Group Head of IT

Michael Page (UK); Canterbury; On-site; GBP 200,000 +; Full time

Job summary

A leading construction and building materials company is seeking a Group Head of IS to ensure IT operations align with company goals, manage cybersecurity, oversee governance, and lead digital transformation initiatives. Candidates should possess a degree in IT or related fields and extensive experience in IT leadership. This role offers a competitive salary, a bonus scheme, and benefits like up to 11% employer pension contribution and generous annual leave.

Benefits

Up to 11% employer pension contribution

10% Bonus Scheme

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Qualifications

• Progressive experience in IT leadership roles, including at least 5 years at a senior level.
• Proven experience in enterprise IT management, systems integration, and digital transformation.
• Strong knowledge of IT governance frameworks such as ITIL.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of IT systems.
• Establish IT policies, standards, and procedures.
• Lead and mentor a team of IT professionals.

Skills

Strategic thinking and business acumen

Strong leadership and people management

Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement

Project management and vendor negotiation

Extensive change management experience

Expertise in enterprise systems

Problem solving and creativity

Education

Bachelor's or master's degree in IT or related field

Tools

IFS ERP system

Job description

This role ensures that IT operations are aligned with the company's goals, support business growth and drive digital transformation initiatives.

The Group Head of IS will lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of secure, scalable, and efficient systems while managing IT operations, governance, cybersecurity, data strategy, compliance and costs.

Client Details

A leading construction and building materials company in the UK.

Description

• Strategic Leadership:
• Execute a comprehensive IT strategy aligned with the organisation's overall objectives and translating it into actionable goals
• Lead digital transformation initiatives and projects to enhance operational efficiency, innovation and help drive growth and profitability
• Collaborate with senior business leadership to set priorities and identify technological opportunities and challenges and propose ways to resolve them.
• Technology Oversight:
• Design, implement and manage the full lifecycle of IT systems including infrastructure, applications, networks, and cybersecurity to ensure the most suitable and affordable solutions are proposed and implemented
• Evaluate and implement new technologies to improve business processes and drive growth
• Ensure high availability, performance, and security of enterprise IT systems.

• Governance & Compliance:
• Establish IT policies, standards, and procedures in line with best practices and regulatory requirements.
• Lead efforts to ensure compliance with data protection laws (e.g., GDPR).
• Oversee risk management, disaster recovery planning and assist in business continuity planning
• Responsibility for day to day management of health, safety and environment as pertaining to the IS department, adhering to Group standards
• Team Leadership & Development:
• Lead and mentor a team of multidisciplined IT professionals, motivating them and fostering a positive and productive work environment
• Develop, maintain and manage IT budgets, vendor relationships, and contract negotiations.
• Work with business leaders and key stakeholders to understand their needs and develop priorities for new initiatives and manage a programme of projects to deliver them.

Profile

Qualifications & Experience:

Essential

• Bachelor's or master's degree in information technology, Computer Science, Business Information Systems, or a related field.
• Progressive experience in IT leadership roles, including at least 5 years at a senior/executive level with overall budgetary responsibility, including managing external providers.
• Proven experience in enterprise IT management, systems integration, cybersecurity, and digital transformation.
• Strong knowledge of IT governance frameworks (e.g., ITIL) and compliance standards.
• Experience managing IT operations across multiple sites or business units is highly desirable.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the heavy building materials, logistics and construction industry
• Experience of the IFS ERP system.

Key Skills:

• Strategic thinking and business acumen
• Strong leadership and people management
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement
• Project management and vendor negotiation
• Extensive change management experience
• Expertise in enterprise systems (e.g., ERP, CRM, cloud platforms), networks and mobile technologies
• Problem solving and creativity in designing workable solutions for the business, with the IS team and other stakeholders

Job Offer

• Up to 11% employer pension contribution
• 10% Bonus Scheme
• 25 days AL + BH