IT Manager

Ascend Consulting; Stafford; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

Ascend Consulting in the United Kingdom is seeking an experienced IT Manager to own day-to-day technology, infrastructure, systems administration and team leadership across manufacturing sites. The role requires delivering IT projects, improving system performance and ensuring compliance across UK and international offices.

You will lead infrastructure, cybersecurity, budgeting, vendor management, and global ERP support, with a proven track record in delivering upgrades, risk assessments and

Qualifications

• Degree in information management, business administration, industrial engineering, business informatics) or comparable education.
• Experience leading IT teams and budgets.
• Proven track record of IT projects and system upgrades.

Responsibilities

• IT Infrastructure Management
• Stakeholder Management
• Cybersecurity
• Project Management
• Global ERP support
• Policies & Procedures
• Budget & Cost Management
• Continuous Improvement

Skills

IT infrastructure management

Systems administration

Network operations

IT team leadership

Project management

Cybersecurity

Budget & cost management

Vendor management

IT service management

Disaster recovery planning

Business continuity

Stakeholder management

Cloud computing

IoT

AI/ML familiarity

Education

Degree in information management or related field

Tools

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Jira

Confluence

Job description

IT Manager, Manufacturing, Stoke to £55,000
A leading Engineering and manufacturing outfit are looking for an experienced, practical minded IT Manager to take ownership of their day-to-day technology environment. Due to growing they are requiring an IT Manager that has expertise in managing technology infrastructure, systems administration, and team leadership. The IT Manager will have a proven track record in leading IT projects, optimising system performance and ensuring compliance with industry standards for UK and International offices.

Key Duties:

• IT Infrastructure Management
• Stakeholder Management
• Cybersecurity
• Project Management
• Technical Expertise
• Global Support / ERPs
• Polices & Procedures
• Budget & Cost Management
• Continuous Improvement

Qualifications:

• Degree in information management, business administration, industrial engineering, business informatics) or comparable education

Required Experience/Skills:

• 5 10 years experience in IT infrastructure management, systems administration, and network operations
• Proven experience in managing an IT team, including mentoring and development
• Project management experience, including successful planning, execution, and completion of IT projects (e.g. system upgrades, software implementations)
• Proficiency in cybersecurity practices, including implementing security policies, conducting risk assessments, and managing incident response
• Experience with networking technologies (firewalls, VPNs, switches, routers) and troubleshooting complex network issues
• Strong knowledge of systems and database administration
• Experience in developing and managing IT budgets, including cost optimisation and vendor management
• Familiarity with IT service management frameworks and best practices for maintaining IT operations and service continuity
• Experience in ensuring compliance with data privacy and security regulations
• Demonstrated experience in disaster recovery planning and business continuity strategies
• Cross-departmental collaboration and stakeholder management. Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to a non-technical audience.
• Experience with cloud computing, IoT and AI/ML is a plus.
• Strong analytical, conceptual and organisational skills
• Negotiation skills for vendor contracts, software licensing, and service agreements

Desirable skillset:

• Experience in Microsoft Dynamics AX and Atlassian suite of programmes (Jira / Confluence)