We are hiring for an IT Systems and Automation Specialist/Manager to take over from our IT Manager and take hands‑on responsibility for the effective operation, support and improvement of Summit’s IT environment and business systems. You will keep colleagues productive, maintain secure and reliable services, and use automation and AI to improve how work is completed across the business. Reporting to the Operations Director, this role has no direct reports.
Support Summit’s planned transition towards Dynamics 365 across its business functions. Work with departmental owners and implementation partners to translate requirements into solutions, support migration and adoption, and maintain continuity throughout the transition.
This role will be office based in Tamworth B77 5DY, and applicants must be able to commute to the Tamworth office.
Salary, benefits and contract type: Perm. £40,000 - £50,000 depending on experience.
Business wide IT support and operational ownership
- Support office, field and operational teams with business applications, computers, mobile devices, email, printers, telephony, remote access and connectivity. Take requests from logging through troubleshooting.
- Administer Microsoft 365 and its associated identity, access and collaboration services, including SharePoint and OneDrive, within agreed permissions and policies.
- Maintain an inventory of devices, software, licences, suppliers and renewals. Coordinate onboarding, role changes and leavers, with appropriate access approvals.
- Maintain oversight of networks, internet services, Wi‑Fi, servers or cloud services and other infrastructure in use. Coordinate monitoring, maintenance and upgrades with suppliers as appropriate.
- Maintain updates, endpoint protection, backup checks and tested recovery arrangements. Support incident response and business continuity, escalating security risks promptly.
- Support departments with application configuration, data issues and reporting. Investigate recurring incidents, maintain support records and provide practical training.
- Track supplier performance and licence renewals, obtain quotations and recommend improvements within agreed budgets and purchasing approvals.
Collaboration and documentation
- Agree priorities, acceptance criteria and delivery plans with departmental owners. Explain options, costs and constraints clearly.
- Create user guides, train colleagues and maintain system diagrams, configuration records and support procedures.
- Keep credentials in approved company-controlled arrangements and recovery information accessible to authorised colleagues.
- Keep current with Microsoft, automation and AI developments. Recommend useful improvements and follow approved arrangements for handling business information.
Dynamics 365 and business improvement
- Support and develop Summit’s Dynamics 365 environment, including current Business Central operations and the applications selected for future rollout. Understand how processes and information connect across departments.
- Work with Sales, Customer Services, Engineering, Procurement, Warehouse and Finance to document requirements, identify gaps and contribute to a coordinated implementation roadmap.
- Help assess relevant Dynamics 365 applications for sales, customer service, field service and other operational requirements with the implementation partner. The final application scope will be agreed by the business.
- Administer users, roles and permissions with the relevant business owner. Work with Finance on finance-related requirements and obtain its approval for changes affecting financial processes.
- Understand and document how Business Central connects with HubSpot, Solarvista, SharePoint and other systems. Work with suppliers to make data transfers reliable and reduce duplicate entry.
- Coordinate migration preparation, data mapping, cleansing, trial imports and validation. Support user acceptance testing, training, cutover planning and post-launch support with business owners and suppliers.
- Coordinate changes, updates and partner-delivered extensions. Test in an appropriate non-production environment, obtain business acceptance and plan releases and recovery before live changes.
Automation and practical use of AI
- Translate process requirements into maintainable solutions using suitable configuration, Power Automate, Logic Apps, approved connectors or APIs. Assess licensing, security and support implications before implementation.
- Identify and trial useful AI applications, such as document retrieval, enquiry classification, drafting and extraction of information. Validate outputs and retain appropriate human approval for consequential actions.
- Build monitoring, exception handling and clear ownership into automated workflows. Investigate failed actions and confirm that the intended business outcome has been achieved.
Skills and working expectations
Essential experience and skills
- Substantial hands‑on Dynamics 365 experience in administration, configuration, support or implementation. Able to explain the applications worked with and how they supported connected business functions, rather than experience solely as an end user.
- A working understanding of the wider Dynamics 365 environment and cross‑functional processes, with the ability to support a rollout beyond one isolated application alongside specialist partners.
- Broad business IT support experience covering Microsoft 365, identity and permissions, user devices, connectivity, infrastructure, security fundamentals and recovery arrangements.
- Experience supporting system implementation, upgrades, integration or migration, including requirements, testing, documentation and user adoption.
- Practical experience building or maintaining business automation, ideally with Power Automate or Logic Apps, with an understanding of connectors, APIs, data mapping and failure handling.
- Current, practical knowledge of AI tools and their business use. Able to demonstrate a relevant use case and explain output verification, data protection, access controls and human oversight.
- Ability to investigate problems systematically, manage competing requests and communicate clearly with non‑technical users and external suppliers.
- Evidence of producing useful documentation, testing changes and completing work through to adoption and ongoing support.
Candidates should demonstrate relevant Dynamics 365 expertise and an ability to support its wider business use. Familiarity with every Dynamics product is not required.
Dynamics 365 Business Central, Sales, Customer Service or Field Service; Dataverse; Power BI; HubSpot or Solarvista; ERP and CRM integrations; engineering or distribution businesses; relevant Microsoft qualifications. Specialist development can be delivered through partners.
Authority and specialist support
No people‑management responsibility. Coordinate suppliers within agreed budgets and change controls. Departmental owners retain business decisions, process approval and data ownership. Scope and escalate complex development, infrastructure and cybersecurity work to qualified providers as required.
How success will be assessed
Reliable services, responsive support, fewer recurring incidents, accurate access records, tested changes and dependable integrations. Successful Dynamics adoption, effective training and measurable reductions in manual work will form part of agreed objectives, including useful AI adoption with appropriate controls.
Initial priorities
Establish systems, infrastructure, suppliers and authorised access; secure support continuity; review outstanding issues and integrations; and agree a prioritised improvement plan covering immediate needs and the future Dynamics 365 transition.
- Monday to Thursday 08:30–17:00 and Friday 08:30–14:30
- The opportunity to carve out a long term, advanced career path
- Company Pension contribution of 5%
- 25 days Holidays + bank holidays, with an additional day holiday for each 2 years of completed service, up to a maximum of 5 additional days
- Access to Smart Health app from AVIVA, with 24/7 online GPs, mental health support and wellbeing services
- Free eye test every 2 years
- Access to a free and confidential independent financial adviser
- Winston’s Wish bereavement support for families and children
- Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Pay
- Will Writing Benefit
- 40% discount with YorkTest offering various health tests.
- Bereavement Counselling: Access to 24/7 bereavement helpline & face to face counselling.
- Income protection cover after 1 year service
- Death in service cover : 2 x salary from day 1 of joining rising to 4 x salary after 5 years’ service
About Summit Systems
Summit Systems are award-winning market leaders in providing customer focussed solutions, whether it is in material handling, industrial temperature control or recycling. For over 35 years we have established ourselves firmly within the plastics automation, process cooling and temperature control and the plastic recycling industries, supplying and supporting premium machinery from our renowned global suppliers.
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