Head of IT

Carnall-Farrar; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allowance

Employer pension contribution

Flexible benefits and wellbeing

Job summary

Carnall-Farrar seeks an experienced technology leader to own CF’s internal technology and security posture across multiple geographies. You will define the tech stack, set security standards, control software and IT spend, and manage outsourced IT support to ensure reliable, secure operations.

The role combines strategic direction with hands-on delivery, building automations, integrations and internal tooling that increase efficiency and protect client and company information.

Qualifications

• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft 365 administration, identity and access management, device management and SharePoint structure and permissions.
• Demonstrable, hands-on ownership of information security and related controls.
• Experience owning or leading information security or quality accreditation processes (e.g., ISO 27001).
• Ability to build automation and integrations using scripting, workflow or low-code tools and APIs.
• Fluent use of AI tools with sound judgement on value and risk to the business.

Responsibilities

• Own the technology strategy, setting directions for CF’s tech stack and security posture across geographies.
• Lead information security, resilience, and assurance including ISO 27001 readiness and audits.
• Manage outsourced IT support and technology suppliers, ensuring value for money and performance.
• Develop systems, automation and AI enablement, ensuring integration and data reliability across platforms.
• Oversee end-user technology and equipment management, including procurement and lifecycle control.
• Engage stakeholders and communicate tech decisions clearly to the Leadership Team.

Skills

Microsoft 365 administration

Identity & access management

Information security

Automation & integrations

AI tools usage

Audits & ISO 27001

Vendor management

Tools

Microsoft 365

Teams

SharePoint

Job description

About us

We are a leadingconsultancywith a purpose tomake an enduring impact on health and healthcare. We work with leaders and frontline teams to improve health, transform healthcare, drive adoption of innovation and create value through investment.

Our consultancy serves theentire healthcare sector,from payors and providers of care,to life science companies, health tech and sector suppliers and health investors. We provideend-to-end services, from strategy through implementation, accelerated by data,digitaland AI.

Weshape opinion through evidence-based thought leadershipon key issues affecting health. Withunmatched ability to access and use health data, our consultants are a driving force for delivering positive and meaningful change.

Our strategic intent

We are focused on building the leading consulting company dedicated to health. We serve the entire healthcare sector, including healthcare systems (providers,payorsand regulators), life sciences (pharmaceuticals, biotech,devicesand diagnostics), health technology, health investors, and the wider supplier landscape.

We provide end-to-end services, from strategy through implementation, supporting organisations to improve population health and healthcare outcomes. Our work spans strategy and transformation, finance and performance improvement, and delivery accelerated by data,digitaland AI. We help clients understand their ambitions,identifyopportunities to create value, apply innovation in practice, and deliver sustainable, measurable change.

Our consulting is accelerated by data. With an unmatched ability to access and use health data, we are recognised for ourexpertisein its safe and responsible application, improving health and healthcare delivery, supporting adoption of innovation, generating evidence, and informing decision-making. Our engineering and data science capabilities underpin our consulting and are also deployed directly with clients, often as part of multidisciplinary teams.

We are building a community of expert consultants who want tooperateat the leading edge of the profession and who share a passion for health. Through structured career development from Analyst to Partner, underpinned by apprenticeship,mentorshipand formal training, we are cultivating the leaders of the future and supporting individuals to develop distinctiveexpertisethat creates value for our clients.

Role summary

Reporting directly to the Chief Operating and Commercial Officer (COCO), this role holds end-to-end ownership of CF’s internal technology, with the authority to define our tech stack, set security standards, control software and IT spend, and hold suppliers to account. Itoperatesacross all of CF’s geographies, currently the UK,Irelandand the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), with further geographiesanticipatedas the company grows.

This is a role for someone who is both strategic and hands-on. You will set the technology directionand alsobuild the automations, integrations and internal tooling that make CF more efficient.Youwill manage our outsourced IT support,with the potential to build a small internal capability over time as we bring more work in-house.

It is a rare opportunity to define an organisation’s technology from the ground up, in a firm where data, digital and AI are central to how we serveand innovate withour clients.

Responsibilities

The role’s responsibilities are organised into the following key areas:

Technology strategy and planning

• Own CF’s internal technology strategy, assessing the technology needs of the business across all geographies to enhance effectiveness and efficiency and create an excellent working environment for our people
• Build andmaintaina clear, complete view of CF’s tech stack: what we use, who owns it, what it costs, where it duplicates, and where it should be rationalised or replaced
• Vet and approve new tools and software, acting as the internal decision-maker on technology choices and preventing uncontrolled adoption and duplicatespend
• Keep abreast of developments in workplace technology and assess the adaptations CF should be making
• Collaborate in the business planning process, setting and managing IT budgets each year, taking account of corporate strategy, business goals, the needs of staff, licences, software,securityand audit requirements
• Define and serve as business owner of our suite of internal productivity tools
• Set annual goals and quarterly OKRs for internal technology, with clear measures of service quality,securityand value for money

Information security,resilienceand assurance

• Own IT security for CF, moving us from a reactive to a proactive position: multi-factor authentication, patching, endpoint protection, access reviews, joiner-mover-leaver controls and identity and password management
• Own the security roadmap and the risk decisions within it
• Own backup and disaster recovery arrangements, ensuring they are documented,testedand understood, not assumed
• Own the company contingency plan and cybersecurity policy, and coordinate CF’s technical responsein the event ofan incident, providing operational leadership alongside the COCO
• Review security reports from our IT provider and act on issues with urgency, escalating appropriately
• Own the ISO audit process for CF, ensuring we continue to meet the requirements of ISO 27001 and other relevant standards, that our accreditations aremaintained, and that evidence and documentation are audit-ready
• Lead security awareness and good practice across CF, so that our people understand their part in keeping client and company information safe
• Identifyand obtain accreditations that would further strengthen CF’s operations and our reputation with clients and employees

