Head of Global IT

Boku; London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global payments solutions provider is seeking a Head of Global IT in London, responsible for IT infrastructure and service delivery. This high-impact role focuses on driving technology transformations and ensuring compliance in a dynamic, cloud-native environment, while leading a distributed team and fostering a collaborative culture.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in IT leadership roles.
• Proven success in cloud-native environments.
• Expert knowledge of ISO 27001, SOC 2, or PCI DSS.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership across global IT operations.
• Define and execute scalable IT roadmap.
• Lead complex technology transformation projects.

Skills

Cybersecurity

Operational resilience

Compliance

IT operations

Leadership

Education

Computer Science Degree

Tools

AWS

GCP

Azure

Job description

Boku Inc. (BOKU.L) is the leading global provider of local mobile-first payments solutions. Global brands including Amazon, DAZN, Meta, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, Sony, Spotify, and Tencent rely on Boku to reach millions of new paying consumers who do not use credit cards with our purpose-built payment network of more than 300 local payment methods across 70+ countries. Every year, Boku processes over $10 billion in value for our customers. Incorporated in 2008, Boku is headquartered in London and San Francisco and has employees in over 39 countries around the world, including Brazil, China, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Singapore, and the UAE. Boku is a truly global company that takes pride in its diversity and thriving equal opportunity workplace.

We are looking for an experienced and hands-on Head of Global IT to lead our Corporate IT infrastructure engineering and IT service delivery functions. This is a high-impact leadership position with end-to-end responsibility for the delivery of IT services, execution of large-scale technology transformations, and the development of robust IT controls within a cloud-native, regulated enterprise environment.The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience leading IT engineering and support teams, with a strong track record of operating in regulated sectors. They must demonstrate a deep understanding of IT operations, including cybersecurity, operational resilience, and compliance with frameworks such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, or PCI DSS. Success in this role requires resilience and self-management, with the ability to remain focused and effective under pressure while managing multiple competing priorities. The candidate must be highly self-motivated, results-driven, and capable of balancing long-term strategy with immediate operational demands.

Equally critical is a genuine passion for technology and a natural talent for people leadership. The successful candidate will foster a positive, collaborative team culture, communicating with empathy and building trust-based relationships. They will be approachable, motivational, and committed to developing their teams.This is a unique opportunity for someone who thrives on building teams, systems, and processes from the ground up. You will be accountable for the full scope of IT operations globally, including the delivery of key transformational initiatives that will shape the future of the firm’s technology landscape.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and operational oversight across global IT operations, including infrastructure, service desk, endpoint management, and enterprise platforms.
• Define and execute a scalable, future-proof IT roadmap aligned with business goals, cloud-native strategies, and cybersecurity standards.
• Drive continuous improvement across IT services, infrastructure reliability, incident response, and user support.
• Lead and deliver complex, cross-functional technology transformation projects (e.g., global cloud migrations, ITSM deployments, resilience programs).
• Build, enhance, and mature IT controls and governance processes across the full technology stack – from endpoints to cloud platforms.
• Ensure high levels of compliance with regulatory and audit requirements through strong control design and risk management (not limited to evidence collection we need you to have experience understand of how to implement IT Controls against cyber and resilience standards).
• Serve as a subject matter expert on cybersecurity, resilience, and IT risk, working closely with Security, Compliance, and Engineering teams.
• Establish and enforce IT policies, standards, and procedures covering access management, asset lifecycle, configuration, patching, and change management.
• Build strong working relationships with internal business stakeholders, regulatory partners, and external vendors.
• Mentor, coach, and develop a globally distributed team, with direct management of the Service Desk Manager and IT Infrastructure Engineering team.
• The Head of Global IT is a key contributor to the firm’s governance and compliance program and plays a leading role in IT governance, risk management reporting, and the design and execution of IT controls testing. This includes accountability for ensuring IT operations align with internal policies, regulatory obligations, and enterprise risk frameworks.

Key Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in IT leadership roles, including managing distributed engineering and support teams.
• Proven success leading IT in cloud-native, DevOps-driven environments (AWS, GCP, Azure).
• Extensive experience in regulated industries (e.g., fintech, payments, healthcare, or critical infrastructure).
• Deep, expert-level knowledge of ISO 27001, SOC 2, or PCI DSS, including designing and operating security and IT controls beyond audit readiness.
• Strong technical background in IT infrastructure, endpoint security, networking, and cloud operations.
• Demonstrated experience managing technology transformations and modernizing legacy IT environments.
• Effective communicator and change leader, capable of translating technical complexity into clear business value.
• Experience collaborating across cross-functional teams (Security, Compliance, Engineering, Legal).

Preferred Certifications

• CISSP, CISM, or CRISC
• ITIL v4, PMP, or similar project/change management certification
• AWS/GCP/Azure cloud certifications
• Computer Science Degree (or similar)