Director of IT Operations

CARE QUALITY COMMISSION-1; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 95,000 - 114,000; Full time

Job summary

A national health regulatory body is seeking a Director of IT Operations to lead their IT strategy and ensure systems are secure and reliable. This pivotal role involves overseeing IT operations, driving innovation, and mentoring a team of directors. The ideal candidate will bring proven experience in IT transformation, stakeholder engagement, and operational excellence. You'll join a mission-driven organization that values learning and collaboration, supporting their need for high-performing IT services to improve care across the UK.

Benefits

27 days annual leave, increasing with service

NHS pension scheme

Training and development opportunities

Gym discounts and wellbeing initiatives

Qualifications

• Proven leadership in IT transformation and delivering complex IT strategies.
• Experience in driving change in regulated environments.
• Demonstrable ability to deliver high quality IT operational services.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and delivery of IT strategy and infrastructure.
• Ensure robust management of IT operations and service desk.
• Drive innovation by introducing new technologies.

Skills

IT transformation leadership

Operational excellence

Stakeholder engagement

Change management

Job description

Director of IT Operations

Executive Level 2: £95,000 - £113,625 per annum

Contracted Hours: Full time, 37 hours per week

Contract Type: Permanent

Location: Home-based, with travel to meetings as required

Closing Date: Monday 22 December 2025 at 11.59pm

Make a difference

Every role at CQC contributes to our purpose of keeping people safe and improving care across the country. Our role in the CQC is personal – each of us, along with our friends, family and loved ones who access care in some way, shape or form, shapes the world we live in. This is your opportunity to join us and help make care better.

This is a critical role for the CQC. As Director of IT Operations, you’ll lead the delivery of CQC’s digital and IT strategy, ensuring our systems are secure, reliable and future‑ready. We have been transparent about our recent technology challenges, so you’ll be joining the team at a pivotal time as we work together to improve our systems for our internal staff, as well as health and care providers across the country.

If you’re an experienced, values‑based IT leader looking for a Director level role that gives a true sense of meaning and purpose, you’ve found it!

Picture this

In this role, you’ll work at the heart of CQC, influencing decisions at the highest level and driving innovation that impacts millions.

In the last year as a Director of IT Operations, you might have:

• Delivered a major upgrade to CQC's cloud infrastructure, improving resilience and security across the organisation.
• Successfully led a complex programme to remove reliance on legacy systems, working with internal colleagues and external suppliers.
• Led business continuity processes and delivered mitigating actions, advising the Executive team and board on appropriate actions.
• Led a cross‑directorate initiative to embed emerging technologies, enabling smarter ways of working and better outcomes for the public.
• Mentored, coached and supported your team of deputy directors to develop their leadership and work collaboratively.

The role

You’ll play an important part in delivering our mission. In this role, you’ll:

• Lead strategy: Lead on the development and delivery of our IT strategy in relation to all aspects of IT infrastructure, hardware and IT operational services.
• Oversee IT operations: Ensure robust management of infrastructure, service desk and supplier relationships to keep systems secure and reliable.
• Drive innovation: Champion and introduce new and emerging technologies that improve quality, productivity and minimise risk.

Show us

We’ll be looking for specific values, skills, knowledge and experience in your application form:

• Values: A strong personal values base that aligns with our CQC Way values and commitments.
• Proven leadership in IT transformation: Experience driving organisational change and delivering complex IT strategies in large, complex and regulated environments.
• Operational excellence: Demonstrable ability to successfully take ownership of and deliver high quality IT operational services.
• Credibility and honed leadership skills: Experience working with senior leaders and stakeholders, driving the development and skills of team members with a supportive and motivational style.

Join us at CQC and grow your career in an organisation that values learning, collaboration and meaning.

Apply today to join a workplace where your impact is felt every day.

How to apply

To apply for this role, please submit a copy of your CV and Supporting Statement (no more than 750 words) via the recruitment system.

Your Supporting Statement should cover the following: Please outline why you want to work for the CQC, how your personal values meet the candidate brief, and why you think you should be shortlisted.

You will also be required to complete additional role specific questions at the beginning of your application.

• Describe your experience in an IT leadership role, including delivery of IT operational services, managing and developing technology teams and working with executive-level stakeholders and suppliers (max 250 words).
• Please outline your experience in managing IT risks, compliance with industry standards and business continuity processes (max 250 words).
• Please outline your experience in working in a fast paced, complex environment undergoing significant change and improvement (max 250 words).

Compliance

To progress your application, you’ll need to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK. Without a valid right to work, you won’t be eligible for the role. We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. Some roles may also be subject to a satisfactory DBS check.

Next steps

If you apply, you’ll need to create a profile and complete an online application form. Your application will be completely anonymous. Please see our information for applicants page on our website for more details on the process. We contact every applicant to let them know the outcome of their application, so you will hear from us whether or not you are shortlisted.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Esther Provins, Chief Data, Digital & Registration Officer. For general enquiries, please contact us.

The Benefits

• Annual leave starting at 27 days per year, rising to 32.5 days with service, plus bank holidays (usually eight days per year).
• Training and development opportunities.
• Wellbeing initiatives, such as gym discounts and meditation.
• NHS pension scheme, with around 14% employer contribution.
• Discount schemes (including eligibility for a Blue Light card, at a cost of £4.99 and valid for two years), reward vouchers, car leasing and more!

Equity for all

We know job descriptions can feel intimidating. Research shows they can cause some people to doubt whether they’re a good fit. This happens more often to people from underrepresented groups (e.g. ethnic minority backgrounds). If this role interests you, we encourage you to apply.

We want every candidate to feel supported and able to do their best. If you need adjustments to our process, we’ll work with you to remove any barriers. Please note, if you have previously informed us of adjustments you need for an interview or within your role, these are not carried over and must be discussed for each individual application you make.

We promote a workplace where fairness, respect and inclusion are a priority. Diverse teams make our work better, help us deliver our mission and make our culture stronger.

We welcome applications from everyone, and colleagues can find support and community among our many employee networks. This includes people of any:

• Age
• Sex
• Gender identity or expression
• Sexual orientation
• Religion or belief
• Ethnicity
• Disability

Values and vision

We are guided by our core values, which shape our work and our culture.

Excellence - being a high‑performing organisation.

Caring - treating everyone with dignity and respect.

Integrity - doing the right thing.

Teamwork - learning from each other to be the best we can.

We are a disability confident employer and a carer confident employer.

A Note on AI

AI tools can be great for research and refining ideas, but we want to learn about you. If you use AI or Chatbots to help you with your application, keep these points in mind:

• AI can support research, structuring and refining your writing, but your application must reflect your real skills and experience.
• Spell‑checking and condensing word counts are great ways to use AI effectively.
• Do not copy and paste AI‑generated answers. These will not help you stand out; remember, we want to hear about your skills and experience.
• Providing false and insincere examples goes against our core values of honesty and integrity and may lead to your application being withdrawn or termination of your employment.