Head of IT, Security & AI for Global Defence Tech

OpenWorks Engineering Ltd; Prudhoe; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary from £80,000

Discretionary annual bonus up to 25%

Enhanced pension up to 8%

25 days holiday + buy up to 5 extra

Breakfast & Lunch on Us

Private healthcare & life assurance

Salary sacrifice for EV/cycle to work

Team socials & learning budget £250

Job summary

OpenWorks Engineering Ltd in the North East of England is seeking a Head of Information Technology to shape our technology strategy and lead the IT team across the UK and international operations. This role balances strategic thinking with hands-on delivery, focusing on data, automation and AI while ensuring secure, scalable infrastructure.

You'll work closely with the CIO and leadership team to align technology with business goals, manage budgets, and drive IT excellence across growth

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading an IT function.
• Ability to build relationships, set direction and drive accountability.
• Broad technical expertise across IT infrastructure, hardware, software platforms.
• Experience with security-conscious environments, ideally defence/engineering contexts.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the IT team with clear priorities, accountability and ownership.
• Balance day-to-day IT support with proactive improvement and longer-term technology development.
• Oversee key IT projects and external technology partners, ensuring effective delivery.
• Shape our technology strategy: work with the CIO to align IT with growth and direction.
• Partner with departments to identify technology priorities and deliver practical solutions.
• Ensure infrastructure, networks, systems and workplace tech are secure, reliable and scalable.
• Drive improvements across data, automation, integration and user experience.
• Oversee UK and international technology requirements and governance.

Skills

IT leadership

People management

Security mindset

AI adoption

Strategic planning

Job description

OpenWorks Engineering Ltd in the North East of England is seeking a Head of Information Technology to shape our technology strategy and lead the IT team across the UK and international operations. This role balances strategic thinking with hands-on delivery, focusing on data, automation and AI while ensuring secure, scalable infrastructure.

You'll work closely with the CIO and leadership team to align technology with business goals, manage budgets, and drive IT excellence across growth