Head of Systems

Reporting To

IT Director / Chief Technology Officer / Chief Operating Officer

Job Purpose

The Head of Systems is responsible for the strategic leadership, management, security, and continuous improvement of the organisation's IT infrastructure, business systems, cloud platforms, and operational technology services. The role ensures the availability, performance, resilience, and security of all IT systems while supporting business growth, transformation initiatives, and digital innovation.

The successful candidate will lead infrastructure and systems teams, manage technology roadmaps, oversee projects and vendors, and ensure IT services align with organisational objectives.

Key Responsibilities

IT Infrastructure & Systems Management

• Develop and maintain the organisation's IT infrastructure strategy and roadmap.

• Oversee the design, implementation, and support of enterprise systems, networks, servers, storage, cloud platforms, and end-user computing environments.

• Ensure high availability, resilience, scalability, and performance of all business-critical systems.

• Lead infrastructure modernisation and cloud transformation initiatives.

• Manage disaster recovery, business continuity, backup, and resilience strategies.

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of systems engineers, infrastructure specialists, and technical support staff.

• Establish clear objectives, performance standards, and development plans for team members.

• Promote a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous improvement, and customer service excellence.

• Manage recruitment, succession planning, and resource allocation across the team.

Cyber Security & Compliance

• Own the organisation's infrastructure security posture and technical security controls.

• Ensure compliance with relevant standards, regulations, and frameworks, including Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO 27001, GDPR, and industry-specific requirements.

• Lead vulnerability management, patch management, security monitoring, and incident response activities.

• Work closely with security and compliance stakeholders to mitigate risks and maintain governance standards.

Cloud & Platform Management

• Oversee cloud environments including Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, and associated technologies.

• Ensure cloud services are optimised for cost, security, performance, and scalability.

• Manage hybrid infrastructure environments and cloud adoption strategies.

Service Delivery & Operations

• Ensure IT systems and services meet agreed service levels and business expectations.

• Monitor infrastructure performance and implement proactive improvements.

• Drive automation, standardisation, and operational efficiency across IT services.

• Manage major incidents, problem management processes, and root cause analysis activities.

Project & Change Management

• Lead the delivery of infrastructure and systems projects from conception through to implementation.

• Provide technical leadership on business transformation initiatives and enterprise application deployments.

• Manage technical change processes and minimise operational risk during implementations.

• Collaborate with business stakeholders to understand requirements and deliver technology solutions.

Vendor & Budget Management

• Manage relationships with technology suppliers, service providers, and strategic partners.

• Negotiate contracts, service agreements, and technology investments.

• Develop and manage infrastructure and systems budgets.

• Ensure technology investments deliver value and align with business objectives.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• Significant experience in a senior IT infrastructure, systems, or technology leadership role.

• Proven experience leading and developing technical teams.

• Strong expertise across Microsoft technologies, including:

  • Microsoft Azure

  • Microsoft 365

  • Windows Server

  • Active Directory / Entra ID

  • Exchange Online

  • Intune

• Experience managing enterprise networking, firewalls, storage, virtualisation, and cloud platforms.

• Strong understanding of cyber security principles and best practices.

• Experience delivering large-scale infrastructure and transformation projects.

• Budget management and vendor management experience.

• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.

Desirable

• Experience with Dynamics 365, Power Platform, or ERP platforms.

• Experience working within regulated or compliance-driven environments.

• Knowledge of ITIL service management principles.

• Cyber security certifications or experience supporting security accreditation programmes.

• Experience managing hybrid cloud environments.

Key Competencies

• Strategic Thinking

• Leadership & People Development

• Stakeholder Management

• Decision Making

• Problem Solving

• Change Leadership

• Commercial Awareness

• Risk Management

• Communication & Influencing Skills

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related discipline, or equivalent industry experience.

Desirable

• Microsoft Certifications

• ITIL Foundation or higher

• CISSP, CISM, CCSP, or equivalent security certifications

• PRINCE2, Agile, or project management qualifications

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Infrastructure availability and uptime.

• Service level achievement.

• Cyber security compliance and audit outcomes.

• Project delivery performance.

• Team engagement and development.

• Technology cost optimisation.

• Business stakeholder satisfaction.