Head of Operations

Southwark Council; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Southwark Council is seeking a Head of Operations for its new Digital and Resident Experience Service. You will build and lead a multidisciplinary team, ensure smooth technology operations across cloud, networks and end-user computing, and oversee service delivery including the Service Desk.

You will shape a culture focused on resilience, continuous improvement and excellent resident outcomes, while managing budgets and supplier relationships in a large public sector environment.

Qualifications

• Experience leading technology operations in large/complex organisations.
• Strong knowledge of ITSM and modern platforms.
• Track record of managing budgets, suppliers and workforce planning.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead a multidisciplinary operations team.
• Lead delivery of technology operations across cloud, networks, infrastructure and end user computing.
• Oversee IT service delivery, including the Service Desk, ensuring high-quality responsive services.
• Maintain and test service continuity, disaster recovery and major incident response.
• Own operational technology budget and oversee suppliers and MSP performance.

Skills

ITSM

Budget mgmt

Supplier mgmt

People leadership

Public sector

Job description

Why Southwark?

This is a rare opportunity to help build something new at one of London's most ambitious boroughs. Southwark is establishing a brand new Digital and Resident Experience Service, and as Head of Operations, you'll be one of the people shaping it from the ground up, building a team, a culture and a way of working that keeps services running smoothly for residents, communities and colleagues.

You’ll join at a genuinely exciting time for the council, as we invest in our people and technology to better serve more than 300,000 residents across Southwark's diverse communities. This is your chance to build and grow a talented operations team, develop their skills and give them a real sense of purpose, while working alongside colleagues who care about the difference technology makes to people's everyday lives. If you're an operations leader who wants to build something new, develop people and make a genuine impact on the communities we serve, we'd love to hear from you.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Build and lead a multidisciplinary operations team within Southwark's Digital and Resident Experience, growing capability, developing people and creating a culture the team is proud to be part of.
• Lead the delivery of technology operations across cloud platforms, networks, infrastructure and end user computing, so that colleagues across the council can rely on the tools they need.
• Lead the council's IT service delivery functions, including the Service Desk, so that residents and colleagues experience a responsive, high-quality service.
• Maintain and test arrangements for service continuity, disaster recovery and major incident response, keeping our services resilient and dependable.
• Own the operational technology budget and lead the performance of technology suppliers and managed service providers, always with an eye to the experience of the people who rely on our services.

What We’re Looking For

• A strong track record of leading and building technology operations within a large, complex organisation, ideally within local government or the public sector.
• Strong working knowledge of ITSM principles and modern technology platforms, and a track record of improving service quality and resilience.
• Experience of managing significant budgets, supplier relationships and workforce planning to deliver reliable outcomes.
• A genuine passion for developing people, building inclusive teams and creating a culture where colleagues can do their best work.
• A commitment to using technology to protect and improve outcomes for Southwark's residents and communities.

Contact Information

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Naseem Golamgouse via email at .uk

Additional Information

• Working Hours: 36 hours per week (Monday to Friday)
• Location: 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH
• Type of contract: Permanent
• Benefits and more information: https://jobs.southwark.gov.uk/why-us/

Recruitment Timeline

• Advert close date: 11:59pm on Monday 28th September 2026
• Shortlisting date/s: week commencing 5th October 2026
• Technical Interview date/s: week commencing 12th October 2026
• Final Panel Interview date/s: week commencing 19th October 2026

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.