Internal Systems Manager in Castleton

Here at Zen, your gender, race, ethnicity, neurodiversity, disability, sexuality, subculture, size, introversion, extraversion, family background and everything else that shapes you does matter to us. Because they matter to you and are part of who you are. We are interested in you as an individual and here you will find opportunities to develop, be recognised and hopefully enjoy yourself along the way. So don’t hold back, there is a warm welcome for everyone at Zen and we look forward to meeting you. We are always happy for you to enquire about part-time, flexible working or reasonable adjustments, and we will support wherever possible. So please feel free to discuss your preferences as part of the recruitment process.

About the role:

Reporting to the Head of Network & Infrastructure, the Internal Systems Manager leads a team of engineers responsible for all internal IT systems, desktop services, office and remote networking, and the business applications used across Zen. You will ensure reliable, secure delivery of the technology our people depend on every day, whether they are working from the office or remotely. This is a role for someone who gets as much satisfaction from developing a junior engineer as from solving a complex infrastructure problem. You will be leading a small, talented team at varying stages of their careers, and the best person for this role will bring genuine energy to building that team, not just managing it. The role also owns key areas of ISO compliance, the IS budget, and drives the internal technology roadmap.

What you will do:

• Team leadership and service delivery: Lead and develop a team of engineers, setting clear priorities and creating an environment where people grow, take ownership, and deliver high-quality work. Own the desktop support service, making sure staff can work effectively whether on-site or remote, and act as the escalation point for major incidents.
• Systems and infrastructure: Manage and administer core business systems, device management, identity and access, and the productivity and collaboration platforms the business runs on. Look after the office network and infrastructure: LAN, Wi-Fi, VPN, meeting room technology, firewalls and monitoring. Oversee VoIP and cloud telephony services.
• Governance, compliance and finance: Plan and manage capital and operational expenditure for internal systems, working closely with finance. Support ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 audit readiness, contribute to the annual finance audit, and handle SARs and HR-related investigations. Contribute to business continuity planning and the internal security posture.
• Suppliers, assets and projects: Manage supplier relationships, licensing renewals, the IT asset register and hardware lifecycle. Lead IS projects from initiation to completion, contributing to the wider N&I technology strategy.

What you will bring:

• Leadership and people development: Proven experience managing an internal IT or service desk team, but more than that, a genuine approach to developing people. You will know how to motivate engineers at different stages of their careers, have honest conversations, and build a team culture where people want to do their best work.
• Technical credibility: A solid grounding in device management, identity and access, cloud services, and network infrastructure. You don’t need to be doing the hands-on work every day, but you need to understand it well enough to lead people who are.
• Governance and compliance: Experience owning or contributing to ISO 27001 or ISO 9001 compliance. You will be comfortable with audits, controls and continuous improvement, not just aware of them.
• Commercial awareness: A track record of managing IS budgets and supplier relationships, with the confidence to challenge costs and get value from contracts.
• Stakeholder communication: The ability to communicate clearly with technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels, from engineers on your team to senior leaders across the business. You will be an advocate for IS, not just an operator of it.
• Pace and adaptability: Zen moves quickly. You will need to adapt when priorities shift, make good decisions with incomplete information, and keep your team focused and motivated when things change.

Benefits:

• 2 x Life Assurance Cover, with option to flex upwards
• 25 days Annual leave, rising to 30 days with length of service, with the option to purchase up to 5 more.
• Access to private Medical Healthcare and a Healthcare Cash Plan
• An extra day off for your birthday
• Car salary sacrifice scheme
• Continuous learning and development
• Discounted Mobile plans
• Flexible and Hybrid working
• Free onsite parking
• Internal coaching and mentoring opportunities
• Onsite Contemplation and Prayer room
• Onsite Electric Car Charging points
• Optional flexible critical illness cover
• People-friendly policies
• Recognition awards where we celebrate the most awesome people
• Retail discounts
• Salary sacrifice Pension- minimum of 3% Employee contributions for a 5% Employer contribution
• Six monthly salary reviews
• Subsidised Nursery fees
• Subsidised Onsite Restaurant
• Superfast Free Reliable Broadband
• Travel Loan and Ride2Work Schemes
• Two days’ paid leave per year for voluntary work