Head of IT Operations

Role Overview

• Lead ARIA’s IT Operations function and continuously evolve the organisation’s operational technology maturity, resilience and effectiveness.
• Own accountability for ARIA’s enterprise IT operations and operational service environment, ensuring services are stable, secure, reliable and aligned to organisational needs.
• Act as the senior accountable lead for ARIA’s MSP and operational technology partners, holding providers to account against SLAs, contractual obligations and continuous improvement objectives.
• Drive a culture of operational excellence, proactive service improvement and enablement-first IT operations.
• Maintain accountability for ARIA’s enterprise operational cyber security posture, operational technology risks, resilience planning and compliance obligations.
• Lead governance frameworks, operational standards, policies and controls across enterprise IT domains to ensure proportionate and effective risk management.
• Oversee incident response readiness, disaster recovery planning, operational resilience and security assurance activities.
• Partner with leadership teams to translate operational technology risks into clear organisational decisions and priorities.
• Ensure ARIA’s enterprise IT controls, security foundations and support models evolve to safely enable AI-native ways of working, including increased use of AI tools, automation, data platforms and bespoke technical solutions.
• Oversee ARIA’s enterprise operational infrastructure, cloud environments, identity and access management, SaaS estate, devices and core operational systems.
• Maintain visibility and governance across ARIA’s enterprise operational technology assets, ensuring systems remain secure, supportable and operationally sustainable.
• Lead the management and oversight of enterprise application lifecycle management, rationalisation, operational supportability and cost optimisation.
• Ensure enterprise IT services effectively support organisational productivity, operational continuity and secure collaboration.
• Lead and develop a high-performing IT Operations function, including internal team members, contractors and managed service providers.
• Build strong relationships across ARIA to ensure enterprise technology services effectively support organisational effectiveness and user experience.
• Partner closely with the Head of Engineering & Platforms to ensure operational resilience, enterprise compliance and security considerations are effectively embedded across organisational technology initiatives.
• Contribute to organisation-wide technology governance, standards and roadmap discussions across operational and enablement domains.
• Provide clear reporting, insight and assurance to senior leadership on operational performance, security, resilience and enterprise technology risks.
• Collaborate closely with the wider ARIA team and Programme Directors to deliver a seamless IT environment that empowers, rather than restricts, ambitious R&D initiatives.

Requirements

• An experienced technology operations leader with significant experience leading IT operations within MSP-supported or outsourced environments.
• Technically credible across enterprise infrastructure, cyber security, cloud platforms and operational resilience.
• Strong governance and risk management capability, with experience building operational standards, controls and assurance mechanisms.
• Experienced working across cyber security and regulatory frameworks such as GDPR, NCSC CAF, ISO27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus.
• Commercially astute and comfortable managing vendors, contracts, procurement and service performance.
• An excellent communicator and relationship builder who can influence across technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experienced leading blended capability models comprising internal teams, contractors, MSPs and specialist partners.
• Comfortable balancing strategic control, enablement, operational reliability and organisational needs in a fast-moving environment.
• A pragmatic and trusted leader with strong judgement and an enablement-first mindset.
• We are a Google-native organisation. If you’ve worked in this environment before, that’s great
• if not, don’t let it stop you from applying; we’re more interested in your expertise than your current toolkit.

Tech Stack

• Cloud
• Cyber Security

Benefits

• 27 days annual leave provision, with the option to buy/sell additional days
• Hybrid working arrangements; 60% in office / 40% at home
• Supportive environment for learning and development opportunities
• Enhanced family leave arrangements
• A free and confidential 24/7 employee assistance programme
• Life Assurance
• 2 days of paid volunteer days
• 5% defined contribution pension scheme with Smart Pension
• Cycle to Work scheme
• An excellent office location in Kings X, London