IT Operations Manager

Ithaca Energy is a leading full cycle exploration and production company headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland. The business has built a diverse and high value portfolio of operated and non-operated assets across the Northern & Central North Sea and West of Shetland. We are a dynamic and ambitious business on a rapid growth journey, recognising that the energy industry is entering a new era. As we move towards energy transition, our commitment to the North Sea is unwavering.

As a leading North Sea Operator, we are an agile and driven business, taking a pragmatic approach to oil & gas production through innovative thinking and advanced technologies. Our goal is to maximise value through the safe, efficient and responsible production of our assets. Success is dependent on our talent and, with bold and inspired people, we will create a workplace that is diverse and equitable, building a culture of collaboration and inclusion.

Position Overview: Ithaca Energy is accepting applications for the position of IT Operations Manager located in our Aberdeen Office. Reporting to the Head of IT and Facilities, the IT Operations Manager is responsible for the reliability, responsiveness and availability of the organisation’s information technology infrastructure. This role ensures that IT systems, applications, and networks operate efficiently to meet the evolving needs of the company. As a member of the IT Leadership Team you will play a key role in all aspects of running an enterprise IT department, maintaining a focus on safety and delivery while contributing to strategic planning and resourcing, budgeting, risk and compliance, security, and continuous improvement of the IT department.

Responsibilities:

• Leadership and People Development: Lead, mentor, and manage a diverse IT operations team – consisting of End-user, Data centre, Network and Application support teams. Foster a collaborative and high-performance culture, providing guidance and support for professional development.
• Infrastructure Management: Oversee the maintenance, performance, and availability of all IT infrastructure, including servers, networks, storage systems, cloud environments, PCs, and collaboration technology. Monitor system health and resolve issues to minimise downtime. Ensure Service Level Agreements and quality standards are adhered to.
• IT Operations Excellence: Ensure the highest levels of service are delivered to both internal IT and business stakeholders at all times. Promote continuous learning, and the curiosity and desire to learn and develop skills, to fail fast – yet safely, and to be committed to diagnosing and solving problems, fulfilling requests, and delivering results.
• Service Management: Across ITSM (ITIL) processes ensure established systems and processes are adhered to and continuously improved, e.g. incident, service request, change, problem, etc.
• Project Delivery: Manage resources to effectively cover both operational duties and, where required, to contribute to the delivery of both business and internal IT project scopes.
• Vendor & Supplier Management: Liaise with external vendors and suppliers, undertake contract ownership, manage service agreements, and ensure value for money from technology investments. Ensure backfill arrangements are in-place as required.
• Budgeting & Cost Control: Prepare and manage the IT operations element of the IT budget, identifying cost-saving opportunities and optimising resource allocation while maintaining high standards of service.
• Compliance & Security: Ensure compliance with relevant legislation, industry and organisational standards, and internal protocols. Liaise with cybersecurity and risk management teams to safeguard data and systems against threats and vulnerabilities. Oversee the day-to-day operation of identity and access management processes, and account lifecycle management.
• Licensing & Lifecycle Management: Monitor license utilisation, support and maintenance contracts, subscriptions, identity and certification expirations, and EOL milestones – working with stakeholders to ensure timely renewals and adherence to established versioning standards. Asset management of company issued hardware.
• Reporting & Analysis: Analyse reports on system performance, SLA and ticketing performance, incidents, and project milestones for senior management and implement continuous improvement action plans. Contribute to IT Architecture and road mapping. Serve as a point of escalation for critical incidents, coordinating response efforts and communicating impacts to stakeholders.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Previous experience in IT operations or infrastructure management, with proven experience leading teams.
• Familiarity with both on‑premises and cloud environments is preferred.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field.
• Certifications (highly valued): ITIL and PRINCE2.
• Proven experience leading IT operations in a dynamic and diverse enterprise organisation.
• Expertise with managing a modern Microsoft-based enterprise IT operation comprising of on-prem, M365 and Azure products, technologies, and services.
• Expertise in network administration, server management, virtualisation, storage solutions, and monitoring tools.
• Familiarity with cybersecurity practices, backup and disaster recovery protocols, and enterprise applications.
• Strong leadership abilities, with excellent communication skills.
• Capability to present complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience managing multiple projects and priorities simultaneously, ensuring deadlines and deliverables are met.
• Commitment to operational excellence - delivering outstanding user experiences and technical support.
• Willingness to embrace new technologies and methodologies, driving innovation and continuous improvement across IT operations.

We are committed to building a diverse organisation with a variety of backgrounds, skills and views. The more inclusive we are, the better we are. We recognise you may not fulfil every criteria but if you meet most of them, please apply.