Director of IT Operations

Care Quality Commission; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 95,000 - 114,000; Full time

Job summary

A government health agency in the UK is looking for a Director of IT Operations to lead the development of its IT strategy and manage operations. In this pivotal role, you will oversee critical IT infrastructure, ensuring systems are secure and reliable while driving innovation with emerging technologies. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in IT leadership, operational excellence, and transforming complex IT environments, contributing to the agency's mission of improving care for the public.

Benefits

Annual leave starting at 27 days per year

Training and development opportunities

Wellbeing initiatives, including gym discounts

NHS pension scheme with employer contribution

Discount schemes including Blue Light card

Qualifications

• Proven leadership in driving complex IT strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality IT operational services.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of IT strategy.
• Manage IT operations to ensure system security and reliability.
• Drive innovation with emerging technologies to enhance productivity.

Skills

Leadership in IT transformation

Operational excellence

Credibility and leadership skills

Education

Relevant IT degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Executive Level 2 - 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

Engagement Panel & Interview Dates: TBC

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 access care in some way shape or form. 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 & 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 deliver 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 be responsible for:

• Lead strategy – development and delivery of our IT strategy in relation to all aspects of IT infrastructure, hardware and IT operational services.
• Oversee IT operations – 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:

• Values – a strong personal values base which 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.

Apply today

To apply for this role, please submit a copy of your CV and Supporting Statement (no more than 750 words) via the Recruitment System. You will also be required to complete additional role specific questions at the beginning of your application. 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.”

• 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 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 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.

To speak with Esther Provins, Chief Data, Digital & Registration Officer for an informal discussion about the role, please contact [e-mail]. For general enquiries please contact [e-mail].

The Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits, including:

• Annual leave starting at 27 days per year, rising to 32.5 days with service, plus bank holidays (usually 8 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 2 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. Your unique perspective, skills and experience could be exactly what we need. 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. Visit our accessibility page for more on this.

We Welcome Applications From Everyone

• 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.

About

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 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.

A Note on AI

This section reinforces our stance on AI usage and ensures clarity on application expectations.