Head of Tech Operations and Resilience in Swindon

Working hours: This role is available on a part-time, job-share or full-time basis.

Salary: Lucrative compensation package depending on experience.

Location: Swindon, hybrid working.

Closing date for applications: 25th June 2026.

What will you be doing?

• Lead across technology operations, resilience, cyber defence, and control effectiveness building strong governance and driving measurable improvements in risk and service performance.
• Operate as a senior leader across risk, controls and audit bringing together responsibilities that traditionally sit across multiple roles into one integrated leadership remit.
• Set and uplift resilience strategy across critical IT services, building organisational readiness, continuity capability and recovery maturity.
• Embed a comprehensive approach to third-party resilience, ensuring key suppliers and partners meet Zurich’s standards for continuity, recovery and operational robustness.
• Lead complex cybersecurity risk management, ensuring effective implementation of controls, policies, standards and continuous improvement programmes.
• Own and mature the technology control environment, embedding clear accountability, governance, and a strong risk-based control culture across the organisation and across third-party providers.
• Drive control effectiveness across internal and external services, ensuring controls are not only designed appropriately but operate effectively in practice.
• Act as a key point of engagement for regulators, auditors and senior stakeholders, ensuring robust audit readiness and effective navigation of regulatory expectations.
• Partner across the business to align resilience, operational priorities and security requirements with broader organisational strategy.
• Lead strategic initiatives across cyber maturity, operational resilience, risk and control effectiveness, and operational governance.
• Lead cyber operations and defence, driving rapid threat detection and response while reducing vulnerabilities and strengthening overall cyber posture.
• Ensure stability, availability and performance of IT services, including oversight of incident, problem, change and service management disciplines.
• Drive service excellence across workplace technology, delivering secure, reliable and seamless end-user experiences.
• Oversee infrastructure, applications and operational support, ensuring high-quality incident response and remediation.
• Lead strong third-party oversight across suppliers and vendors, ensuring service delivery, resilience capability, control effectiveness, compliance and risk management expectations are consistently met.
• Act as the senior escalation lead for critical incidents and cyber events, ensuring coordinated response and clear executive communication.

What are we looking for?

• Credible, hands-on technology leader who can operate at pace, influence senior stakeholders and build resilient, well-controlled operational services in a complex environment.
• Extensive leadership experience across IT operations, service management, resilience, cybersecurity and workplace services.
• Deep expertise in core service management disciplines, including incident, problem, change, infrastructure and service design management.
• Strong experience across risk, controls and audit, with the ability to design, implement and govern enterprise-wide control frameworks.
• Proven track record of leading large-scale operational, resilience or cyber programmes, delivering measurable improvements in risk and control maturity.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing capability, with experience operating at C-suite, Board and Group level.
• Experience operating in a regulated environment, ideally within financial services or banking.

What will help you thrive

• A pragmatic, outcome-focused approach with strong operational judgement.
• Confidence to make decisions under pressure and lead through ambiguity.
• A collaborative leadership style that drives accountability, clarity and pace across teams and partners.
• The ability to bring resilience, credibility and challenge to senior conversations, influencing direction and driving meaningful change.

What will you get in return?

Everyone’s different. That’s why at Zurich, we offer a wide range of employee benefits so our people can choose what fits them and their life. Our benefits provide real flexibility so our people can make considered choices and tailor their benefits throughout the year. Our benefits include 12% defined non-contributory pension scheme, annual company bonus, private medical insurance and the option to buy up to an additional 20 days or sell some of your holiday, alongside a range of other flexible benefits.

Your application

We’re committed to treating all applicants fairly and with respect, irrespective of their actual or assumed background, sexual orientation, disability or any other protected characteristic. As an inclusive employer we also want to ensure that all candidates feel comfortable and are able to perform at their best during the interview. You’ll have the opportunity to let us know of any reasonable adjustment or practical support needed when you apply. We’d love it if you could submit your application online. If you require an alternative method of applying, please send an email to recruitment@uk.zurich.com.