Head of IT

The Head of IT will lead and manage the technology department, ensuring the delivery of effective IT services and infrastructure. This role requires a strong understanding of operations and the ability to drive strategic IT initiatives in a Birmingham-based organisation.

This public sector organisation plays a key role in serving the community and operates within a collaborative environment. As a medium-sized entity, it focuses on delivering impactful services and ensuring operational excellence through innovation and technology.

• Oversee the IT department, ensuring smooth delivery of all technology services and infrastructure.
• Develop and implement IT strategies aligned with organisational goals.
• Manage IT budgets, ensuring cost-effective solutions and compliance with financial policies.
• Ensure the organisation’s IT systems are secure, robust, and scalable.
• Lead and mentor a small team, fostering a culture of professional growth.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to identify and implement technology solutions that meet business needs.
• Monitor and evaluate emerging technologies to enhance operational efficiency.
• Ensure adherence to public sector regulations and data protection standards.

A successful Head of IT should have:

Essential criteria

• Professional management qualification or equivalent experience.
• ITIL Foundation V4/5.
• Project Management experience.
• Supplier management experience.
• Extensive experience in the Microsoft technology stack (Intune, Defender, Exchange, Entra ID, and M365 suite).
• Awareness of cyber security best practices and frameworks (Cyber Essentials, Secure by Design, Cyber Assessment Framework).
• Strong understanding of ITSM processes.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with ability to communicate at all technical levels.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Strong problem solving and creativity skills.
• Strong strategic thinking skills.
• Ability to work with minimum supervision.
• Willingness to provide hands on support.
• Be prepared to work flexibly which may mean occasional evening/weekend work and travel.

Desirable criteria

• ITIL Managing Professional v4.
• MS-102: Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert.
• Agile, Prince 2 Project Management.
• Budget management experience.
• Experience in working with SaaS, PaaS and IaaS solution providers
• Experience with ITSM systems (ServiceNow, Halo, Freshdesk, etc).
• Experience with CRM systems (Dynamics, Salesforce, Oracle Service Cloud).
• Effective line management skills.
• Strong collaborative mindset and willingness to work across team boundaries.