At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and evolve technology services for global operations, ensuring reliability and security.
- Company: Dynamic tech company with a focus on innovation and collaboration.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, 27 days holiday, private healthcare, and unique perks.
- Other info: Join a diverse team with opportunities for growth and community engagement.
- Why this job: Shape the future of technology in a role that drives real impact.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in technical operations and strong cloud platform experience.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
We are seeking an experienced Head of Technical Operations to lead and evolve the foundational technology services that enable the company’s global operations to run reliably, securely and efficiently. This is a senior leadership role responsible for the strategy, design and governance of the infrastructure, platforms and architectural frameworks that underpin all business systems. Operating within a security-first, cloud-second, hybrid-third environment, the Head of Technical Operations ensures that all technology environments are stable, scalable and aligned with enterprise architectural standards and recognised security frameworks, including ISO27001, NIST 800-53, NIST 800-171, Essential 8 and Cyber Essentials Plus.
The role owns the technical ecosystem that supports modern working across the organisation, balancing resilience, performance and cost efficiency. It provides architectural oversight across infrastructure and platforms, ensuring that technology evolves in line with business strategy and long-term transformation goals. The Head of Technical Operations will manage and govern key managed service partners, particularly for specialist networking services, enabling the internal team to focus on architecture, automation, lifecycle management and vendor governance.
Key Responsibilities
- Technical operations leadership
- Provide strategic leadership for Technical Operations, ensuring infrastructure and platforms consistently support business objectives.
- Own and evolve the technical operating model aligned to security, architectural and cost management principles.
- Manage the relationship with Managed Service Partners (MSP).
- Cloud and platform management
- Oversee cloud infrastructure and platforms, including Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365 and Software-as-a-Service environments.
- Ensure core services such as identity, access management, storage and compute are secure, resilient and scalable.
- Architecture governance and standards
- Provide architectural oversight across infrastructure and platforms, ensuring adherence to enterprise design principles.
- Define, maintain and govern technical standards, patterns and reference architectures.
- Platform automation and lifecycle management
- Drive automation across infrastructure and platforms to improve reliability, efficiency and repeatability.
- Own platform lifecycle management, ensuring technologies remain current, supported and cost optimised.
- Network oversight
- Provide governance and technical oversight of network services delivered by managed service providers.
- Ensure network design and operations align with architectural standards and security requirements.
- Resilience, availability and performance
- Own capacity, performance and availability management across all infrastructure and platforms.
- Lead disaster recovery and business continuity planning, testing and continuous improvement.
- Asset and configuration management
- Ensure accurate technology asset management and configuration management practices are in place.
- Maintain visibility and control of infrastructure and platform estates.
- Security alignment
- Ensure consistent alignment of infrastructure and architecture with security frameworks and controls.
- Collaborate closely with Information Security to embed security-by-design across all technical services.
- Delivery collaboration
- Work closely with IT Project Management and delivery teams on infrastructure and platform-related initiatives.
- Provide technical input, assurance and oversight for transformation and change programmes.
Outcomes
- Stable, scalable and secure technology foundations supporting global operations.
- Reduced unplanned downtime and improved system resilience.
- Strong alignment of infrastructure and architecture with recognised security frameworks.
- Efficient lifecycle management, ensuring technology estates remain current and cost effective.
- A clear, coherent technical roadmap that supports business growth and transformation initiatives.
About you
You are an experienced technology leader with a strong background in infrastructure, cloud platforms and enterprise architecture within complex, security-conscious environments. You bring a strategic mindset, balanced with a deep understanding of operational realities. You are comfortable operating in hybrid environments and working closely with managed service partners, ensuring strong governance, accountability and service quality.
You’ll bring with you experience and capabilities including:
- Proven leadership experience in technical operations, infrastructure or platform services.
- Strong experience with cloud platforms, particularly Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365.
- Deep understanding of infrastructure architecture, identity, access management and core platform services.
- Demonstrable experience aligning technology operations with security frameworks such as ISO27001 and NIST.
- Experience managing and governing managed service providers.
- Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
- Experience defining technical roadmaps and operating models that support business strategy.
You’re good at
- Balancing strategic thinking with operational delivery.
- Designing resilient, scalable and secure technology environments.
- Driving standardisation, automation and continuous improvement.
- Working collaboratively across technology, security and business teams.
- Making informed decisions that balance risk, cost and performance.
WHAT YOU’LL GET
A competitive salary and benefits package that includes 27 days holiday per year, pension contributions, private healthcare, discounted dental insurance, enhanced maternity/parental leave, plus a whole host of others including:
- Cultural stimulation allowance - £250 per person per year
- Half days off before bank holidays
- Emergency care days for dependants
- Up to 5 days volunteering leave per year to work for a registered charity
- Up to 10 days special emergency leave per year
- Season Ticket loan
- Payroll Giving Scheme
- Thursday drinks to unwind and socialize
- An annual Summer and Christmas party
- Our commitment to Diversity and Inclusion sees us offer inclusive bank holidays
- We also offer learning opportunities around D Passion Marketing; Global Brand, Experience and Performance Media.
Headquartered in London, operations span 23 countries with major hubs in the UK, Europe, US, Middle East.
Head of Technical Operations employer: M&C Saatchi
As an Office Coordinator, you will thrive in a dynamic and supportive work environment that values collaboration and innovation. Our company offers competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits, and ample opportunities for professional growth, ensuring that every employee feels valued and empowered to contribute meaningfully. Located in a vibrant area, we foster a culture of inclusivity and teamwork, making it an excellent place to build your career.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Technical Operations
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to industry contacts on LinkedIn or attend tech meetups. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its tech stack. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their needs, especially around security frameworks and cloud platforms like Azure and Microsoft 365.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your leadership skills! During interviews, share examples of how you've successfully managed teams or projects, particularly in technical operations or infrastructure management.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Technical Operations
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Head of Technical Operations role. Highlight your experience with cloud platforms, infrastructure architecture, and security frameworks like ISO27001. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're the perfect fit for this role. Share specific examples of your leadership in technical operations and how you've driven improvements in past roles. We love a good story!
Showcase Your Strategic Mindset:In your application, emphasise your strategic thinking and operational delivery skills. We’re looking for someone who can balance long-term goals with day-to-day management, so make sure to highlight relevant experiences that demonstrate this balance.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team at StudySmarter!
How to prepare for a job interview at M&C Saatchi
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, especially Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365. Brush up on your knowledge of security frameworks like ISO27001 and NIST, as you’ll likely be asked how you’ve applied these in past roles.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your leadership experience in technical operations. Think about times when you successfully managed teams or projects, particularly in hybrid environments, and be ready to discuss how you ensured governance and accountability with managed service partners.
✨Demonstrate Strategic Thinking
Be prepared to talk about how you align technology operations with business strategy. Have a clear example of a technical roadmap you’ve defined and how it supported business growth or transformation initiatives. This will show you can balance strategic thinking with operational delivery.
✨Communicate Complex Ideas Simply
Since you’ll need to communicate with non-technical stakeholders, practice explaining complex technical concepts in simple terms. Think of scenarios where you’ve had to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical teams, and be ready to share those experiences.
