeThis is a high-impact role with real ownership, visibility, and the mandate to fix long-standing issues between IT and the business.