IT Operations Manager

Lamington Group is a London‑based hospitality company operating a growing portfolio of properties. We are on a journey to 5,000 net‑zero rooms, powered by technology that puts people first. Our technology function is small, ambitious, and central to how we scale. We believe in foundations before innovation, practical AI that people actually use, and building repeatable capability rather than one‑off projects. We are looking for people who care about the work in front of them and the people around them.

THE ROLE

You are the IT Operations Manager at Lamington Group. You anchor the entire technological machine, infrastructure reliability, and cybersecurity landscape of our support office and property portfolio. This role isn't about managing solely from a back office or hiding behind spreadsheets; it is about taking raw ownership of the group's digital estate, navigating technical and user dynamics with respect, and ensuring the entire infrastructure runs with consistent, unhurried care. Your work has a direct, visible impact on everything under our roof, from the productivity of your team to the day‑to‑day operational stability of the business.

You drive the daily, weekly, and seasonal rhythm of the technology function, from optimising SaaS subscription registers and auditing tool adoption to maintaining a strict focus on system uptime, network security, and Cyber Essentials compliance. When a guest connects to our Wi‑Fi, a team member logs onto a platform, or a new site goes live, they instantly notice the stability and efficiency you’ve built. You are the person who ensures that our baseline of operational and technical excellence is hit across every single department and shift.

Your day is active, diverse, and highly visible. While you handle the financial tracking of operational expenditure, hardware lifecycle strategies, and vendor contract negotiations, you lead primarily from the front, supporting our property teams, maintaining a strong presence on‑site during critical system rollouts or property openings, and keeping communication flowing cleanly between General Managers, head office departments, and external partners. You balance the fast pace of a 24/7 hospitality operation with clear, calm direction, ensuring the infrastructure hits its performance targets while your team feels steady, clear on their goals, and supported through the daily rush.

This role gives back the satisfaction of running a fully autonomous, high‑performing technology ecosystem that fuels the brand as we scale. You will strengthen your strategic business leadership, comprehensive commercial capacity, and people‑first development skills within a company that relies on straight talking and trust. We prioritise internal development and real responsibility, making this the ultimate path for an established technology leader who wants to build a lasting career and lead by example from the digital heart of the business.

WHO YOU ARE

Five things we hire for. These are the Lamington Group Values. We use them across every role in the Group, from Maintenance to Front of House to Support Office positions. If three or more of these read like you on a good day, this is your kind of place.

• Use Instinct. You read what's needed and act on it. You back human judgement, the unmet need, the early signal, the moment of hesitation, with care.
• Own It. You finish what you start. You are honest about what works and what doesn't. The thing you spotted is yours until it's fixed.
• Include All. You build trust quickly with guests, colleagues and partners. You are open, real, and you treat the team like a team.
• Stay Curious. You ask why. You keep learning the building, the systems, the neighbourhood. You'd rather know how something works than fake it.
• Think Big. You reject 'good enough'. You spot patterns and bring better ideas, even when the small fix would do.

We don't hire for years of hotel experience. We can teach the systems. We can't teach you how to read a room.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

On a good day, you might…

• Start the day reviewing overnight system health reports, critical P1/P2 service desk tickets, and urgent user requests, refining daily IT priorities, and aligning with external support partners before the morning operational briefings begin.
• Lead from the front, maintaining an active, visible presence across head office or property sites during peak deployment windows, stepping in to support front‑line teams with system adoptions, clear technical bottlenecks, and keep the operational rhythm steady and calm.
• Ensure high standards across the portfolio by personally auditing network infrastructure, cloud directory access levels, and hardware setups, ensuring that all cybersecurity baselines, data protection (UK GDPR) rules, and IT operating procedures run with complete care.
• Support and develop your internal user base throughout the week, offering constructive technical guidance, conducting tool adoption check‑ins, and helping property teams build technological confidence, system awareness, and workflow efficiency.
• Keep communication flowing seamlessly across the business, bridging operations between property General Managers, head office department heads, and technology suppliers regarding upcoming SaaS renewals, software upgrades, and immediate incident escalations so nothing gets missed.
• Notice and act on infrastructure performance quickly, tracking hardware lifecycles, software spend efficiencies, and internal user satisfaction scores, and correcting operational or security deviations transparently before they impact the user experience or business expenditure.
• Stay one step ahead, analysing the group subscription registers, managing capital expenditure (CapEx) hardware replacement pipelines, and forecasting property technology readiness benchmarks to ensure new openings go live with a zero‑defect handover.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

Experience that fits the role.