Managing outsourced IT support and suppliers

• Own the relationship with CF’s outsourced IT support provider, setting the scope of service, agreeing servicelevelsand holding them to account on responsiveness and quality
• Review IT service support requirements,procureand manage contracts for support, ensuringhigh standardsfor employees and excellent value for money for the company
• Act as the internal technical counterpart to our provider, taking on the complex work that sits beyond straightforward user support, and judging what should be outsourced and what should be brought in-house over time
• Manage relationships with technology suppliers and licence providers, negotiating value for money andmaintaininga clear record of contracts,renewalsand ownership
• Manage phone and network provider contracts and costs, adjusting arrangements for specific business needs

Systems,automationand AI enablement

• Own the administration and configuration of CF’s internal platforms and productivity tools, including Microsoft 365,Teamsand SharePoint
• Own oversight of SharePoint, including its structure,permissionsand continuous improvement, so that information is easy to find, properly governed and meets the confidentiality and information governance standards we work to, collaborating with the Operations and People teams on the content held within it
• Identifyand build automations and integrations that remove manual effort across corporate functions, acting as CF’s internal systems engineer
• Ensure our core business systems work well together andwork with the data operations team to ensurethat the data flowing between them is reliable
• Be an expert, discerning user of AI tools and help colleagues use them well, with clear judgement about where AI adds value and where it does not
• Ensure AI and other tools are deployed securely and in line with our information governance obligations
• Work in close partnership with the Data Operations team, who own data analytics, data science,engineeringand product development, Databricks, and data protection,maintainingclear boundaries and strong collaboration between internal technology and client-facing data capability

End-user technology and equipment

• Establish effective management of CF’s equipment, ensuring thetimelyissuance of equipment to new joiners and the return of equipment from leavers, andmaintainingan accurateinventory
• Purchase all IT equipment, working with our Apple Account Manager to secure the most cost-effective plans and to remediate any issues that arise
• Manage the resale or donation of used equipment to employees leaving the business or to not-for-profit organisations
• Support effective remote working across internet accessibility,technologyand equipment, andmaintainthe technology elements of CF’s home working offer
• Keep abreast of the environments our client delivery teams work in and make sure the technology supports them wherever they are based
• Ensure that our pool of trusted associates have secure andreliable equipment and systems and access

Stakeholder engagement and communication

• Serve as the point of contact for the Leadership Team on all internal technology matters, translating technical issues into plain language and clear choices
• Use corporate systems and forums to engage with all staff on how well our technology works, and proactively communicate planned changes and any disruption they may cause
• Gather and act on feedback, making sure people understand the relationship between what they raise and what changes
• Collaborate with teams across the business, including the Operations, People, Finance, Data Operations and CEO’s office teams

Mandatory

• Typicallyat least 8years experienceinseniortechnology roles
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft 365 administration, including identity and access management, device management, and SharePoint structure and permissions
• Demonstrable, hands-on ownership of information security
• Experience of owning or leading an information security or quality accreditation process, such as ISO 27001, including preparing for and running audits
• Ability to build automation and integrations, using scripting, workflow or low-code tools and APIs
• A confident, fluent user of AI tools, with sound judgement about where they add value and where they do not
• Ability to explain technical issues in plain language and to influence senior, non-technical stakeholders
• Excellent organisation and prioritisation skills, comfortable working autonomously as the only internal technology specialist and balancing competing demands
• Strongproblem solvingskills and the ability to learn new things quickly

Desirable

• Experience withgenuine end-to-end ownership of an organisation’s internal IT
• Experience of Apple and macOS device management
• Experience managing outsourced IT providers
• Experience setting and controlling IT budgets,procuringtechnologyand negotiating contracts
• Knowledge of Cyber Essentials, ISO14001or other standards relevant to a professional services firm
• Experience of SharePoint information architecture, or of knowledge and information management more broadly
• Experienceoperatingacross international geographies
• Experience within a professional services or consultancy environment

Flexible working

This rolecan work from home one day per week as standard.Office hours are flexible within our core hours of 10am–4pm.

Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to building an inclusive and supportive culture where diversity thrives, and all our people can excel. We only recruit, promote and reward our people based on their skills and contribution, without regard to gender, race, disability, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or other characteristics.

We are Disability Confident Accredited, and we want you to feel comfortable and able to perform at your best in the recruitment process, if you require any reasonable adjustments for any part of the recruitment process, please let us know.

• We offer a competitive and flexible reward package designed to support you at work and beyond it. You willbenefitfrom a generous holiday allowance that grows with your career (minimum of 25 days), a strong employer pension contribution, and the freedom to tailor benefits to suit your lifestyle, from wellbeing and fitness to financial protection.
• We are committed to supporting life’s important moments, with enhanced family leave, income and life protection, and access to practical benefits that make everyday life easier, such as interest-free loans and travel support.
• Your wellbeing matters to us. You will have access to a comprehensive wellbeing and employeeassistanceprogramme, preventative health benefits, and initiatives that support an active, balanced way of working.
• Above all, weinvest in our people; offering flexibility, security, and benefits that grow with you, so you can do your best work while building a sustainable and rewarding career.