Head of IT Operations

Trafigura; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A global commodities trading firm based in the UK is looking for a leader to spearhead their IT Infrastructure Operations. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing operations across multiple datacentres and offices worldwide, ensuring stability and continuous improvement. This role requires over 10 years of IT Operations experience, strong leadership skills, and the ability to foster collaboration among teams and vendors. The firm values a detail-oriented approach and a commitment to operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Expertise in overseeing IT infrastructure operations across global datacentres.
• Strong leadership and team management capabilities.
• Proven skills in cross-team collaboration and process improvement.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operations across all infrastructure teams.
• Manage capacity planning for infrastructure resources.
• Conduct regular service reviews with key vendors.

Skills

10+ years of technical experience in IT Operations

Managing infrastructure technology teams

Holistic IT Operations understanding

Vendor management experience

Capacity planning knowledge

BCP/DR planning knowledge

Job description

Main Purpose: Lead and manage global IT Infrastructure Operations, ensuring stability, reliability, and continuous improvement across 4 datacentres and 200+ offices in 60+ countries.

This role combines operational excellence with driving service improvements, directly enabling business success in a fast‑paced commodities trading environment. You'll work with expert teams across multiple technology domains, with the autonomy to identify and deliver high‑impact initiatives where they matter most.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities, Key Responsibilities:

Experience

• 10+ years of technical experience in IT Operations across one or more technology areas.
• Experience that demonstrates managing infrastructure technology teams.
• Strong understanding of holistic IT Operations and cross‑team collaboration.
• Experience working with outsourced IT providers and vendor management.
• Familiarity with capacity planning, lifecycle management, and datacentre operations.
• Knowledge of BCP/DR planning and execution.

Core Values

• Detail‑oriented and willing to dive deep when needed.
• Stability and reliability — providing a reliable service to the business.
• Continual process improvement.
• Team‑oriented approach, fostering collaboration and support.
• Ability to manage teams and vendors without over‑reliance on SLAs.
• Personable, influential, and conflict‑minimising leadership style.
• Honesty and transparency.

Duties/Areas of Responsibility

• IT Operations Management
  • Oversee day‑to‑day operations across all infrastructure teams.
  • Attend regular team meetings and maintain awareness of major activities and incidents.
  • Drive service and process improvements across teams.
• Capacity & Lifecycle Management
  • Monitor and manage capacity planning for infrastructure resources.
  • Ensure timely lifecycle management of hardware and software assets.
• Vendor Management
  • Conduct regular service reviews with key vendors (e.g., Microsoft, datacentres).
  • Validate spend across tracks and ensure cost efficiency.
• Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery
  • Plan and conduct BCP/DR tests to ensure resilience.
• Datacentre Management
  • Oversee operations, capacity, and maintenance of datacentre environments.
• Governance & Reporting
  • Maintain visibility of major incidents and operational risks.
  • Provide clear reporting to leadership on operational health.

Key Relationships and Department Overview:

Key Relationships

Internal IT Teams, Outsource providers, Third party vendors.

Department

IT Infrastructure / IT Operations

Trafigura Group IT provides shared services across the Trafigura group of companies, offering services at scale where it makes economic sense.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and take pride in a diverse workforce! We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, medical condition or handicap, disability, or any other legally protected status.