Head of IT Operations

King’s College School; Wimbledon; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

King’s College School in Wimbledon is seeking a Head of IT Operations to lead the planning, delivery and upgrade of the school’s IT provision, including networks, devices and security, ensuring reliable and secure systems for pupils and staff.

You will manage the IT department, oversee the helpdesk, and develop a rolling three-year IT strategy, reporting to the Director of Digital Systems and Transformation, while collaborating with AV and data teams to support the school’s digital vision.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent with IT leadership experience.
• Experience leading an internal IT team and service desk.
• Strong track record in project/change management and service optimization.
• Experience managing IT budget, procurement, tenders, contract negotiation and vendors.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain cyber security framework for the school.
• Own network and infrastructure security, including DR/BCP.
• Manage IT department's day-to-day service delivery and helpdesk oversight.
• Schedule maintenance to minimise disruption and handle out-of-hours incidents.
• Lead IT procurement, licensing, and vendor management; audit hardware/software usage.
• Report IT performance, cyber risk and budgets to the Digital Steering Group.

Skills

IT leadership

ITIL service delivery

Project management

Cyber security governance

Incident response

Network & infrastructure

Data protection & UK GDPR

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent qualifications

Tools

Microsoft 365

Azure

Entra ID / Intune

Defender / Purview

SharePoint Online

Exchange Online

Job description

Salary: £75,000 to £85,000 per annum (depending on experience)

Purpose of the role

The head of IT operations will lead the planning, delivery, and improvement of the school's IT provision, including hardware, software, networks, and staff and pupil devices, so that pupils and staff have systems that are reliable, secure, and ready for whatever comes next. King's includes the senior school, junior school, Wimbledon Common Preparatory School and the off-site grounds. This includes the purchasing, installation, operation, and upkeep of all IT equipment, resources, and infrastructure, improving existing systems, simplifying processes, overseeing the IT helpdesk, and planning strategically for the continual upgrade of the school's technology. The postholder will play a key technical and strategic role in supporting the school's digital vision and roadmap as a permanent member of the Digital Steering Group (Operations sub-group), ensuring the safe and sustainable adoption of new systems and workflows. The head of IT operations has full line management of the IT helpdesk and network systems team, including annual appraisals. Additionally, the successful individual will work closely with the AV and data team.

Reporting to: the director of digital systems and transformation (DDST)

• Design, implement, and maintain a robust cyber security framework appropriate to a school, which is central to the role, monitoring threats, managing incident response, coordinating staff awareness training and penetration testing
• Own network and infrastructure security operationally, including regularly tested business continuity and disaster recovery plans, identity and access management, conditional access, and device trust
• Manage the IT department's day-to-day service delivery and helpdesk oversight, ensuring reliable service, rapid issue resolution, and effective front-line support
• Ensure staff and pupils have access to a safe, secure, and dependable system, schedule maintenance to minimise disruption to the school day, and take responsibility for out-of-hours incidents, including validating and testing escalation arrangements
• Manage and develop the IT team, prioritising and allocating the work of the helpdesk, network, and AV teams with appropriate cover and escalation, managing recruitment, training, and performance, and carrying out annual appraisals
• Plan strategically for the continual upgrade of the school's IT provision, maintaining a rolling, costed three-year IT strategy, including a maintenance and replacement strategy for all hardware and software, reviewed annually, keeping abreast of industry developments and DfE and National Cyber Security Centre requirements, and working with their line manager to explore and implement new technologies
• Report regularly to the DDST, to the senior management team and governors where required, on IT performance, project delivery, cyber risk, and budget, and support routine assurance activity, including the digital risk oversight forum and termly assurance reporting
• Manage the IT department's budget, including device lifecycle planning for staff and pupil technology, under the oversight of the DDST and, ultimately, the finance director and the bursar, providing regular forecasts and variance analysis, identifying cost savings without compromising service quality, and supporting the annual audit
• Lead IT procurement, from specification to tender evaluation and contract negotiation, ensuring value for money and compliance with financial procedures; manage software licensing and the ordering, registration, and distribution of equipment; audit software, hardware, and usage to ensure fitness for purpose; and act as the school's informed customer for suppliers, overseeing service levels, performance, and continuity
• Hold overall responsibility for IT projects, including classroom installations, new buildings, refurbishments, and wider IT implementations such as new equipment and software, with the AV technician for project coordination leading the AV elements
• Lead compliance and assurance: work to keep content filtering, monitoring software, and reporting mechanisms robust, proportionate, regularly reviewed, and aligned with Keeping Children Safe in Education; ensure that IT systems store and manage data in accordance with UK data protection law and respond to subject access requests, working with their line manager and the senior leadership team; and technically support the school's approach to artificial intelligence, focusing on security, data privacy, advising on risks and opportunities and the secure implementation of AI tools

Person specification

The successful candidate will combine strong technical knowledge with the leadership and technical skills to run a school IT service. The work is technical, but its purpose is people: supporting pupils in their education and the staff who educate them.

Essential: qualifcations and experience

• A relevant degree, or equivalent professional qualifications and demonstrable experience
• Experience of leading and developing an internal IT team, owning a service desk, and managing IT operations to ITIL service delivery best practice
• A strong track record in project management, change management, process improvement, and service optimisation
• Experience of managing an IT budget, procurement, tenders, contract negotiation, and third-party suppliers and outsourced providers, holding them to account

Essential: technical knowledge

• Microsoft 365 and Azure administration, including Entra ID, Intune, Defender, Purview, SharePoint Online, Teams, and Exchange Online
• Identity and access management, including Conditional Access, multi-factor authentication, and security policies for personal devices (BYOD), school-provided devices, and remote access
• Cyber security governance and policy management, data loss prevention, awareness of the current threat landscape, and incident response
• Enterprise networking, cloud and hybrid environments, endpoint management and device deployment, virtualisation and server management, and backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity planning
• Web filtering, safeguarding monitoring, and content management
• AI security, data privacy, and risk mitigation, including evaluating and piloting new technologies securely

Essential: leadership and communication

• The ability to lead and inspire a diverse team, supporting colleagues to thrive through coaching, collaboration, and the promotion of an inclusive, service-focused culture
• The ability to balance strategic thinking with a hands-on approach, translating the school's educational priorities into a practical technology roadmap and presenting it persuasively to the Digital Steering Group and senior leadership
• Solutions-focused, demonstrating sound judgement and adaptability in a dynamic environment
• Organised, reliable, and adaptable, with strong project delivery skills and a positive response to changing priorities
• Collaborative, committed to continuous learning, and takes ownership of decisions and outcomes
• Certifications in cyber security (eg Cyber Essentials Plus assessor, CISMP), Microsoft 365 and Azure, ITIL, or project management
• Experience in a school or other public-sector setting, including school systems such as management information systems, cashless catering, and access control
• An understanding of the regulatory environment for schools, including DfE digital standards, UK GDPR, and Keeping Children Safe in Education
• Experience of designing and delivering staff training on the secure and responsible use of AI

Terms and conditions

• This is a permanent, full-time, all-year round role
• Start date: as soon as possible
• Annual salary of £75,000 to £85,000 (depending on experience)
• Working pattern: Monday to Friday with an unpaid hour of lunch break

Interviews: Week of 30th November 2026

Early applications are encouraged; interviews may be staged and we may choose to appoint at any time during the application process.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974.

King’s is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare ofchildren and expects all staff to share this commitment. Applicants will be required to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. King’s College School is fully committed to the principles of equality, diversity and inclusivity in its recruitment of teaching and support staff.

King's College School, Wimbledon 1.13K subscribers