Head of IT Infrastructure in Reading

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Location: Reading (Homeworker)

Employment Type: 6 Month FTC, Full Time

Grade: Senior Consultant

About XPS Group:

XPS Group is a prominent and growing UK consultancy and administration firm within the pensions and insurance sectors. As a FTSE 250 company with over 2000 employees, we leverage expertise alongside advanced technology to serve over 1,400 pension schemes and their sponsors. Our goal is to foster a workplace where diverse talents thrive.

About the Role:

XPS Group IT provides IT services to all XPS offices located across the UK and Ireland. XPS currently employs 2,000 employees across multiple business areas. XPS have an in-house IT Service Desk, 2nd line, 3rd line and infrastructure engineers. There is a dedicated Cyber Security Team monitoring the security of the network and servers. There is a primary and secondary data centre which uses Hyper‑V servers. Around 200 Virtual and 19 physical servers exist across the business.

We are looking for an experienced interim Head of IT Infrastructure to lead the delivery, optimisation, and reliability of our infrastructure estate. The role will oversee day to day operations, team leadership, vendor management, and ensure robust governance, security, and resilience across our on‑premise technology platforms. This is a hands‑on leadership role suited to someone who can balance planning and team management with operational delivery in a complex, regulated environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Leadership & Strategy
  • Lead the Infrastructure team, Networks, Servers, Storage, and End User Computing.
  • Execute infrastructure strategy aligned with XPS' technology roadmap and business goals.
  • Enforce ITIL based processes and best practice around Change Management, Problem management and Incident management.
  • Provide leadership, coaching, and direction to the infrastructure team, ensuring high performance and continuous development.
• Infrastructure Operations
  • Ensure the availability, stability, and security of all infrastructure services across on premise and cloud environments (Azure is a must).
  • Oversee capacity management, monitoring, patching, backups, and disaster recovery processes.
  • Drive improvements in automation, standardisation, and operational efficiency.
  • Own incident, problem, and change management processes within Infrastructure.
• Cybersecurity & Risk
  • Work closely with the Information Cyber Security team to ensure alignment to security frameworks and standards.
  • Ensure infrastructure meets regulatory, audit, and compliance requirements (including FCA, ISO27001, and GDPR).
  • Lead risk identification, mitigation, and remediation activities.
• Projects & Delivery
  • Oversee delivery of infrastructure elements of IT projects (cloud migrations, data centre improvements, network upgrades, endpoint modernisation).
  • Collaborate with Architecture and Applications teams to support wider IT change initiatives.
  • Ensure projects are delivered on time, to scope, and with strong documentation and governance.
• Supplier & Budget Management
  • Manage third party vendors, ensuring strong performance and value for money.
  • Oversee infrastructure budgets, forecasting, and procurement activities.
  • Evaluate new technologies and suppliers to support strategic developments.

Your Profile:

Essential:

• Proven experience leading an IT Infrastructure function within a medium‑large organisation.
• Strong technical background across:

• Azure and M365 cloud services
• Networking, firewalls, VPN
• Windows Server, Active Directory, Group Policy
• Storage, backup, disaster recovery
• Endpoint management and MDM (Intune preferred)

Desirable:

• Experience within pensions, financial services, or similar regulated industries.
• Relevant certifications (Azure, ITIL, etc.).
• Experience with hybrid on prem + cloud models.

What We Offer:

Enjoy a competitive salary, annual discretionary bonus, and 25 days' holiday with buy/sell flexibility. Benefits include pension matching, healthcare plans, life assurance, and retailer discounts. We support our team with a flexible benefits scheme, employee assistance, and digital GP service. Participating in volunteering events is encouraged with paid volunteer days available. Referral bonuses are offered for introducing suitable candidates to XPS.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit applications via Apply Now option or contact recruitment@xpsplc.com for more information. Join XPS Group and contribute to a dynamic and inclusive workplace.

Equal Opportunities Statement:

XPS Group is committed to diversity and equal opportunities. We welcome applications from all candidates, irrespective of sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or belief. As a Disability Confident employer, we ensure accessible and supportive work settings for all employees.

Eligibility:

Any employment offer made will be conditional upon you satisfying DBS Disclosure checks, Employment or educational references, Satisfactory credit checks and eligibility to work in the UK before an offer can be made. XPS Group is not able to provide sponsorship to employees.

Who Are We:

To find out more please visit: www.xpsgroup.com