Head of IT Operations

Head of IT Operations

The Head of IT will lead Isio’s IT Operations technical teams (ServiceDesk and Admin Systems Support) and their managers at an ever-growing technology focused business. These teams support a business-critical estate running exclusively on Microsoft technologies including Microsoft 365 and Azure hosting and audited and certified to ISO 27001 standards. This role will report into the Chief Technology Officer and requires a close working relationship with internal teams including Information Security, Infrastructure, Development and Project delivery, and external suppliers for additional services or technical resources. The ideal candidate for this role will have hands-on experience of the Microsoft platforms and will be an experienced coach for both Managers and team members.

This role can be based in either our Belfast or Birmingham city centre office with a hybrid workstyle.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership to the IT teams
• Team/Line management for the two managers and their staff, including performance reviews, coaching and objectives setting.
• Ensure end to end performance and availability of a fully Azure-hosted environment and Isio’s M365 environment.
• Contribute to Architecture Review Board and help to embed best practices for new or existing IT systems
• Provide hands on support and experience to the IT teams drawing from personal technical expertise.
• Supplier Management and Cost Management for cloud hosting and third-party IT services
• Implement process management best practices within the IT Operations teams.
• Delivery of Cyber Security improvements and operational activities, following industry standards and best practices
• Work with the Cyber security team to support ISO 27001 certification including delivery of day-to-day activities and providing support during audits
• Oversee a culture of continuous improvement, identifying and implementing improvements to enhance service levels and improve internal & external user experiences
• Identify opportunities and implement solutions to automate manual or repetitive activities.
• Participate in Isio’s Change Board to ensure effective governance of changes being deployed to production systems.
• Manage a subset of Isio’s Information Assets ensuring that appropriate levels of access, resilience and business continuity are maintained.

Experience/Competencies:

Essential:

• Strong experience developing and leading technical teams in mid-size or larger IT driven businesses
• Strong hands on technical experience with Azure preferred including cloud native components such as Entra ID, App Services, Storage, Backups, Conditional Access, Front Door, Load Balancers.
• Strong hands on technical experience in managing Microsoft 365 productivity solutions
• Great communication and problem-solving skills with the ability to work under pressure.
• Ability to communicate with stakeholders effectively that have varying levels of technical knowledge.
• Experience in managing a range of suppliers.
• Management of key stakeholders at all levels in a typical corporate environment.

Desirable:

• Experience working within or implementing industry standard security and compliance standards, e.g. ISO 27001, SOC2, Cyber Essentials Plus
• Experience working with outsourced providers for engineering & technical resources as well as systems/services.
• Experience working in a regulated industry, e.g. telecoms, financial services, utilities.
• Experience of Jira & Confluence for agile work management & documentation
• Experience working with internal software development teams
• Experience automating repetitive or complex manual activities to improve efficiency
• Experience of acquisitions and integration/standardisation of IT systems
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

What we offer you

Isio is a people business, and we’re committed to helping our great colleagues gain a wide variety of experience, significant development opportunities and progression through the business. The variety of work that’ll be available to you will enable you to do this.

You can find out more about Isio and the benefits we offer on our careers website.

About Isio

Isio was ‘born’ in 2020 from the sale of KPMG UK’s Pension Practice to a private equity firm. An industry-leading challenger, we provide diverse expertise spanning Pensions, Investment, Benefits and Wealth to give clients an integrated experience.

Isio is built by challengers, innovators and forward-thinkers, grounded around a vision which strives to deliver greater financial confidence for everyone. We empower and develop those who join us – valuing curious minds and giving people the freedom to outperform. Known and respected for our agility, we harness specialist experience, bold thinking and the desire to push the boundaries of what we can achieve for our clients, from small to blue chip, public to private.

At Isio, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable and diverse workplace, in which our colleagues feel they belong, regardless of background or difference. We uphold the values of respect, fairness, and inclusion in our actions and decisions. We believe that by adhering to these principles, we will create a stronger, more innovative, and supportive environment for all, as well as ensuring that the advice and support we provide to our clients is more creative, more insightful and leaves a lasting impact.

We have offices across the UK and many of our roles offer a hybrid, flexible approach to work to help create a work-life balance that works for you. Isio Group is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

If you think you may require a reasonable adjustment to be made for any reason at any stage of your recruitment process, please ask us.