• Proven IT operations, infrastructure, or service delivery management experience within a busy multi‑site corporate, retail, or hospitality environment, overseeing total network uptime with a strong focus on technical standards and user functionality.
• Confidence in managing department financials, including complete operational expenditure tracking, SaaS subscription control, contractor cost optimisation, and capital expenditure (CapEx) asset planning, while supporting business margins.
• A reliable, methodical approach, someone with a sharp eye for the small details in Google Workspace administration, network security protocols (firewalls, Wi‑Fi, VLANs), and Cyber Essentials compliance criteria, keeping a calm, steady department rhythm.
• Strong communication and people leadership skills, with a natural ability to coach, train, and motivate non‑technical property teams, pass on system performance feedback constructively, and unite users across head office, front‑of‑house, and operations.
• A proactive mindset, someone who takes full ownership of the entire digital asset register, spots software redundancies, infrastructure vulnerabilities, or efficiency drops early, and steps in with practical, long‑term automation solutions before it impacts the business.
• Extensive experience managing tech implementations, leading on‑site setups for site openings, navigating external vendor SLA negotiations, and coordinating security audits is essential, but accountability, organisational drive, and a genuine curiosity for practical AI application matter most.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE WORKING HERE

What you get back.

• Team that means it. You’ll work alongside people who understand that total infrastructure reliability, data protection, and a thriving digital culture are collective efforts. IT Operations Managers are deeply respected, vital pillars of our support business with present, hands‑on leaders who offer regular check‑ins focused on your well‑being, efficiency ideas, and professional growth.
• Growth that's real. We prioritise internal development and progression. Whether your path leads toward senior corporate technology management, portfolio infrastructure design, or senior executive leadership roles across Lamington Group, we want to help you build a lasting career.
• Learning, built in. You’ll receive structured onboarding and hands‑on training to build confidence from day one. You’ll strengthen your total business technology leadership capacity, master comprehensive cloud and hardware logistics, and gain valuable experience in full subscription management, capital expenditure (CapEx) tracking, strict cybersecurity compliance regulation, and cross‑departmental development that stays with you.
• Time off that respects you. We know life exists outside of work. Additional annual leave that grows with length of service, company benefits, two paid volunteer days each year, and a Company Sick Pay Scheme, in addition to time to recharge. All part of creating a sustainable working environment.
• Stay with us, on us. Access friends‑and‑family rates across our hometels and wider group properties. Experience the spaces you help create and see the brand through a guest’s eyes. And have one free stay, on us!
• The day‑to‑day. Competitive benefits package including pension contributions, team support, wellbeing initiatives, Cycle to work scheme and use of gym facilities in our hotels, and the everyday essentials that help make work feel rewarding, not just routine.

HOW IT WORKS

Our hiring process.

• Apply. Send us your CV and a few lines on why this role caught your eye. A formal cover letter is not required, we'd rather hear you.
• First conversation. A 30‑minute call with the hiring manager. We talk about the role, the team, and you.
• On‑site visit. Meet the team. See the office. We want you to know what you're signing up for before you say yes.
• Offer. If it's a fit on both sides, we move quickly.

WE CLOSE THE LOOP. Every applicant hears back from us, yes or no. We don't ghost.

FOR EVERYONE

A note on inclusion. Lamington Group is an equal opportunities employer. We hire based on attitude and ability. We welcome applications from every background, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief. If you need any adjustments to take part in our hiring process, tell us when you apply. We’ll work with you.

READY? Apply now.

Compensation: To be discussed