Senior IT Operations Manager

Contract Type: contract to perm

Overview:

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Senior IT Operations Manager to lead and develop our internal IT operations, overseeing infrastructure, service desk, and the delivery of key technology transformation projects. You will manage a Helpdesk Lead (with a team of 5) and an Infrastructure Lead (with a team of 3), ensuring the consistent delivery of robust, secure, and scalable IT services across the business.

This role will be pivotal in driving the housing of our MSP-managed infrastructure in-house, resetting and rebuilding our Azure environment, embedding cyber security practices, and supporting business-as-usual (BAU) operations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Leadership & People Management
  • Lead and mentor the Helpdesk and Infrastructure teams through their respective leads.
  • Ensure effective resource planning, performance management, and development across the teams.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Operational Management
  • Oversee daily IT operations, ensuring high availability, performance, and user satisfaction.
  • Manage escalations and prioritisation of support issues.
  • Monitor and report on key operational metrics (e.g. SLAs, uptime, incident response).
• Project Delivery
  • Lead the transition of managed services infrastructure and service desk from MSP to in-house.
  • Oversee the reset and rebuild of the Microsoft Azure environment to align with best practices.
  • Ensure successful planning and delivery of IT transformation and improvement projects.
• Cyber Security & Governance
  • Embed cyber security practices into operational and project workflows.
  • Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to ensure compliance with policies, standards, and regulations (e.g. ISO27001, Cyber Essentials).
  • Manage risk assessments, vulnerability management, and incident response processes.
• Stakeholder Engagement
  • Act as a senior point of contact for internal stakeholders regarding IT operations and service delivery.
  • Work closely with other business units to understand their IT needs and translate them into actionable initiatives

Skills & Experience Required:

• Proven experience in a senior IT operations or service delivery role, ideally within a hybrid in-house/MSP environment.
• Strong leadership skills with experience managing multi-disciplinary teams.
• Hands-on experience delivering infrastructure and cloud transformation projects, particularly within Microsoft Azure.
• In-depth understanding of service desk management, ITIL processes, and BAU service delivery.
• Demonstrable experience embedding cyber security best practices in an operational setting.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and vendor negotiation skills.

Desirable:

• Experience in public sector, housing, or regulated environments.
• Certifications in ITIL, Azure, or cyber security (e.g. CISSP, CISM, Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator).

This is an exciting opportunity to take ownership of critical IT functions during a transformative period of growth and modernisation. If you’re a strategic yet hands-on leader ready to make a tangible impact, we’d love to hear from you.

*Rates depend on experience and client requirements