Ascenti is the UK’s leading provider of physiotherapy and mental health services, helping thousands of people improve their health and live active lives every day.
With over 25 years of experience serving both the public and private sectors, we are industry leaders in clinical expertise, dedicated to delivering high-quality care through our distinct clinical philosophy.
About the role
We are looking for a Head of IT to lead the delivery of our digital operations, helping us scale securely and successfully as we continue to grow. Based within our Ascenti Digital team, this is a strategic leadership role, overseeing the people, platforms, and projects that power our technology ecosystem.
You’ll be accountable for our infrastructure, IT service delivery, and tooling, while championing the adoption of modern technologies across the business. This is a high-impact role, working closely with the Chief Technology Officer and other business leaders to drive innovation and create a seamless digital experience for our colleagues and customers.
Whether it’s cloud migration, vendor negotiation, or developing your team, your work will be vital to our mission of helping people elevate their health every day.
What you’ll be doing
1. Lead the planning and execution of our IT strategy, ensuring it aligns with our business goals and supports future growth.
2. Take responsibility for a talented team of system administrators and service desk analysts, creating a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
3. Oversee the management of our infrastructure, both cloud-based (Microsoft Azure) and on-premise, ensuring systems are resilient, secure, and scalable.
4. Own the delivery of critical IT projects, from upgrading legacy systems to implementing new platforms that improve how we work.
5. Manage vendor relationships, budgeting, and contract negotiations, ensuring cost-effective service and compliance with UK cybersecurity and data protection standards.
6. Act as the main point of contact for IT across the business, translating technical insights into clear, confident recommendations for non-technical stakeholders.
7. Guide the adoption of cloud-native platforms and services, particularly within Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365.
8. Oversee IT operations and service desk support, ensuring timely and high-quality resolutions for end-users.
9. Implement and embed ITIL-aligned processes for incident, problem, and change management.
10. Manage a range of enterprise tools including Zscaler, Zabbix, Cisco Meraki, and Defender.
11. Stay ahead of emerging technology trends to help futureproof our digital services.
12. Work alongside product teams to support agile development and DevOps practices.
13. Track performance, costs, and delivery metrics to support transparent and effective decision-making.
You want to use your leadership and technical skills in a business that puts people at the centre of everything. Our tech team plays a vital role in shaping how we support our patients and clinicians – and we’re backed by leadership who truly understand the value of digital infrastructure and innovation.
Our benefits include Vitality at Work membership, access to great discounts, and more. Learn more at: ascenti.co.uk/careers
Qualifications
Knowledge experience and qualifications
1. Subject matter expert in at least one of the following engineering disciplines: networking, system administration, cloud operations or similar.
2. Experience designing and implementing on-premise and cloud networks, especially in Microsoft Azure.
3. Operational knowledge of configuring and managing corporate networks and firewalls.
4. Previous experience as a senior leader and point of escalation in an enterprise IT team.
5. Implementation and rollout of enterprise software such as threat protection, mobile device management, SIEM.
6. Experience of tracking and managing IT infrastructure budgets and controlling costs.
7. Vendor relationship management and contract negotiation.
8. Exceptional customer presentation and relationship management skills.
9. Demonstrable track record for performance managing direct reports.
10. Self-starter, capable of working in a fast-paced environment.
11. Higher education qualification in computing, IT or related subject area or equivalent professional experience.
This role offers a hybrid working arrangement, requiring two days in the Fareham office and three days working remotely.
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