At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the IT function, ensuring reliable and secure technology services across the organisation.
- Company: Join BBF Limited, a top UK manufacturer of delicious cakes and desserts.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, car allowance, bonus, and 25 days holiday plus health perks.
- Other info: Exciting growth opportunities with a focus on team development and continuous improvement.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a dynamic environment while enjoying fun workplace events.
- Qualifications: Proven IT leadership experience and strong understanding of Microsoft technologies required.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
Hybrid Working
The Head of IT is responsible for leading the organisation’s technology function, ensuring that IT services, infrastructure, systems, security, and support are reliable, secure, cost-effective, and aligned to business priorities.
The role combines operational ownership of day-to-day IT delivery with strategic leadership, governance, supplier management, and the development of a technology roadmap that supports growth, resilience, and continuous improvement.
This role can be based at either our Blackburn or Hull site with responsibility for supporting business operations across all sites including Poland.
Regular travel between sites will be required.
The role of Head of IT for BBF
- IT strategy and roadmap: Develop and maintain an IT strategy that supports business objectives, improves operational effectiveness, and enables future growth.
- Service delivery: Ensure the IT function provides responsive, reliable, and professional support to users across the business, with clear processes, ownership, and performance standards.
- Infrastructure and networks: Oversee the stability, security, performance, and lifecycle management of core infrastructure, including networking, servers, cloud services, end-user devices, and connectivity.
- Cyber security: Lead the organisation’s approach to cyber security, including email security, access controls, endpoint protection, awareness, monitoring, risk management, and incident response.
- Business Resilience: Ownership of backup strategy, disaster recovery testing, incident response and resilience planning.
- Cloud and systems management: Manage and develop Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, and other core business platforms to ensure they are secure, well-governed, and fit for purpose.
- Business systems and ERP: Provide leadership and input into the management, improvement, and future direction of business-critical systems, including ERP and associated integrations.
- Budget management: Own and manage IT budgets, ensuring spend is controlled, transparent, commercially justified, and aligned to business priorities.
- Supplier and contract management: Manage third-party providers, contracts, licences, renewals, service levels, procurement, and supplier performance.
- Data, reporting and systems integrity: Ownership of improving data quality, reporting capability, system controls and integration between business platforms
- Governance and compliance: Ensure IT policies, controls, documentation, processes, and standards support security, auditability, operational resilience, and regulatory requirements.
- Team leadership: Lead, develop, and support the IT team, setting clear priorities, expectations, ways of working, and a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
- Knowledge, Skills & Experience
- Proven experience leading an IT function or managing a broad IT service across infrastructure, systems, support, security, and suppliers. Preferably gain in manufacturing or FMCG
- Strong understanding of Microsoft 365, Azure, networking, cyber security, endpoint management, and business systems.
- Experience managing IT budgets, contracts, licences, procurement, renewals, and third-party service providers.
- Exposure to the following technologies: Microsoft 365, Microsoft Azure, Cisco Meraki, Mimecast, EDI
- Experience of supporting or leading an ERP implementation. Preferably knowledge of Epicor Tropos and Infor S21
- Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to communicate technical topics clearly to non-technical and senior audiences.
- Experience leading, coaching, and developing IT team members, with a focus on service quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Commercial awareness and the ability to assess technology investment in terms of risk, value, efficiency, resilience, and business benefit.
Who are BBF Limited?
BBF Limited are one of the UK’s leading ambient cake and chilled dessert manufacturers of retailer own label, licensed and branded cakes, supplying recognisable major retailers across the UK and European market.
Our team of experts develop and manufacture a wide range of high-quality ambient cake products across several different categories including celebration cakes, mini rolls, mince pies, fruit pies and a wide range of chilled desserts including cheesecake, crumbles and sponge cakes.
These include mince pies, celebration cakes, slab cakes, cupcakes and many more!
We are passionate about our products and aim to put the customer at the heart of everything we do.
With recent investment and acquisitions taking us to nearly 1,400 direct employees, this is an exciting time to join BBF Limited!
We are continually looking to grow, but we can only do that with exceptional talent across all levels and disciplines of the business.
That is where you come into it!
On top of making some delicious cakes and desserts, we do a lot of fun stuff too!
