Travel Counsellors is undergoing an exciting large-scale digital transformation, and we are seeking an experienced IT operations and leadership professional to join us as Head of Platform Operations.

Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer, this newly created role is part of the digital and technology leadership team.

About the Role

The Head of Platform Operations is responsible for the activities, technologies, and resources around the building and operations of the infrastructure, communications, environments, IT, and platform software configuration for the company and global operations.

You will be empowered to make big decisions and be expected to influence from project to board level. Accountability and communication are critical success factors in this Head of Platform Operations role, with a confident grasp of technology concepts essential.

Principal Accountabilities

Oversee the use, performance, and availability of technology and IT throughout the global Travel Counsellors organisation, ensuring a stable, secure, and performant operational platform.
Prioritise the day-to-day work in the Platform Operations team, ensuring new features are released whilst maintaining an operational platform and balancing development with the resolution of incidents.
Maintaining contractual and regulatory requirements and policies and ensuring best practices across IT, infrastructure, & cloud platforms as a whole.
Play a leading role in setting the vision and strategy for digital and information technology and support the development of the enterprise IT and Digital Tech roadmap.
Provide direction on what technologies could be introduced and integrated to evolve and extend our existing proprietary technology and platform, ensuring that we stay at the forefront of the changing IT and Digital landscape.
Collaborate with business colleagues and stakeholders to innovate, propose, and shape investment, define projects, and set out technology designs that underpin the Travel Counsellors proprietary technology platform (Phenix) along with the digital, application, and IT landscape.

Benefits

A competitive basic salary + annual company bonus
Flexible hybrid working model
Career development and promotional opportunities
25 days holidays (increasing to 28 after 5 years of service)
A Moments That Matter Day (annually)
Enhanced maternity/paternity pay
Holiday buy and sell (up to 5 days per year)
3 paid days charity leave
Company events, socials, and incentives
3x annual salary death in service benefit
Company pension scheme
Costco membership
Salary sacrifice, company car scheme
Cycle to Work Scheme
Employee Assistance Programme
Free breakfast, fruit, and hot/cold beverages
Referral scheme
Employee discount
Private medical insurance (taxable benefit) or healthcare cash plan (costs incurred by employees)

Essential Skills

Bachelor's/master's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field
8+ years of experience working in IT operations, supervising technology teams, and overseeing large information technology estates
A passion for technology and best practice
Excellent understanding of computer systems, security, network and systems administration, databases and data storage systems, and telecommunications systems
Strong technical understanding of legacy technologies and cloud services/microservices
Strong stakeholder management skills - the ability to work at board level in a professional manner
Experience in managing, mentoring, or leading others in a small team environmentShape IT operations within our rapidly expanding business - join us as Head of Platform Operations today!

About Company

Here at Travel Counsellors, our customers, communities, and colleagues lie at the heart of everything we do - and that's what makes us special. For us, relationships come before transactions, and we are there for our customers, connecting with them on a deeply human level through the moments that matter.

We've been changing lives for the past 30 years as the leading travel marketplace for self-employed travel entrepreneurs, empowering over 2,000 global independent travel agents to run successful leisure and corporate travel businesses. We pride ourselves on remaining a company that truly cares and has never wavered from its purpose - to redefine what personal means for a travel business.

Our Travel Counsellors are supported by a team of over 400 super-talented people in our support offices to help them create unique, inspiring, and exciting experiences for their customers whilst building lasting personal relationships that bring them back to us, time and time again.

Our unique approach within the workplace - as well as towards customers - has seen us receive numerous awards and accolades, including being named The Best Place to Work in Travel at the 2022 TTG Travel Industry Awards, placing in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work list 2023 and 2024 (Large Company) as well as being the first travel company to be awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category!

We are expanding at a phenomenal rate - on the back of our record year in terms of revenue (over £930m) - and are looking for outstanding individuals to join our dedicated Head Office team to help the company continue to flourish