Information Technology Operations Team Lead (Oxford)

Overview

A world-leading biotechnology firm at the forefront of scientific innovation is seeking a dynamic IT Operations Team Lead to oversee the management, stability, and continuous evolution of its critical IT infrastructure. This is a hybrid role combining strategic leadership with hands-on technical expertise, ideal for a seasoned IT professional looking to make a tangible impact within a cutting-edge scientific environment.

Reporting directly to the Director of Infrastructure Operations, you will lead a team of engineers and play a key role in maintaining and improving infrastructure systems that underpin global scientific and business operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and technical leadership for the design, implementation, and optimisation of IT infrastructure in line with a cloud-first strategy
• Oversee a team of engineers, driving accountability, performance, and continuous improvement
• Deliver infrastructure enhancements across cloud platforms, virtual environments, and on-premise systems
• Take ownership of operational processes including Major Incident Management, Change Management, Capacity Planning, and Supplier Management
• Ensure system performance, availability, and security across the global infrastructure estate
• Collaborate with vendors, internal stakeholders, and project management teams to align technical initiatives with business objectives
• Lead the migration of on-premise workloads to cloud platforms (particularly AWS)
• Monitor and tune system performance; identify and resolve performance issues proactively
• Participate in the design and management of data centre environments
• Maintain robust security practices aligned with compliance standards including ISO 27001 and 20000

Required Skills & Experience

• 10+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, systems administration, and operations
• Proven leadership experience with the ability to drive team performance and deliver infrastructure improvements
• Broad expertise across Linux and Windows environments, virtualisation (VMware/Hyper-V), and networking (physical and virtual)
• Strong scripting and automation experience (e.g., PowerShell, Bash, Python)
• Hands-on experience with cloud platforms, particularly AWS
• Proficient in incident response, monitoring, and alerting frameworks
• Experience in data centre management and cloud workload migration
• Strong diagnostic skills with tools like Wireshark , log analysis tools, and monitoring platforms
• Familiarity with ITIL-based service management processes and compliance standards
• Knowledge of performance tuning, capacity planning, and high-availability configurations

Qualifications & Certifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
• Relevant certifications are advantageous (e.g. AWS , Microsoft , Cisco , ITIL )

What We’re Looking For

• A pragmatic, solution-focused leader with a strong technical foundation
• Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• A passion for operational excellence and a proactive approach to problem-solving
• Confidence working in a fast-paced, high-impact environment supporting scientific discovery

If you're a hands-on technical leader with a passion for infrastructure excellence and a desire to contribute to the next generation of biotechnology, this is your opportunity to make a real difference.