Head of ICT Operations

Head of ICT Operations

Fixed-Term Contract (9–12 months)

£70,001 plus generous Civil Service pension (30%) and other benefits

London or Manchester (hybrid working, 2 days per week in the office)

We're looking for a hands-on technology leader to take charge of ICT operations during a pivotal period of digital change at the Security Industry Authority (SIA).

The SIA is in the middle of an ambitious Digital Change Programme, and we need an outstanding technology leader to make sure our operations do more than keep pace. We want them to lead the way.

Reporting to the Deputy Director of Technology, Data & AI, the Head of ICT Operations will lead a talented team of 10–12 technologists. You’ll own the services that power the organisation: Service Desk, Cloud & Infrastructure and M365. Your job is to keep them secure, resilient and focused on users while transformation happens all around you. You'll also play a key role in standing up technology services for a new Manchester office, including local service desk provision.

This is a broad, senior operational role. You'll manage outsourced suppliers against SLAs and value-for-money standards, oversee an operational technology budget of c.£4–5m, and hold accountability for cybersecurity, risk management and compliance with data legislation across the SIA's ICT estate. You'll bring tight service management discipline with experience in incident, change and problem resolution, while contributing to the wider Data & Digital Strategy.

We're looking for someone with a strong track record of leading and motivating technology teams, deep expertise in network management and secure infrastructure design, and solid grounding in information security, risk and compliance frameworks. You'll be a confident stakeholder manager, comfortable negotiating with senior partners and driving performance from third-party providers, with proven experience of release and deployment management and building robust cybersecurity practices.

If you're an experienced ICT operations leader ready to take on a high-impact interim role at the heart of a major transformation programme, we'd love to hear from you.