Infrastructure and Workplace Manager in Newcastle upon Tyne

The Infrastructure & Workplace Manager is a key member of the Technology and Change leadership group. The role is responsible for the reliable operation, security and continuous improvement of mainly cloud-based infrastructure, telephony and workplace technologies across the business. Working within a modern cloud-first environment, you will ensure that the platforms and tools underpinning the day-to-day work of your 200 colleagues – the majority of which operate within a fast-paced call centre – are secure, productive and well supported. You will lead a small team, directing their work to deliver an effective internal helpdesk service and maintain the highest standards of platform security and governance.

The role sits across infrastructure, security, and end-user support, requiring both technical depth and the people management skills to develop a high-performing team. As the business operates with limited on-premise infrastructure, all critical services are delivered from the cloud. You will own the security posture of hosting and cloud platforms (Microsoft Azure and AWS), working collaboratively with the Data & Insights Manager and the Application Development Manager whose teams use those platforms, and will serve as the primary escalation point and technology partner for workplace and infrastructure matters across the business.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a small team of Infrastructure Engineers and Support Analysts, providing clear direction, regular one-to-ones, and ongoing development by identifying training needs and growth opportunities.
• Set team priorities, manage workloads, and ensure the team operates effectively across both reactive helpdesk support and proactive infrastructure tasks.
• Foster a collaborative, customer-focused team culture with high standards of communication and service delivery.
• Collaborate with other leaders in the Technology and Change area to define and deliver our technology roadmap.
• Act as the technical and managerial escalation point for the team, providing guidance on complex issues and ensuring high-quality outcomes.
• Own the internal helpdesk service end-to-end, ensuring incidents and service requests are triaged promptly and routed appropriately.
• Define, implement, and monitor helpdesk SLAs, using performance data to drive continuous improvement.
• Develop and maintain a knowledge base of common issues and resolutions to improve first-contact resolution rates and reduce repeat incidents.
• Oversee the full lifecycle of all end-user devices (including mobile) across the business, including Windows workstations and Apple MacBooks, from procurement and configuration through to decommissioning.
• Manage device provisioning and configuration using Microsoft Autopilot and Intune, ensuring all devices are enrolled, patched, and policy-compliant.
• Administer the Microsoft 365 environment, including Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, and related productivity services, ensuring availability and appropriate configuration.
• Manage identity, access, and network security through Microsoft Entra, ensuring robust access controls, conditional access policies, and secure authentication are in place across the organisation.
• Administer Microsoft Purview to support data governance, compliance, and information protection requirements.
• Manage the onboarding and offboarding process from a technology perspective, ensuring timely and accurate provisioning and de-provisioning of access and equipment.
• Collaborate closely with the Data & Insights Manager and Application Development Manager to ensure consistent security standards, smooth cross-team escalation, and aligned IT governance.
• Implement and maintain cloud security best practices across Azure and AWS.
• Conduct regular security reviews and vulnerability assessments across cloud platforms and SaaS solutions.
• Monitor security events and alerts, leading the response to security incidents and maintaining a clear audit trail.
• Ensure the organisation's cloud and SaaS platforms remain compliant with UK GDPR, Cyber Essentials, and other applicable frameworks and regulatory requirements.
• Act as the IT owner for the NICE CXone (mPower) CCaaS telephony platform.
• Manage key Infrastructure vendor relationships, including contract oversight, service reviews, and escalations.
• Work closely with the Project Manager to plan, prioritise, and deliver infrastructure and workplace technology projects.
• Maintain up-to-date IT policies, standards, and documentation.
• Develop, maintain, and test IT disaster recovery and business continuity plans.
• Contribute and maintain the IT risk register, proactively managing and mitigating risks to service availability, data integrity, and information security.

The role holder may also be asked to undertake other duties outside of this job description that are commensurate with their skills and experiences, including tasks delegated by CTO and other SLT members.

Skills and Experience

• Proven experience in an infrastructure management, IT management, or IT operations role, ideally within a service-oriented or contact centre business.
• Experience managing or leading a small technical team, with demonstrable people management and development skills.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft 365 administration.
• Hands-on experience with Microsoft Entra (Azure Active Directory / Entra ID).
• Proven experience managing Microsoft Azure from a security and governance perspective.
• Working knowledge of AWS security is advantageous.
• Hands-on experience working with Microsoft Purview or comparable data governance and compliance tooling.
• Experience managing or overseeing a helpdesk or IT support function.
• Solid understanding of cloud security principles.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage confidently with both technical colleagues and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience supporting a call centre or contact centre environment is desirable.
• Familiarity or experience of CCaaS telephony platforms, with NiCE CXone preferred.
• Knowledge of Apple macOS device management within a predominantly Windows environment would be beneficial but not essential.
• Familiarity with UK GDPR, Cyber Essentials, ISO 27001, or comparable frameworks would be advantageous.
• Relevant certifications such as Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate, Microsoft 365 Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert, AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, or equivalent, is desirable but not essential.
• Excellent leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Proactive and solutions-focused, anticipating problems before they elevate and acting decisively when they do.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and prioritise in a fast-paced environment.
• Committed to the development of others, investing time in coaching and growing the capability of their team.