Head of Digital Infrastructure -

Bristol (Hybrid 1 day/week in office) -

Salary up to £87,000 (with superb benefits)

Do you have extensive experience managing a complex and distributed IT function?

Do you have a strategic mindset? Are you able to define and sell a vision and bring others on the journey?

Do you have strong leadership skills with the ability to manage, influence, and motivate teams in the successful delivery of complex continuous improvement?

If yes, keep reading.

We ve partnered with one of Bristol's most prominent organizations to help find someone to advance their Digital Infrastructure portfolio and provide an effective digital-first strategy, roadmap, and support service to meet the demands of the business.
The portfolio is diverse, delivered through traditional and hybrid-cloud deployment models, and includes many business-critical applications.
You will be responsible for a team of over 70 people, reporting to senior leadership on the status and performance of the entire Infrastructure Platform portfolio. You will assess the capability of current systems and emerging technologies to continuously improve the portfolio and advise the business effectively. You will build, lead, and develop a skilled team, supporting them in their daily operational work and career development.
You will ensure that resources are effectively managed and planned, leveraging infrastructure as code (IaC) and end-to-end automation practices, providing technical leadership to projects and change initiatives, including accurate planning, estimates, and dependencies.

Responsibilities:
• Define and execute the Digital Infrastructure portfolio strategy as part of the overall IT Operations strategy, including the vision for how digital services will drive positive experiences and foster greater collaboration.
• Be the initial point of contact and advice for best practices on Digital Infrastructure. Provide technical architectural expertise, direction, advice, and inspiration to your team and others, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, objectives, and standards to deliver a world-class service.
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies and standards to ensure the delivery of robust, secure, and high-performance Digital Infrastructure services to the business.
• Develop investment plans and operating budgets for the Digital Infrastructure portfolio that reduce technical debt and increase innovation and speed to market.
• Formulate IT policies, processes, and Service Level Agreements related to Digital Infrastructure in conjunction with the IT Operations Director.
• Ensure up-to-date Production Systems Architecture diagrams and Support Models exist for each infrastructure platform within the portfolio, alongside standard IT technical documentation throughout the system lifecycle.
• Plan and allocate resources and expertise to support the delivery of larger infrastructure projects and programs, managing contracted and third-party resources where applicable.
• Actively manage relationships with vendors, ensuring awareness of technology roadmaps. Serve as a liaison between the business and key vendors, maintaining relationships to benefit the business.
• Coordinate the planning, prioritization, and execution of upgrades and technology refreshes for all Infrastructure Platforms, including development and testing.
• Responsible for full-service delivery, ensuring sufficient system capacity, timely renewal plans for obsolete or at-risk technology, and meeting or exceeding SLAs with the business.
• Provide second- and third-line support within your team's remit and act as an escalation point for technical difficulties, complex or urgent issues, and incidents.
• Develop, mentor, and motivate staff using a supportive and collaborative approach. Ensure team members have clarity of vision and values. Coordinate personal development plans, training, and cross-training efforts to broaden skills and provide backup for key positions.