Head of Information Technology in Reading

The Head of IT is responsible for leading the Company’s IT strategy, systems support, infrastructure, and digital security. This role ensures that technology effectively supports business operations, drives/assists growth, and innovation while maintaining reliability, security, and cost efficiency. This role is critical to align systems, hardware and overall IT infrastructure with the day-to-day operational and back-office requirements of the business. You will lead the Service Delivery & Infrastructure Teams and be the conduit between them and senior internal and external stakeholders. You will need to understand business requirements across all key departments and maintain/improve an IT infrastructure to complement and facilitate ease of use and efficiency.

Day to day, you will be:

• Develop and execute the technology vision and strategy, aligning technology initiatives (including the emergence of AI) with business objectives and customer needs
• Lead, mentor and manage the IT Team to support the needs of the business
• Advise Senior Leadership on technology trends, risks, and opportunities, acting as a technical advisor to the Board
• Oversee design, implementation, and maintenance of IT systems, networks, servers, and cloud services
• Deep dive into current business capabilities, requirements and technology gaps, identifying appropriate solutions to improve business performance
• Lead the IT Team to scope, design and deliver appropriate change programmes within the organisation including identifying technology to aid productivity and efficiency benefits through smarter ways of working
• Manage software applications, integrations, and system upgrades and lead implementation projects where appropriate
• Ensure high availability, performance and scalability of systems
• Create IT project plans to ensure agile and continuous improvement for process and systems
• Protect Company data and systems - Implement, maintain and enforce IT Policies
• Establish, develop and enforce cybersecurity policies and best practices and define standards for data privacy, cybersecurity and risk management
• Ensure compliance with relevant regulations, standards and data protection laws. Use technology to manage business risk and uphold compliance
• Ensure efficient IT support and incident management processes
• Oversee recovery, backups, and business continuity planning
• Monitor system performance and resolve technical issues proactively
• Manage the IT budget
• Negotiate and manage contracts (including SLA’s) with IT suppliers and service providers
• Optimise costs while maintaining service quality - Liaise with all sub-contractors/3rd party outsourced services to develop strategies for the optimisation of costs, resources and reporting across all IT platforms and systems
• Identify new technology opportunities to automate, streamline, and improve business processes
• Evaluate and adopt emerging technologies to ensure the business maintains a competitive advantage
• Lead digital transformation and system modernisation initiatives
• Become a knowledge resource for Kerridge/Autoline within the business
• Support business decision-making through meaningful MI reporting and analysis across all business streams and areas
• Ability to produce and manage a team that can produce MI reports, analyse trends, highlight opportunities, risks and developmental areas to better support internal stakeholders and management teams

This role will be a great fit for you if:

• Proven ability to lead, mentor and develop a high-performing IT team
• Ability to set a clear vision and create buy‑in
• Takes accountability for systems, security, uptime, and team performance
• Calm, confident decision‑maker, particularly when managing incidents or outages
• Comfortable defining long‑term technology roadmaps and transformation strategies
• Able to balance innovation with practicality, risk, and budget constraints
• Strong communicator able to explain technical topics to non-technical audience
• Confident advising Senior Leadership and the Board, with credibility and authority
• Builds strong relationships across all departments
• Seeks opportunities to improve systems, processes, and efficiency
• Anticipates issues, risks and technology gaps before they become problems
• Experience in a senior IT leadership position
• Experience leading and developing IT teams
• Experience of IT infrastructure, cyber security and systems architecture
• Experience of managing large-scale IT change programmes
• Knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks, best practices and governance
• Experience designing, implementing and enforcing IT security policies
• Understanding of regulatory and statutory compliance (GDPR, ISO, FCA, etc.)
• Experience within the automotive, retail, logistics or multi‑site environment
• Strong understanding of Kerridge / Autoline

Benefits for you:

• An extra day off for your Birthday
• 23 days of annual leave per year PLUS Bank Holidays
• Four times death in service benefit
• Internal Mentorship programme
• Working for WhatVan?’s ‘Van Dealer of the Year 2026’
• Working for Motor Trader’s ‘Employer of the Year’
• Working for an official Great Place to Work™️
• Working for a workplace which champions women
• Awarded Armed Forces Covenant Silver Award (RLS)
• Working with our award‑winning team – several of our team were recognised at the MT WIMT awards and we won silver at the internal communication and engagement awards for our new starter onboarding process
• Auto‑enrolment pension
• Self‑development journal
• Rygor Group Ranked 101 in SW Business Insider’s Top 500 Companies
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity pay policies and return‑to‑work post‑mat‑leave policy
• Access to our wellness programme and Employee Assistance Programmes, including WeCare from Canada Life (EAP and 24HR Online GP access and second Medical Opinion)
• Mental Health First Aiders
• Reward and recognition programmes, including our annual Rygor Group Awards and opportunities to attend the Rygor Wembley box as a celebration of your hard work and dedication
• Annual appraisal programme and progression opportunities
• Manufacturer training and access to our in‑house training
• Long service recognition and annual leave increase after 5 years’ service
• Rygor Auto and Rygor Service Solutions are MPRS accredited
• Branded uniform
• Charities of the Year programme, Army Sports sponsors and community engagement initiatives

About Rygor Group:

We are an award‑winning, multi‑franchise Dealer Group with branches across England, offering extensive coverage for customers throughout the M5, M4 and M42 corridors. Our business has gone from strength to strength in recent years, with significant investment in site renovations nationwide and exciting expansions, including the launch of a brand‑new Mercedes‑Benz Passenger Car Aftersales facility in 2024 and running four new vehicle maintenance units in 2025. Our commitment to excellence has earned us multiple industry and network awards, and in 2025, we were proud to be named Employer of the Year at the prestigious Motor Trader Awards. We also received the Silver award for our onboarding experience at the ICE awards, meaning that if you’re considering a new career with Rygor, you can be confident you’ll receive an award‑winning induction and support from day one. We’re officially a Great Place to Work™ (four years running) and our company culture truly reflects our core values: Rewarding, Reliable, and Respectful. Exceptional customer service is at the heart of what we do and so is creating an environment where our team can thrive.

Hiring Process:

We shortlist CVs through our ATS against the requirements of the role and desired skills and behaviours, so make sure your application is tailored to the role you are applying for. For help with your application visit Rygorcareers.co.uk – Rygor Careers Hub. We may conduct a first stage virtual interview with our hiring manager or a member of the team. If successful at first stage you will be invited to a second stage, in person interview. If your application is successful, we will send you a formal offer in writing. We wish you luck in your application.

DBS: Please be advised that all successful applicants to Rygor or any of our associated businesses, will be subject to satisfactory completion of a DBS check prior to joining the business.