Senior IT Director in Manchester

Cloud Imperium Games is building Star Citizen and Squadron 42, two of the most technically ambitious titles in PC gaming history. With around 1,000 people across Manchester, Austin, Frankfurt, and Montreal, we are entering our most commercially significant period. Both titles are approaching ship, and our technology organisation needs to match the moment. The corporate IT function exists to make that work possible at speed. This role builds the technology backbone that lets the studios keep pushing that frontier. It is not a back-office job. It is a force multiplier on what the company can ship.

This is a newly created global leadership role reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, with single-point accountability for all corporate IT across CIG: service desk, end user compute, corporate network and infrastructure, IT security, hardware, licensing, vendor management, and the studio IT teams in all four locations. This is a transformation role. You will be accountable for stabilising material infrastructure and security risks in the near term, and for rebuilding the function so it materially accelerates how the studios ship. The opportunity is to reshape the operating model, the relationship with the studios, and the technology stack so that IT actively amplifies game development. This role is an on-site position in Manchester.

What You’ll Own

• Global accountability for corporate IT across four studios: service desk, infrastructure, security, licensing, vendor management, and the studio IT teams.
• Direct accountability for cybersecurity. You own the risk position, the roadmap, the audit posture, and the response.
• A new operating relationship between IT and development, with IT’s success measured by what it enables the studios to ship.
• A full re-evaluation of the technology stack and a costed multi-year plan.
• A costed infrastructure resilience plan for Manchester within 90 days, tied to the Squadron 42 launch window.
• Formal patch management, a tested ransomware response runbook, and a corporate penetration test completed before ship.
• An upgraded Manchester service desk capable of Tier 2 and Tier 3 work, with engineers who understand Perforce, build pipelines, and GPU workstations.
• A clear IT charter, jointly defined with the CTO, that sets out how IT engages with development teams, what we measure, and how we are governed.
• The IT budget and a multi-year investment plan tied to the commercial roadmap.

What We’re Looking For

• Senior Director IT leadership across a multi-site, complex technology environment, with single-point accountability for a major transformation.
• Single-point accountability for cybersecurity at scale, including incident response, regulatory exposure, and board-level reporting on risk.
• A background in games, VFX, animation, or a similarly technical creative studio. You must understand how games are made and how IT can directly amplify development throughput.
• An outcome-driven operating philosophy. You do not lead with ITIL doctrine. You lead with the business and use frameworks where they help.
• Demonstrated ability to lead large structural change inside operationally volatile environments.
• Commercial credibility. You can defend a budget, prioritise ruthlessly, and explain IT in language the COO and CFO understand.

Bonus Points

• Shipped a III title. You know what launch pressure feels like.
• Hands-on familiarity with Perforce, game build systems, or large-scale dev pipeline infrastructure.
• Built or matured a security operations capability from low maturity.

Diversity Statement

CIG is a global company, staunchly committed to cultivating a culture and workplace that celebrates all backgrounds, lifestyles, and perspectives. Together, we are creating a space where authentic recognition, appreciation, and understanding of the importance of diversity is fostered by everyone. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we strive to build a team that represents all walks of life, and we want every employee to bring all the things that make them unique to the work environment. The universe is as vast and varied as the people in it, and it’s our differences that make it special.

We are aware of people receiving job offers that fraudulently allege to be from CIG. These types of fraud can be carried out through false websites, fake email addresses claiming to be from our company, or social media. We do not ask for your personal info like bank account numbers, identification numbers, etc. through social media or chat-based apps, nor do we request or send money for the purchase of business equipment. If you suspect fraud, please report it to your local authorities, as well as reaching out to us at info@cloudimperiumgames.com with any information you may have.