Head Of IT

Permanent

Location: Cheltenham – Hybrid (2 days per week onsite)

Salary: £70,000-£80,000

Industry: Education Services

About the Client

Our client is a well-established, employee-owned organisation that provides specialist services to government bodies, educational institutions, professional organisations and employers across the UK and internationally. With a reputation built on trust, quality and expertise, they operate in a highly regulated environment where technology plays a critical role in delivering secure, reliable services.

As part of their continued growth and digital transformation journey, they are looking for a Head of IT to lead technology operations, development, testing and information security functions. This is a key leadership role offering the opportunity to shape technology strategy, modernise legacy systems and drive business-wide improvements across a collaborative and purpose-driven organisation.

How you’ll spend your day

• Leading and developing multi-disciplinary IT teams across Operations, Service Desk, Software Development and Testing.
• Creating and delivering the organisation's IT strategy, roadmap and technology vision in line with wider business objectives.
• Managing IT budgets, resource planning, vendor relationships and technology investments.
• Building strong relationships with senior stakeholders across the business, including executive leadership teams.
• Overseeing the delivery, availability, performance and security of cloud and on-premise technology environments, with a strong focus on Azure.
• Driving continuous improvement across IT service management, operational processes and support functions using ITIL best practices.
• Providing strategic oversight of software development and testing activities, ensuring delivery aligns with business priorities.
• Leading cyber security, risk management and compliance initiatives, including supporting ISO standards, data protection requirements and business continuity planning.
• Reviewing existing infrastructure, systems and processes, identifying opportunities for modernisation, efficiency and improved resilience.
• Managing technology projects from planning through to successful delivery, ensuring stakeholder engagement and business alignment throughout.
• Championing a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation and continuous improvement across the technology function.

What you’ll bring to this role

• Proven experience in a senior IT leadership position with responsibility for IT Operations, Development, Testing and Information Security functions.
• Strong technical background with experience across infrastructure, cloud platforms, networking, virtualisation, business systems and enterprise technology environments.
• Previous software development experience, ideally within Microsoft technology environments such as .NET, Azure and modern application platforms.
• Demonstrable experience creating and delivering technology strategies, roadmaps and transformation initiatives.
• Strong understanding of cyber security, risk management, governance and compliance within regulated environments.
• Experience working within organisations that support government, public sector, education or similarly regulated industries would be highly advantageous.
• Knowledge of IT frameworks and methodologies including ITIL, Agile, SDLC, ITSM and project delivery best practices.
• Strong commercial awareness with experience managing budgets, suppliers, forecasting and technology investments.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and build trusted relationships at executive level.
• A collaborative leadership style with a proven track record of coaching, developing and empowering high-performing teams.
• Comfortable balancing strategic planning with hands-on operational oversight where required.
• A pragmatic, solutions-focused approach with the ability to prioritise effectively in a changing business environment.

Perks & Benefits:

Time Off & Flexibility

25 days annual leave + bank holidays, with up to 5 days carry-over

Additional day off for your birthday

3 extra days off during the winter office closure

Christmas Eve half-day

Swappable bank holidays

Hybrid working as standard

Financial Wellbeing

Competitive pension scheme (5% employer contribution, matched up to 10%)

Life assurance (4x salary)

Group Income Protection (75% of salary for up to 5 years)

Employee referral scheme

Health & Wellbeing

Private BUPA healthcare (optional)

BUPA dental scheme (optional)

Employee Assistance Programme

Mental Health First Aiders and wellbeing support initiatives

Eye care contribution

Annual flu vaccination voucher

Family Support

Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay

Lifestyle & Perks

Cycle to Work scheme

Electric Vehicle salary sacrifice scheme

Employee discounts and savings platform

Subsidised tickets to local cultural events

Learning & Development

Dedicated learning budget for every employee

Access to company-wide learning and development programmes

Culture & Community

Paid volunteering hours

Quarterly team lunch allowance

Regular company social events

Contribution towards home-working equipment

Weekly fresh fruit delivery to the office

What happens next?

One of our Recruitment Consultants will be in touch and inform you if you’ve been successful to the next stage of the process or not, which is a qualification call where we will tell you more about the role and the client, and understand more about you, your experience and career aspirations.

Should we both wish to proceed, we will submit your details to the client and be in touch regarding the outcome and any further steps.

The interview process for this client consists of:

• Initial Teams interview followed by a final onsite interview.

Equal Opportunities

We are committed to providing equal opportunities for all candidates and welcome applications from individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law. As an employment agency for permanent and contract hires, we are dedicated to promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from underrepresented groups to drive innovation and equality within the workplace.

Should you require any reasonable adjustments please let us know so we can accommodate for any interactions with us at Biometric Talent, but also inform the client to ensure reasonable adjustments are made to allow for a fair and equitable process.