Information Technology Operations Manager

WRK digital; Manchester; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

WRK digital is seeking an IT Operations Manager for its Manchester HQ to own the client-side relationship with the managed service partner and drive the Microsoft 365 estate.

This role is hands-on and strategic, reporting to the CTO, guiding Azure migration, security governance, and the integration of acquired businesses into a unified cloud and collaboration environment. You'll be visible across UK offices and manage procurement and supplier relationships as part of OT governance.

Qualifications

• Client-side ownership of an outsourced MSP.
• Strong Microsoft 365 knowledge (Entra ID, SharePoint, Teams).
• Azure, infrastructure and networking grounding to hold a partner to account.
• Genuinely hands-on; player-manager in a small team.
• Self-starting with clear, proactive follow-through.
• Clear, plain-spoken communication with non-technical colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Owning the day-to-day relationship with the MSP—service levels, escalations, incidents, performance.
• Delivering client-side workstreams and follow-ups to keep initiatives moving.
• Owning and driving the Microsoft 365 environment and horizon-scanning best practices.
• Supporting cloud and infrastructure changes as additional parts migrate.
• Bringing acquired businesses into the environment.
• Overseeing outsourced security service and contributing to governance and risk.
• Procurement, contracts, renewals and supplier relationships across OT.
• Being visible across UK offices and building broad relationships.

Skills

Client-side ownership

Microsoft 365

Azure knowledge

Hands-on

Self-starter

Communication

Tools

SharePoint

Teams

Power Platform

Entra ID

Azure

Job description

WRK digital is partnered with a Top 60 UK accountancy and professional services firm to appoint an IT Operations Manager at their Manchester headquarters.

Two key things make up this job: owning the relationship with their managed service partner and driving the Microsoft 365 estate. The firm has just moved its core infrastructure into Azure, is growing hard through acquisition, and needs someone client-side to hold the partner to account and bring acquired businesses into the environment.

Individual contributor, full end-to-end ownership, both strategic and genuinely hands-on, reporting to a CTO who has no interest in micromanaging.

What you'll be doing

• Owning the day-to-day relationship with the managed service partner - service levels, escalations, incidents, and performance
• Delivering the client side of that relationship: the internal workstreams, the follow-ups, the things that only move because you moved them
• Owning and driving the Microsoft 365 environment - adoption, optimisation, Teams, Power Platform, Copilot - and horizon-scanning what good looks like elsewhere
• Supporting continued cloud and infrastructure change as further parts of the group migrate
• Bringing acquired businesses into the environment
• Overseeing the outsourced security service, and contributing to governance and risk across the estate
• Procurement, contracts, renewals and supplier relationships across operational technology
• Being visible across a business spread over several UK offices - building relationships, creating presence, and being the person people know to come to

What we're looking for

• Genuine client-side ownership of an outsourced managed service - an ongoing, day-to-day relationship with a provider running your service desk and first-line support.
• Strong Microsoft 365 knowledge with an appetite for getting more out of it - Entra ID, SharePoint, Teams, and the wider suite
• Enough Azure, infrastructure and networking grounding to hold a partner to account and to be useful during migration work
• Genuinely hands-on. This is a player-manager role in a small team, weighted towards doing.
• Self-starting – a doer with real follow-through
• Clear, plain-spoken communication with people who don't work in technology

Nice to have, not expected

• Microsoft tenant or domain migration, or IT integration of acquired businesses
• Professional services or another regulated environment
• Power Platform, automation or Copilot exposure
• Cyber Essentials, ITIL, Microsoft or security certifications