Head of Information Technology Operations

Are you passionate about delivering exceptional IT services, leading high-performing operations teams, and ensuring the reliability, performance, and continuous improvement of enterprise technology environments?

We are seeking an experienced IT Operations Manager to lead and optimize IT service delivery across a multi-site environment. Reporting to the Information Systems Department, this role is responsible for overseeing day-to-day IT operations, ensuring service excellence, managing IT support functions, and driving operational efficiency through process improvement and automation.

The ideal candidate combines strong leadership capabilities with deep expertise in IT service management, operational governance, incident management, and infrastructure operations. You will play a critical role in ensuring business continuity, maintaining high user satisfaction, and aligning IT services with business needs.

Key Responsibilities

IT Operations & Service Delivery

• Lead and manage IT operations teams responsible for user support, local IT services, business applications, and IT service management functions.
• Ensure the availability, stability, performance, and quality of IT services across the organization.
• Oversee day-to-day operational activities and ensure consistent delivery of IT services aligned with business expectations.
• Drive operational excellence through effective governance, monitoring, and service management practices.
• Define, implement, monitor, and continuously improve Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Service Level Objectives (SLOs).
• Ensure service performance meets agreed business and operational requirements.
• Monitor service metrics and take proactive actions to address performance gaps.
• Develop reporting frameworks that provide visibility into service quality and operational effectiveness.

IT Service Management (ITSM)

• Govern ITIL-based service management processes, including:
• Change Management
• Release Management
• Service Request Management
• Ensure standardization, compliance, and continuous improvement of ITSM processes.
• Promote best practices to improve service efficiency and user experience.
• Manage and optimise ITSM platforms and service management workflows.

Major Incident & Crisis Management

• Coordinate the resolution of critical incidents and service disruptions.
• Lead major incident management activities and ensure timely communication with stakeholders.
• Facilitate crisis management processes and escalation procedures.
• Conduct root cause analysis and post-incident reviews to prevent recurrence.
• Drive continuous improvements based on lessons learned.

Performance Monitoring & Reporting

• Establish and maintain operational dashboards, performance indicators, and service reports.
• Analyze operational trends and identify risks and improvement opportunities.
• Present IT operational performance updates and recommendations to leadership.
• Ensure accurate reporting on service availability, incident trends, and operational KPIs.
• Manage relationships with external service providers and technology partners.
• Monitor vendor performance and ensure compliance with service agreements and contractual commitments.
• Coordinate service reviews and performance improvement initiatives with suppliers.
• Support contract management and service governance activities.

Business Continuity & Resilience

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of:
• Business Continuity Plans (BCP)
• Disaster Recovery Plans (DRP)
• Support resilience testing and recovery exercises.
• Ensure critical business services are protected against operational disruptions.
• Collaborate with infrastructure, security, and application teams to strengthen operational resilience.
• Identify opportunities to improve service quality, operational efficiency, and user satisfaction.
• Drive automation initiatives that reduce manual effort and improve operational reliability.
• Implement best practices for operational governance and service delivery.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within IT operations.
• Support management of operational budgets and technology service expenditures.
• Monitor resource utilization and identify optimisation opportunities.
• Ensure efficient allocation of operational resources and service investments.
• Contribute to strategic planning and operational budgeting activities.
• Lead, coach, and develop multidisciplinary IT operations teams.
• Foster collaboration, accountability, and customer-focused service delivery.
• Support career development and performance management activities.
• Build a high-performing culture centred on operational excellence and continuous learning.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Master's degree in:
• Computer Science
• Information Technology
• Information Systems
• Related technical discipline

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of experience in IT Operations, Infrastructure Operations, Service Management, or related IT leadership roles.
• Several years of people management and team leadership experience.
• Experience managing IT operations within complex, multi-site environments.
• Proven track record of improving service delivery and operational performance.

Required Technical Skills

IT Service Management

• ITIL Best Practices
• Change Management
• Release Management
• Service Request Management

ITSM Platforms

Experience with one or more:

• ServiceNow
• Equivalent ITSM Solutions

Operations & Infrastructure

• Hybrid Infrastructure Management
• Application Operations
• Infrastructure Monitoring
• Service Availability Management
• Operational Governance
• Business Application Support

Business Continuity

• Business Continuity Planning (BCP)
• Disaster Recovery Planning (DRP)
• Operational Resilience

Reporting & Performance Management

• KPI Development
• Operational Dashboards
• Service Reporting
• Data Analysis

Preferred Qualifications

• ITIL v4 Certification.
• Experience within retail, distribution, logistics, or other high-volume user environments.
• Experience leading digital transformation or IT operations modernisation initiatives.
• Knowledge of automation, observability, and modern IT operations practices.
• Experience managing geographically distributed teams and services.