At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead IT operations, manage teams, and tackle complex projects hands-on.
- Company: Established FCA-regulated financial services business in Bolton.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, generous holiday, and professional development support.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities for growth and innovation.
- Why this job: Blend leadership with technical challenges and make a real impact.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in senior infrastructure roles with strong leadership experience.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
Head of IT Operations | Bolton (Hybrid) | £60,000–£75,000
Are you an IT Infrastructure Manager, IT Operations Manager or Head of IT who still enjoys being hands-on?
This Head of IT Operations role reports directly to the CEO of an established, FCA-regulated financial services business in Bolton, leading IT operations across two Bolton sites and home workers.
As Head of IT Operations you'll lead the service desk and infrastructure engineers, own the stability, performance and security of the group's systems, and still get stuck in on complex projects and major incidents.
It's a genuine blend of leadership and hands-on technical work.
- What the Head of IT Operations will own
- Leading and developing the service desk and infrastructure team through 1:1s, appraisals and a skills matrix
- SLAs, KPIs and service quality, run through Jira Service Management
- Technical escalation: leading major incidents and the reviews afterwards
- Change management, IT policy and documentation standards
- Windows Server, Hyper-V, Dell Power Edge, SQL Server and Linux
- Networking across both sites: Sonic Wall firewalls, switching, VLANs, Wi-Fi and secure remote access
- Microsoft 365, Exchange Online, Entra ID and Active Directory
- Patching, vulnerability management, Wazuh SIEM and Cyber Essentials Plus
- Backup, disaster recovery and business continuity with Veeam, including regular restore and failover tests
- Mitel telephony and call recording
- The IT budget, suppliers, licences, contract renewals and the hardware refresh programme
- Automating routine work with scripting, and bringing in AI tools that genuinely help the team
- What you'll bring
- At least 5 years in senior infrastructure engineering, including 2+ years in a leadership role
- Experience leading a service desk or IT operations team across multiple sites, on-premises and home workers
- Strong hands-on Windows Server, virtualisation, Microsoft 365 and networking (switching, VLANs, wireless, firewalls)
- Proven incident, problem and change management
- Security and compliance experience such as Cyber Essentials Plus, CIS Benchmarks and pen test remediation
- Backup and disaster recovery you've designed and tested
- Power Shell or similar scripting
- A track record of delivering projects end to end
- The ability to explain technical risk clearly to non-technical leaders
- AI literacy, with a genuine interest in bringing in AI tools that help teams work better
Nice to have
Mitel Mi Voice or similar telephony, Dell Power Edge and enterprise storage, ITIL, Intune or Action1, experience developing and onboarding AI solutions, and time in an FCA-regulated business.
How they work
They’ll look for someone who's comfortable making sound calls without a perfect rulebook, stays calm under pressure, gets to the root cause, weighs cost and risk like a business owner, and gets up to speed fast.
- What's on offer
- £60,000–£75,000
- Hybrid working, 35 hours, Monday to Friday
- 28 days' holiday plus bank holidays, your birthday off and a half-day for seasonal shopping
- Contributory pension and support with industry-relevant qualifications
- Free on-site parking, cycle to work scheme and casual dress
- The honest bit
This is a hands-on leadership role.
You'll coordinate out-of-hours cover, including Saturday support and a monthly Maintenance Sunday.
If you've moved fully into IT strategy, or you don't want to manage people or a budget, it won't suit you.
Confidential search
This Head of IT Operations search is run exclusively by Red Dot Search.
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Head of IT Operations in Bolton employer: Red Dot Search
As a Learning Development Trainer, you'll thrive in a supportive and people-focused environment that prioritises employee growth and development. With flexible working hours and a competitive salary, you will have the opportunity to design impactful training programmes while enjoying comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, and pension plans. Join us to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our employees from day one.
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We think this is how you could land Head of IT Operations in Bolton
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We think you need these skills to ace Head of IT Operations in Bolton
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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 Red Dot Search.
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How to prepare for a job interview at Red Dot Search
✨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.
