IT Manager

IT Manager

Hybrid (Andover)

£75,000 p.a + company car 

This role is all about building strong, reliable IT foundations that allow innovation and transformation to thrive across the organisation. Rather than just setting high-level strategy, the focus is on making change possible -ensuring the technology estate, operating model, and team capability are aligned, stable, and ready to support continuous improvement.

Acting as a key enabler for transformation, this role works closely with the Head of Technology Innovation to turn ideas into practical, deliverable solutions. While not a strategic leadership post in itself, it plays a vital role in translating strategic ambition into real, executable change that the business can confidently adopt and sustain.

Day-to-day operations remain central to success. The role requires close, supportive partnerships with frontline teams across plants and sites, responding collaboratively to operational needs and challenges. The priority is to keep systems safe, secure, and compliant while making thoughtful, practical improvements that support business delivery. This includes creating safe, controlled IT environments where ideas and proof-of-concepts can be explored together - building confidence, trust, and shared understanding before changes reach live production.

Hands-on experience across a predominantly Microsoft technology stack is essential, spanning both legacy and modern platforms within a hybrid environment. Just as important is the ability to build strong relationships across the organisation. The successful individual will be visible, proactive, and trusted - someone genuinely interested in how the business works and where technology can remove friction or unlock new opportunities.

From a leadership perspective, the role also supports and develops the IT team. This means tackling performance challenges, managing strong personalities, and making difficult but necessary decisions in the best interests of the wider organisation.

Ultimately, this is a delivery-focused, people-centred role. By strengthening the foundations, supporting the team, and creating the right conditions for change, it enables innovation to move forward at pace and with confidence.

Key priorities over the first 12 months

Establish a visible, effective Service Desk function

• Foster a strong service-orientated mindset, building trust with both the IT team and end users
• Implement an accessible, user-friendly, and well-communicated service desk function and toolset
• Ensure clear onboarding, training, and ongoing user support
• Align processes with ITIL principles, focusing on consistency, accountability, and continual improvement
• Bring structure, direction, and focus to IT service delivery
• Provide meaningful service metrics and reporting for the executive team
• Introduce clear feedback loops so user experience directly informs service improvement

Build a practical Project Management capability

• Introduce a structured, pragmatic approach to delivering IT change in a live operational environment
• Hold a recognised project management qualification (PRINCE2)
• Develop core project delivery capability within the IT team, with consistent planning, tracking, and delivery methods
• Apply project management principles proportionately — prioritising clarity, ownership, and outcomes over unnecessary process
• Demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional development and encourage the same across the team

Support and enable major business change programmes

Actively support delivery across key transformation initiatives, including:

• Cyber Safe and Cyber Essentials programmes
• ERP and financial systems modernisation
• Transport management and compliance systems
• Increased and more effective adoption of Microsoft 365
• Adoption and expansion of Azure-based services

Maintain stable, secure, and scalable IT foundations

• Ensure core systems remain resilient and secure while change is delivered
• Deliver a modern, cloud-based telephony solution:
  • Lead implementation of a platform such as Microsoft Teams Phone or equivalent
  • Ensure strong user adoption and alignment with operational needs
  • Manage transition from legacy telephony with minimal disruption

Strengthen collaboration with operational teams

• Work closely with frontline and operational teams to ensure technology changes are practical and usable
• Improve service consistency, resilience, and security across the hybrid Microsoft environment
• Foster a collaborative, supportive IT culture aligned with business operations
• Create space for safe experimentation and controlled proof-of-concept environments where appropriate

If this sounds like you, please apply or get in touch!