Title: Head of IT
Type: Permanent | Hybrid Working | 3 Days On-Site/2 Days Remote
Salary: £55,000/Yr. - £65,000/Yr. + Benefits
Location: Southwest England area

We are partnering with a market-leading, multi-site manufacturing group seeking an experienced Head of IT to take ownership of IT operations, service delivery, and team leadership across a growing business.

Reporting directly to the IT Director, this is a true number two leadership role focused on driving IT performance, modernisation, governance, and stakeholder engagement. You'll lead a small internal IT team, own the relationship with the external MSP, and play a key role in shaping the future direction of IT across the organisation. The role covers multiple sites and the candidate needs to be comfortable with that travel requirement.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own and manage the relationship with the external Managed Service Provider (MSP), ensuring SLA/KPI performance and continuous service improvement.
• Lead, mentor, and help reshape the internal IT team, supporting future growth and capability development.
• Act as the visible face of IT across the business, building strong relationships with stakeholders across multiple sites.
• Drive service delivery, governance, risk management, and operational excellence.
• Provide technical leadership and credibility, supporting key decisions and acting as an escalation point where required.
• Support IT modernisation initiatives, helping move the business away from Legacy technologies and processes.
• Manage third-party vendors, contracts, budgets, and IT suppliers.
• Lead and contribute to business-critical projects across infrastructure, Microsoft 365, ERP, CRM, and wider technology platforms.

Experience Required:

• Proven experience in a senior IT leadership role such as IT Operations Manager, IT Service Delivery Manager, IT Manager, or similar.
• Strong experience managing MSPs, service providers, and vendor relationships.
• Experience owning SLAs, KPIs, service reviews, and service improvement plans.
• Demonstrable people management and team leadership experience.
• Strong Microsoft 365 administration knowledge including Entra ID, SharePoint, Teams, Exchange Online, and Intune.
• Experience working within multi-site environments.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• ITIL or strong IT service management experience.
• Technical background with the ability to make informed technology decisions and challenge suppliers when required.

Desirable Experience:

• Manufacturing, engineering, industrial, distribution, or similar sector experience.
• Experience supporting ERP and CRM platforms.
• Exposure to infrastructure, networking, cybersecurity, Azure, or hybrid cloud environments.
• Experience leading IT transformation, modernisation, or organisational change initiatives.

If you're an experienced IT leader with strong Sage 200 expertise and a passion for driving service excellence, we'd love to hear from you.