Head of IT Operations Milton Keynes, MK16 9EZ Salary – £85,000 to £95,000 per annum (depending on experience) Full time role. Hybrid working model. We’re looking for a Head of IT Operations to join us and oversee the delivery of high-quality IT Service while ensuring the stability and security of IT our Infrastructure. The role will lead two highly performant internal teams, own business-critical Managed Service Providers, and provide strategic direction on IT Service and IT Infrastructure as we head into the next exciting stage of our journey. What will your role look like? What you will be responsible for: Create and execute a strategic roadmap for IT Operations, ensuring best-of-class technologies underpin business operations, and high-quality IT Service is by design. Lead, coach, and develop an internal IT Operations team, ensuring the function evolves to meet future business needs and changing technology landscapes. Identify, implement, and mature best-practice IT Service Management principles, partnering IT Service with the business while instilling a culture of service excellence. Analyze and report on IT Service performance, metrics, and trends, presenting these to the business including senior leadership teams. Own the IT Infrastructure and enterprise architecture including LAN, WAN, WLAN, cloud, domain services, servers, hosting, security solutions and End User Computing. Monitor and manage end-to-end lifecycles of IT Infrastructure including continuous improvement and define and sponsor IT Infrastructure implementation projects. Oversee risk and vulnerability management, and ensure technology operates within established control frameworks and regulatory compliance (NIST, ISO, PCI-DSS, GDPR). Own and manage third-party suppliers and managed service providers, driving strategic alignment and ensuring operational, financial and contractual performance. Create and manage large operational and capital expenditure budgets for IT Operations, ensuring strict cost control, monitoring, analysis, and reporting. About you Ideally, we are looking for someone who has: Experience and expertise in IT Service Management including leading IT Service Delivery teams and implementing ITIL based practices and processes. Experience and expertise in managing complex IT Infrastructure and enterprise architecture, ideally within a multi-site retail, Hospitality, or FMCG environment. Broad expertise in IT Infrastructure and technologies including WAN/LAN/WLAN, Cloud (Azure), Domain services (AAD), Servers, hosting/virtualisation, and End User Computing including build, deployment and endpoint management. Broad expertise in cybersecurity technologies covering traditional, modern and emerging including NGFW, WAF, ZTNA, CASB, SIEM, EDR and XDR. Strong understanding of Cybersecurity including known control frameworks and regulatory compliance. Experience in NIST, ISO27001 or CE certification is desirable. Experienced in managing third-party suppliers, partners and business-critical managed service providers, including contract and performance management. Experience in creating and managing large operational and capital expenditure budgets, including analysis, reporting and presenting. What does our process involve? After your application, and a brief discussion with our recruitment team, there will be 2 stages of interview for this role 1st stage – Teams or Face to Face interview with the IT Director and a member of the People team. 2nd stage – A short presentation on a role-related area to the IT Director and the Group CIO. We also have some great benefits Company Car / Opt-out option Annual Bonus Scheme Private Medical Insurance Contributory pension On-site daily meal allowance Discounts from 1000s of high street stores via MyWelcomeBreak. Generous discounts on hotel rooms for you and family members A structured career path and bespoke training About Welcome Break Welcome Break is one of the UK’s leading motorway service operators, running 60 service areas and 31 hotels across the UK. When you come into one of our sites you will recognise your favourite brands such as Starbucks, KFC, Burger King, Chopstix, Subway, Taco Bell, Waitrose and WHSmith, as well hotels under the Ramada and Days Inn brands. But what might come as a surprise is that we are all one team and that even with different uniforms, everyone works for Welcome Break. Our purpose is to deliver an exceptional customer experience for people on the move, and we’re a values-led business that live our values every day. We will create a sustainable and innovative future – for our customers, for our business and most of all, for our team.