Head of IT Support

University of Southampton; Southampton; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days annual leave

Excellent pension scheme

Family-friendly policies

Wellbeing, sports, arts and cultural施設

Development opportunities

Visible impact on thousands of users

Job summary

The University of Southampton is seeking an experienced Head of IT Support within iSolutions to lead frontline technology services for thousands of students and staff across campuses. You will oversee Service Desk, on-campus IT support, Outreach and AV services, setting priorities, driving performance and continual improvement.

The role will modernise IT support through digital and remote services, automation and AI-enabled tools to enhance user experience.

Qualifications

• Experience leading IT support in a complex organisation.
• Ability to combine strategic thinking with operational execution.
• Proven track record of developing capable teams and fostering accountability.
• Use of data and customer feedback to drive improvement.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead Service Desk, on-campus IT support (Tech Hubs) and AV support services.
• Set priorities, strengthen performance and ensure a responsive support model.
• Oversee workforce planning, resource allocation and service resilience.
• Modernise IT support with digital and remote services, automation and AI.
• Build relationships to inform service development and investment.

Skills

Leadership

IT service management

People management

Data-driven decision making

Stakeholder management

Communication

Tools

ITIL

ServiceNow

Automation

Job description

Lead the teams at the frontline of the University’s technology experience
Every day, circa 25,000 students and 6,500 staff rely on technology to learn, teach, research and work. Behind that experience are the people and services that make technology accessible, reliable and effective.
We are looking for an experienced leader to become our next Head of IT Support within iSolutions, the University’s IT and digital service.
This is a high-profile leadership role responsible for the performance and continual improvement of IT Support across the University.
You will lead managers and technical professionals across our Service Desk, on-campus IT support (Tech Hubs), Outreach and AV support services. As Service Owner, you will set priorities, strengthen performance and ensure our support model continues to meet the needs of students and staff.
Reporting to the Deputy Director of IT Support Services, you will balance operational delivery with longer-term service development, contributing to wider iSolutions strategy.

About the Role

You will lead a diverse, customer-facing service and create the conditions for teams to deliver excellent support.
Using service data, customer insight and operational expertise, you will identify opportunities to improve performance, customer journeys and efficiency. You will oversee workforce planning, resource allocation and service resilience, ensuring support remains effective as demand changes.
A key part of the role will be modernising IT support through digital and remote services, automation, AI and new technologies that improve customer experience and reduce avoidable demand.
You will build strong relationships, providing insight to inform service development and investment.
The University operates across multiple campuses, so regular travel and a visible leadership presence will be important.

You will be a people-focused service leader with significant experience leading IT support, service delivery or other customer-facing operational functions in a complex organisation.

You will bring:

• A strong track record of leading customer-focused IT support or service delivery.
• The ability to combine strategic thinking with operational judgement, turning priorities into measurable outcomes.
• Experience leading through managers, developing capable teams and creating a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Confidence using data, insight and customer feedback to drive improvement.
• Strong communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience managing people, resources and capacity to deliver resilient services.
• A strong understanding of IT support, service management and the evolving digital workplace.
• A commitment to inclusive leadership, accessibility and creating an environment where people can perform at their best.

Experience of service ownership, ITIL, ServiceNow, digital workplace services, automation or AI-enabled support, financial planning, supplier management and Higher Education would be advantageous.

iSolutions is the University of Southampton’s IT and digital service, providing technology, systems and support for education, research and professional services.

This is an opportunity to lead a well-established service, improving performance, modernising support and developing future capability.

We offer:

• 30 days annual leave, plus University closure days.
• Membership of an excellent pension scheme.
• Family-friendly policies.
• Access to wellbeing, sports, arts and cultural facilities.
• Development opportunities.
• The opportunity to lead talented teams and make a visible difference to thousands of students and staff.