Head of Infrastructure

Opals Group; Preston; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the UK is seeking a Head of Infrastructure to ensure the stability and performance of its cloud-first technology landscape. This pivotal role involves strategic leadership, operational excellence, and stakeholder engagement to drive innovation and resilience in IT infrastructure.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience in IT operations and managing large-scale infrastructure projects.
• Proven expertise in public and hybrid cloud architectures.

Responsibilities

• Set the direction for cloud and IT infrastructure aligning with business goals.
• Manage and optimize cloud and on-premise infrastructure.

Skills

Leadership

Project Management

Analytical Skills

Technical Understanding

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology

Tools

AWS

Azure

Job description

Due to significant growth, OCU has an exciting new opportunity for a Head of Infrastructure to join us based in Stockport or Preston.

Are you an experienced Microsoft/Cloud Architect looking for a new challenge or a step up into a more senior head of role?

The role of the Head of Infrastructure is essential to OCU because it ensures the stability, security, scalability, and performance of the organization's cloud-first infrastructure. Given that OCU is a £1bn organization with 5,000+ end-user devices, a strong infrastructure is critical for business continuity, operational efficiency, and digital transformation. Are you the person who will play a pivotal role in shaping and driving the future of our cloud-first technology landscape? If so, please read on!

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership – Set the direction for cloud and IT infrastructure, aligning it with business goals and ensuring innovation and resilience.
2. Operational Excellence – Manage and optimize cloud and on-premise infrastructure, ensuring high availability, automation, and security.
3. Security & Compliance – Work with security teams to enforce compliance standards (ISO27001, CIS benchmarks) and mitigate cyber risks.
4. Technology Enablement – Support engineering, platform, and data teams by providing a robust foundation for innovation and efficiency.
5. Business Continuity – Ensure disaster recovery (DR), risk management, and seamless migration of infrastructure to the cloud.
6. Stakeholder Engagement – Act as a key advisor, managing third-party partnerships, and driving governance across the IT ecosystem.

Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in IT operations, leading technology teams, and managing large-scale infrastructure projects.
• Proven expertise in public and hybrid cloud architectures, with hands-on experience in AWS and Azure environments.
• Strong background in traditional IT infrastructure, architecture, and operations management, including networking, security, and system administration.
• Deep technical understanding of legacy IT systems alongside modern cloud-native technologies, with experience in mentoring and leading technical teams.
• Ability to thrive in high-pressure environments, managing multiple priorities with strong technical, analytical, and project management skills.
• Experience supporting globally distributed teams in remote and hybrid work environments.
• Industry-recognized certifications such as Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert or equivalent multi-cloud accreditation.

What We Value

We value our commitment to each other, summed up in our five values: we care about safety, lead with integrity, strive to be better every day, make a positive impact, and deliver to grow. We are one company united.

Our Aim & Vision at OCU

To be the UK's leading energy transition and utilities contractor.

We are committed to leading in utilities and energy transition contracting. Our mission is to innovate and deliver sustainability. At OCU, our passion for addressing complex challenges brings new standards of growth in our people and capabilities.

Company Information

OCU leads in end-to-end infrastructure engineering across utilities, digital, and energy markets, specializing in delivering complex client requirements safely and efficiently. Our capabilities and operational capacity, paired with cutting-edge technology, ensure that we are not just part of the market; we are leading it.

Working directly with many of the country’s leading power, energy transition, water, telecoms, and digital clients, we seek the very best talent to join our growing team.