Head of IT Business Infrastructure & Operations

BARBOUR; South Shields; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in lifestyle apparel, Barbour is seeking a Senior IT Leader to oversee its Business Infrastructure & Operations team. This role involves ensuring robust infrastructure that supports global operations while leading a skilled team and implementing cybersecurity strategies. Candidates should have a strong background in IT management, effective communication skills, and the ability to drive a positive IT culture within the organization.

Benefits

Discretionary Company bonus scheme

Staff discount

Healthcare cash plan

25 days holiday increasing with length of service

Free onsite parking

Subsidised canteen

Qualifications

• Experienced in IT management or as a team leader.
• Hands-on expert in major infrastructure projects.
• Knowledge in cybersecurity policies and tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead business infrastructure and operations across global networks.
• Define infrastructure & cybersecurity strategies.
• Manage a multi-skilled team and deliver core business requests.

Skills

Excellent communication

Stakeholder management

Hands-on experience in infrastructure projects

Leadership skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Tools

Microsoft Server

VMware

Cisco technologies

Job description

Company Description:

The Barbour story began in 1894 in South Shields in the North East of England. Founder John Barbour began supplying oilskins and other garments to protect the growing community of sailors, fishermen and dockers. Still family owned and now fifth generation, Barbour HQ remains in South Shields. Under the leadership of Chairman Dame Margaret Barbour, Barbour has grown into a lifestyle brand sold in over 55 countries worldwide including Europe, the US and Asia offering a wardrobe of stylish functional clothing, footwear and accessories inspired by the unique values of the British countryside. The iconic Barbour Bedale and Barbour Beaufort wax jackets continue to be made by hand in the factory in South Shields. In 2020, Barbour launched Wax for Life, an overarching name for all of Barbour's wax services designed to encourage customers to extend the life of their wax garments. Wax for Life includes re-waxing and repairs (first introduced in 1921) and Barbour Re-Loved an upcycling circularity initiative. Each year over 70,000 wax garments are sent back to Barbour globally to be repaired, rewaxed or altered.

Position Overview:

We are currently looking for an for an experienced senior leader in our IT Team, leading our Business Infrastructure & Operations team. Reporting to the Director of Finance and IT, the role will be a critical part of the Senior IT leadership across the business and will lead all aspects of business infrastructure and operations across the globe. Including our global network, computer and network rooms, on-premises systems, cloud services and retail outlets.

The combination of strategic direction, architecture and technical expertise, adaptability, hands-on leadership and disciplined delivery will be critical success factors. An ability to communicate to business management is key within this role, and to lead the infrastructure architectural decisions within the enterprise architecture and lead a multi-skilled team will all be crucial abilities. Expertise in cybersecurity tools and solid experience leading a cybersecurity policy and program are essential. The ability to deliver service to a growing business through the Service Operations is also key.

A robust, scalable and secure infrastructure is critical to our business as it provides a platform for our Users, systems, wholesale trading partners and retail outlets to trade. Barbour is going through an exciting period of change, as we expand our global operations and continue to focus on core issues such as cybersecurity.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Ensure the delivery of core business requests through the Service Operations team, from small user issues to larger strategic projects.
• Work closely with the Head of IT Business Systems and Integration to create a positive IT culture in the team and beyond and deliver all key business requirements.
• Review the current approach to service delivery and define the best way to meet business requirements and ensure transparency on this process and existing requests.
• Build relationships across the senior leadership of Barbour.
• Lead and define the infrastructure & Cyber security strategies and solution governance for the global Barbour business.
• Key member of the Enterprise Architecture Committee and responsible for defining the as-is and to-be infrastructure chapter of the EA and governing change.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to identify business and technical requirements.
• Work with IT Manager Infrastructure & Cybersecurity to lead the approach, design, security, documentation, and implementation of infrastructure solutions, considering business requirements, constraints, and ongoing supportability.
• Responsibility for the deliveries of the infrastructure team, system integrators, infrastructure service providers and telecoms providers.
• Work with IT Manager Infrastructure & Cybersecurity to plan and manage the portfolio of infrastructure projects and initiatives.
• Provide coaching and leadership to members of the Service Operations, Infrastructure and Security and Retail Operation teams, plan and manage their development, training and performance.
• Provide advice and guidance to the Business, the IT team and associated stakeholders around infrastructure solution decisions.
• Represent Barbour in all external projects with customers and suppliers.

Service Operations

• Ensure the request management process is robust for the business in its current state and for the longer term.
• Overtly ensure the business understands the request management process including what happens to each request, who it sits with and how they will be updated on progress.
• Ensure monthly reporting is in place to key stake holders working with the project management and BRM team as to how to deliver.
• Ensure KPI's are set up to internally set standards and time taken to address requests as well as number of requests being raised across the business departments.

Infrastructure & Security Team:

• Ensure all business critical infrastructure is monitored for security and availability.
• Ensure all databases are secure, highly available, continuously patched and regularly upgraded and performance tuned.
• Develop, periodically update and get approval for the Cybersecurity and IT Acceptable Use policies and ensure all technology is compliant and risks documented and understood.
• Continuously monitor cyber risks, ensuring vulnerabilities and cyber events are identified and mitigated.
• Set, approve and closely monitor firewall policy and activity.
• Research, develop and deploy cybersecurity technical standards to harden all hardware, operating systems, middleware, integrations, cloud technology, databases and applications and implement all required controls.
• Manage a schedule of internal and penetration testing and remediation are maintained to ensure PCI-DSS compliance is maintained and reported on and reduce cyber risk.
• Major incident manager for infrastructure and cybersecurity incidents, ensuring all stakeholders are continuously updated and incidents managed, and root causes identified and mitigated.

Skills and Experience:

• Batchelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent education and experience
• Experience in IT Management or a team leadership role
• Hands-on experience delivering major infrastructure projects such as computer room builds, major office and warehouse network design and builds, VMware, server and storage design, implementations and migrations
• Certified in network, operating system and/or Microsoft technologies such as Cisco CCIE, Meraki, VMware, Microsoft Server
• A positive influence who can drive good culture.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• A confident and pragmatic technology leader.
• Strong organisational leadership skills, with a desire to coach and build capabilities and ways of working best practices across a team.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to build strong relationships across business functions.
• Ability to build relationships and influence at a senior management level.
• Experience of IT Senior leadership role, setting tone, expectation, and direction for team.
• Microsoft technology including Microsoft Server, Active Directory, Office 365 and Azure / Entra
• DNS configuration, both active directory integrated and public DNS management / SSL certificate lifecycle management.
• Experience of Exchange online, mail transport rules and configuration and email security gateway configuration. DKIM, DMARK, SPF etc.
• Superior theory and hands-on experience of network, internet and firewall technologies
• VMware and storage systems.
• Retail systems experience and working environment preferable but not essential.

Benefits:

• Discretionary Company bonus scheme
• Staff discount
• Staff shop
• Healthcare cash plan
• 25 days holiday as standard increasing with length of service plus bank holidays
• Free onsite parking
• Subsidised canteen

Note: In the event that a sufficient volume of suitable applications are received, the post may close prior to the specified closing date. Please apply as soon as possible if interested.