At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic team through major infrastructure modernisation and cloud development.
- Company: A leading university known for its excellence in teaching and research.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, generous benefits, and professional development opportunities.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with significant influence over strategy and operations.
- Why this job: Shape the future of infrastructure while empowering a talented team.
- Qualifications: Senior leadership experience in complex infrastructure environments and strong people management skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 76000 £ per year.
Lead a 37-person infrastructure function through a major period of modernisation, including data centre consolidation, telephony transformation and the development of the university's cloud capabilities.
You will provide confident, autonomous leadership across platforms, networks and infrastructure, shaping the strategy while improving team empowerment and operational delivery.
Client Details
Our client is a leading university with an internationally recognised reputation for teaching and research.
Its technology function supports a large and complex community, delivering the critical infrastructure needed to enable education, research and the wider operation of the university.
The organisation is entering an important period of infrastructure transformation, with significant investment planned across cloud, data centres, platforms and telecommunications.
Description
As Head of Infrastructure, you will lead the strategy, performance and development of the university's infrastructure services.
Reporting into the senior technology leadership team, you will have three direct reports and overall responsibility for approximately 37 people across the infrastructure function.
The environment includes three data centres, which will be consolidated into two newly built facilities, alongside a significant on-premise estate.
The university is also developing its cloud capabilities and assessing where services should remain on-premise and where cloud adoption can deliver the greatest value.
Key responsibilities
- Leading, developing and empowering the infrastructure management team.
- Defining the infrastructure strategy, standards and technical roadmap.
- Consolidating three existing data centres into two newly built facilities.
- Leading the assessment and modernisation of the on-premise estate.
- Developing a pragmatic "cloud where appropriate" approach.
- Overseeing the transformation of the university's telephony services.
- Strengthening platform capabilities across server, storage, virtualisation, backup and cloud technologies.
- Maintaining the availability, capacity, resilience and security of critical infrastructure services.
- Improving disaster recovery and service-continuity arrangements.
- Managing infrastructure budgets, strategic suppliers, contracts and service-level agreements.
- Supporting technical decision-making across projects and wider transformation initiatives.
- Improving accountability and empowerment across the infrastructure teams.
- Acting as a senior escalation point for complex operational and people-related matters.
- Ensure infrastructure resources support projects, business applications and service operations.
- Build effective relationships with senior stakeholders, strategic partners and technology suppliers.
- Provide regular financial, operational and performance reporting to senior leadership.
- Act as a senior escalation point for complex or high-profile service issues.
- Deputise at senior management level when required.
The current technology environment includes Dell infrastructure, VMware and Linux.
The networking function is well established and technically strong, while platform and cloud capabilities represent key areas for further development.
Profile
You will be a confident and pragmatic infrastructure leader who can operate independently, make informed decisions and create clarity for technical teams.
You will not need to be the deepest technical specialist across every area, but you must possess the breadth, awareness and credibility to lead a diverse enterprise infrastructure function.
- You should demonstrate
- Senior leadership experience within a complex infrastructure environment.
- A broad understanding of platforms, networks, cloud, data centres, storage, backup and virtualisation.
- Strong platform infrastructure experience, ideally spanning servers, storage and virtualisation.
- Experience contributing to or leading cloud adoption and infrastructure modernisation.
- The confidence to make decisions without requiring close supervision.
- Experience leading managers and multidisciplinary technical teams.
- The ability to empower teams while maintaining clear accountability.
- Strong people leadership, including experience handling challenging performance or team situations.
- Experience developing infrastructure strategies, roadmaps and technical standards.
- A pragmatic approach to balancing on-premise and cloud technologies.
- Strong stakeholder, supplier and commercial-management capabilities.
- A collaborative, approachable and relatively easygoing leadership style.
- The ability to engage with technical detail while maintaining a strategic perspective.
- Experience within higher education is not required.
Exposure to Linux environments would be beneficial, while experience with Nutanix, Dell, VMware, data centre consolidation or telephony transformation would be particularly advantageous.
- Job Offer
- Competitive salary ranging from £60,000 to £76,000, dependent on the level of experience.
- A senior leadership role with genuine influence over infrastructure strategy.
- The opportunity to lead a substantial infrastructure-modernisation programme.
- Significant involvement in cloud adoption, platform development and data centre transformation.
- Freedom to shape the role and become as involved in strategy as your experience and interests allow.
- Leadership responsibility for approximately 37 infrastructure professionals.
- A collaborative environment that welcomes ideas and informed challenge.
- Hybrid working, with a minimum of two days on site and an expectation of three days where required.
- A 35-hour working week.
- Generous university employment benefits and ongoing professional development
- #J-18808-Ljbffr
Head Of Infrastructure in West Kirby employer: Michael Page
ASDA is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration in the heart of Leeds. With a strong commitment to employee growth, ASDA provides numerous opportunities for professional development and advancement, alongside competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits. The hybrid working model allows for flexibility, making it an attractive workplace for those seeking meaningful and rewarding careers in one of the UK's leading retail brands.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head Of Infrastructure in West Kirby
✨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 Michael Page 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 Michael Page 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 Michael Page!
✨Direct Apply to Michael Page
Let's not forget to apply directly through the Michael Page 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 Infrastructure in West Kirby
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 Michael Page.
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 Michael Page. 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 Michael Page
✨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.