Whether that be Christmas fun days, pancake-flipping competitions, Red Nose Day events or odd-sock days, you’ll be coming to work smiling.
What benefits do we offer?
- Financial
- Competitive Salary
- Car Allownace
- Bonus
- 4x Life Assurance/Death in Service Benefit
- Health & Wellbeing
- Family Healthcare
- 25 days holiday per annum (plus statutory holidays)
- 24/7 Access to a GP
- 24/7 Bereavement Support
- Personal & Professional Development
- Dedicated in-house Learning & Development/Training team
- Online training platform with access to 100+ training courses
- A few other bits
- Quarterly and Yearly BBF Star Awards – recognising those who have gone above and beyond!
- #J-18808-Ljbffr
Head of IT in Blackburn employer: BBF Limited
BBF Limited is an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that prioritises employee well-being and development. With competitive salaries, comprehensive health benefits, and a commitment to personal and professional growth through dedicated training resources, employees are empowered to thrive in their roles. The hybrid working model and engaging team activities foster a collaborative environment, making BBF Limited a rewarding place to build a meaningful career in the food manufacturing industry.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of IT in Blackburn
✨Join the IT Consultancy Buzz
Get involved in local or virtual IT consultancy meetups and forums. This is where we can rub shoulders with industry professionals, get insights into what BBF Limited values, and even spot unadvertised opportunities. Don't miss out on these chances to make a name for ourselves in the IT world!
✨Show Off Your Skills
Create a personal project or case study relevant to the challenges BBF Limited might face. Use platforms like GitHub or Medium to share your findings. This not only demonstrates our consulting skills but shows a proactive attitude, making us stand out from the crowd when applying for that full-time gig.
✨Leverage LinkedIn for Connections
Follow and engage with the relevant thought leaders and influencers in IT consultancy on LinkedIn. Share insightful content and join discussions to gain visibility. A well-placed comment or shared article could catch the attention of someone at BBF Limited!
✨Direct Apply to BBF Limited
Let's not forget to apply directly through the BBF Limited website! Tailor your application to showcase our understanding of their consulting style and how we can contribute to their projects. A personalised approach can make a huge difference in landing that full-time position!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of IT in Blackburn
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills:In IT consulting, it's all about problem-solving, so make sure your CV highlights your analytical skills and any relevant projects you've tackled. Mention specific technologies or methodologies you've used to resolve issues or improve processes; this shows you can think critically and deliver results, which is vital for us at BBF Limited.
Highlight Relevant Certifications:Certifications like ITIL, PMP, or even specific tech stack qualifications can really make you stand out. Make sure to include these in your CV, as they not only demonstrate your expertise but also your commitment to staying current in the field. We love seeing candidates who are proactive about their professional development!
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to connect personally with us at BBF Limited. Share stories about your experiences in IT consulting, and how they shaped your desire to join our team. Mention why you’re excited about this particular role, and how you see yourself contributing to our projects.
Keep It Clear and Concise:We're all busy, so make sure your application is easy to read. Use bullet points for key achievements, and don’t overload us with jargon. A clean, professional layout goes a long way. Remember, the clearer your application, the more likely we are to invite you in for an interview!
How to prepare for a job interview at BBF Limited
✨Brush Up on Your Technical Skills
For an IT consulting role, be ready to demonstrate your technical prowess. You might face questions on systems integration, cloud technologies, or even troubleshooting specific software. If you have experience with tools like AWS, Azure, or even specific programming languages, make sure you can talk about them fluently.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Approach
IT consulting is all about solving problems for clients. Think about how you can illustrate your approach to a past challenge using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). It's a great way to show how you tackle complex issues and come up with effective solutions.
✨Know the Business Impact of IT Solutions
When discussing your experiences, focus not just on the tech solutions you implemented, but also on their business impact. Employers want to see that you can connect IT with organisational goals. Prep examples that highlight how your tech contributions improved efficiency or reduced costs for past clients or projects.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
Since IT consulting often involves teamwork and client interactions, expect behavioural questions that assess your interpersonal skills. Be prepared with examples that demonstrate your adaptability, communication skills, and how you handle client feedback. Before the interview, think of situations where you worked closely with clients to create effective IT strategies or changes.
