Lead IT Infrastructure Engineer in Southampton

From the Mariana Trench, the deepest point on earth, to surging shorelines and anywhere in-between, we make the impossible possible through our continuous passion for innovation. Our people design, engineer and manufacture technologies that are enabling our customers to discover, navigate, measure, detect and communicate in the toughest environment on earth: Our oceans. We have been actively developing the technology to make the oceans accessible for over 50 years and we are only just getting started.

At Sonardyne, we value different ways of thinking. Whether you think in code, patterns, systems, or steps, your unique perspective is important to us. We are looking for an experienced and proactive IT Infrastructure Manager to lead the design, implementation, and ongoing maintenance of our IT infrastructure. This is a hands-on leadership role that combines strategic planning, technical delivery, and team management to ensure our IT systems are secure, scalable, and highly available.

The ideal candidate will bring deep technical expertise, strong leadership skills, and a passion for driving continuous improvement across infrastructure, cloud, and security operations.

If you join us you will be:

• Leading & Supporting in:

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Infrastructure Engineers.
• Promote a culture of knowledge sharing, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Provide Tier 3 escalation support and lead root cause analysis for major incidents.
• Manage infrastructure projects from planning through to successful delivery.

Design & Architecture

• Lead the design and architecture of on-premises, cloud, and hybrid solutions.
• Evaluate and recommend new technologies to enhance performance, resilience, and cost efficiency.

Infrastructure Management

• Manage core infrastructure services including servers (Windows/Linux), storage, virtualization, networking, firewalls, backup systems, and disaster recovery.
• Monitor and optimize system performance to ensure 24/7 operational availability.
• Maintain and test disaster recovery and business continuity plans.

Cloud & Virtualization

• Deploy and manage environments within AWS, Azure, or GCP.
• Administer and optimize virtualization platforms such as VMware and Hyper-V.

Security & Compliance

• Implement and enforce best practices for system and network security.
• Support security audits and maintain compliance with frameworks such as ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus.

Automation & Monitoring

• Automate infrastructure provisioning and configuration using Infrastructure-as-Code tools (e.g., Terraform, Ansible).
• Manage and maintain monitoring systems such as Zabbix, Prometheus, or Nagios to ensure proactive issue detection.

We would like you to be:

• A confident, solutions-driven professional who thrives in complex technical environments.
• You combine deep infrastructure knowledge with strong communication and leadership skills, balancing hands-on technical work with strategic direction.

Ideally we would like you to have:

• Demonstrable experience in IT infrastructure engineering or systems administration.
• Proven experience leading or supervising technical teams.
• Strong background in server, network, and virtualization technologies.
• Hands-on experience with public cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Scripting/automation proficiency (PowerShell, Bash, or Python).
• Excellent problem-solving, organisational, and documentation skills.
• Ability to perform under pressure and manage multiple priorities effectively.

It would be a bonus if you had:

• Experience in multi-site or engineering-focused organisations.
• Familiarity with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Relevant certifications such as ITIL, MCSE, CCNA/CCNP, AWS or Azure Solutions Architect.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or equivalent experience required.
• Industry certifications preferred.

Why Join Us

This is a fantastic opportunity to take ownership of a critical function within a forward-thinking organisation. You'll have the autonomy to shape our infrastructure strategy, lead a talented team, and work on exciting, technically challenging projects that make a real impact.