Head of IT

ME AND EM; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

33 days annual leave

Birthday day off

Pension Scheme

Life Insurance

EAP

Job summary

ME+EM, a leading UK luxury fashion retailer, seeks a hands-on, commercially minded Head of IT to lead and transform our technology function as we scale globally. This senior role blends hands-on problem-solving with strategic leadership, guiding the IT team to modernise the technology estate and deliver a secure, scalable tech experience across HQ and growing retail network.

The successful candidate will oversee hybrid cloud and on-premise infrastructure, manage Apple/Windows estates, SSO and

Qualifications

• Senior IT leadership experience within a complex, fast-paced £250m+ business, ideally retail, e-commerce or consumer.
• Strong technical roots, having progressed through engineering roles such as Infrastructure, Network, Systems or Cloud Engineering.
• Experience managing multi-site and/or international technology environments.
• Strong understanding of the demands of retail and customer-facing technology.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing IT team.
• Build a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Attract and retain exceptional technical talent.
• Develop a scalable IT structure, succession plans and clear technical career paths.
• Own and evolve our hybrid cloud and on-premise infrastructure.
• Oversee our Apple and Windows estate, including JAMF, Intune and Apple Business Manager.
• Lead Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Entra ID, SSO and identity management.
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex infrastructure, networking, security and systems issues.
• Own infrastructure security, patching, disaster recovery and resilience.
• Set high technical and architectural standards across internal teams and suppliers.
• Develop and deliver an IT strategy aligned to business growth.
• Build a proactive, high-performing service model across HQ and our retail estate.
• Manage technology partners and suppliers, ensuring strong commercial and operational performance.
• Introduce meaningful KPIs and OKRs focused on business impact, automation and user experience.
• Lead major technology change, migrations and rollouts with minimal business disruption.
• Make IT a trusted business partner across the organisation.
• Improve technology adoption through education, self-service and clear communication.
• Ensure technology supports the pace of the business, particularly during critical trading periods.
• Continuously identify opportunities to modernise, automate and improve.

Skills

IT leadership

Technical depth

Multi-site experience

Retail tech

Communication skills

Tools

JAMF

Intune

Apple Business Manager

Microsoft 365

Google Workspace

Entra ID

Job description

Job Title: Head of IT

Reporting to: Director of IT and Systems

Location: Head Office, White City Place, West London

Contract Type: Full time, 37.5 hours per week

About Us:

ME+EM is one of the UK's fastest-growing luxury fashion brands. In addition to a thriving global digital presence, we operate flagship stores in London and Edinburgh, Manchester, Bath & Harrogate and concessions within Harrods and Selfridges, and have recently expanded with new store openings in the U.S.

At ME+EM we are an entrepreneurial, creative, and passionate group of people. We work hard, are enthusiastic to learn and are not afraid to take risks. Everyone contributes to our success at all levels, and that precisely what makes being a member of the team so rewarding.

Our office and stores are always busy and fast paced, but we work just as hard to make sure it's fun, with social activities and biannual parties. We pride ourselves on being approachable, supportive, and welcoming and ensure that everyone's hard work is rewarded. It takes all these things to build a strong, successful business and our door is always open to new talent ready to contribute to our growth and evolution.

About the Role:

We're looking for a hands-on, commercially minded Head of IT to lead and transform our technology function as we continue to scale as a leading UK women's fashion retailer. This is a senior leadership role for someone who has come up through a strong technical engineering background and can move seamlessly between hands-on technical problem-solving and strategic leadership. You'll lead our IT team, modernise our technology estate and ensure we deliver a secure, scalable and exceptional technology experience across our HQ and growing global retail network. You'll be comfortable troubleshooting complex infrastructure one minute and presenting technology strategy to senior leadership the next.

Job Responsibilities

Lead & Develop

• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing IT team.
• Build a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Attract and retain exceptional technical talent.
• Develop a scalable IT structure, succession plans and clear technical career paths.

Technical Leadership

• Own and evolve our hybrid cloud and on-premise infrastructure.
• Oversee our Apple and Windows estate, including JAMF, Intune and Apple Business Manager.
• Lead Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Entra ID, SSO and identity management.
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex infrastructure, networking, security and systems issues.
• Own infrastructure security, patching, disaster recovery and resilience.
• Set high technical and architectural standards across internal teams and suppliers.

Business & Commercial

• Develop and deliver an IT strategy aligned to business growth.
• Build a proactive, high-performing service model across HQ and our retail estate.
• Manage technology partners and suppliers, ensuring strong commercial and operational performance.
• Introduce meaningful KPIs and OKRs focused on business impact, automation and user experience.
• Lead major technology change, migrations and rollouts with minimal business disruption.

Technology Adoption

• Make IT a trusted business partner across the organisation.
• Improve technology adoption through education, self-service and clear communication.
• Ensure technology supports the pace of the business, particularly during critical trading periods.
• Continuously identify opportunities to modernise, automate and improve.

Skills & Experience

Experience

• Senior IT leadership experience within a complex, fast-paced £250m+ business, ideally retail, e-commerce or consumer.
• Strong technical roots, having progressed through engineering roles such as Infrastructure, Network, Systems or Cloud Engineering.
• Experience managing multi-site and/or international technology environments.
• Strong understanding of the demands of retail and customer-facing technology.

Technical

• Cloud & virtualisation
• Microsoft 365, Google Workspace & Entra ID
• JAMF, Intune & Apple Business Manager
• Networking, VPN, SD-WAN, firewalls & Wi-Fi
• Security, disaster recovery & infrastructure resilience
• PowerShell, Bash or Python scripting is a plus.

The Person

• Technically credible - you can challenge engineers, consultants and suppliers.
• Commercially pragmatic - you know when to push for the best solution and when to move quickly.
• A strong leader - you build, motivate and develop great teams.
• A problem solver - calm, hands-on and comfortable with complexity.
• A great communicator - able to turn technical detail into clear business outcomes.
• Proactive and ambitious - always looking for ways to improve, automate and modernise.

Employee Benefits:

• 33 days annual leave for full time employees (25 days holiday + 8 bank holidays)
• A day off to celebrate your birthday.
• Pension Scheme
• Group Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Length of Service Award
• Refer a Friend Scheme
• Staff uniform for retail employees
• Generous Staff and Friends and Family Discount
• Annual Volunteer Day
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Tech Scheme
• Eye Care Vouchers
• Real Living Wage Employer
• Employee led committees
• Social events and biannual parties
• Enhanced maternity and paternity package after 2 years of service.

ME+EM is an equal opportunities employer committed to fostering and preserving a culture of diversity, equality, and inclusion in our workforce. As an equal opportunities' employer, we do not discriminate against applicants based on race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We believe that diversity enriches our workforce and strengthens our organisation. Therefore, we encourage minorities, LGBTQ+ candidates, and individuals with disabilities to apply for opportunities within our company.