Job Title: Head of IT Location: London, with frequent travel to other locations Department: Operations Reports To: Head of Compliance and Security Position Overview Verne is seeking a n experienced and driven Head of IT to lead the organisation’s IT strategy, infrastructure and service delivery. This role is responsible for overseeing the design, implementation, and management of all internal IT systems across the group, ensuring secure, resilient, and scalable services that support business operations, compliance obligations, and future growth. Th is position requires substantial e xperience in technical leadership managing IT within regulated, multi-site or critical infrastructure environments. Key Responsibilities Define and execute the company IT strategy, ensuring scalability and alignment with operational objectives, business risk appetite, legal obligations, and industry best practice. T ake full ownership of the company's digital and IT infrastructure and ensu re support for entry and scale up i n new markets. Collaborate with business leaders to understand their technology needs. Lead, app ropriate ly scale and mentor the IT team to ensure a high-performing, service-oriented departmen t Oversee the successful delivery of IT projects, including system upgrades, migrations, and digital initiatives. Advise leadership on technology trends and opportunities. Manage and optimise day-to-day IT operations across ser vi ce manag ement, hardware, applic ations, infrastructure, networking an d d ata an d analytics. In pa rtnersh ip wit h I nformation Se curity, d evelop and im pl emen t robust proce sses an d to ol se ts ac ross se curity a rchitec ture and applic ation domai ns t o det er, moni tor an d respon d to thre ats, vulnerabilities and the changing IT ris k an d regula tory lan dscape. Work closely with Compliance to implement and maintain strong IT / OT and Cyber securit y controls and reporti ng and ensure compliance with all relev ant lega l and r eg u lator y re quir ements and sta nda rds su ch as ISO 27001, PC I DS S and NIS 2.. Identify and mi ti gate IT relate d risks, including those related to cybersecurity, third-party services, and business continuity, while developing and maintaining effective disaster recovery planning and strategies. Lead incident investigations and root cause analyses, acting as the senior escalation point and lead for IT related incidents and ser vice dis ruptio ns. Represent IT at senior leadership and board-level forums, translating technical concepts into business language. Lead IT planning and investment to support business growth, transformation, and digital innovation i ncluding d ata governance, BI platforms, reporting, and AI/ML initiatives. Establish a structured approach to managing the full lifecycle of existing and future a pplica tion systems, ensuring all platforms remain scalable, secure, and aligned with business needs. Ensure uptime, security, and performance of all systems and platforms. Monitor and control IT budgets, contracts, and vendor relationships in cluding supporting the P rocu remen t func tio n i n dev elop ing IT compli ance r e quirements an d vendor asse ssments. Collaborate with business stakeholders to scope, prioritise, and deliver technology solutions that improve efficiency and user experience. K ey Functio nal Del ivery A reas Infrastructure A pplica tions Serv ice Mana gement Da ta and Analytics IT Governance, C omplian ce and S ecuri ty P roject Deliv ery Innova tion Key Requirements Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field ; a Master’s degree is preferred. 10 years in IT roles, with 5 years in senior leadership position. Proven experience in dev elopin g and d eploying IT strategy, and / or a senior technical leadership role, ideally in a high-availability, compliance-driven, or critical infrastructure environment. Strong technical understanding of ente rprise ar chite cture, networking, infrastructure, cloud platforms (e.g. Microsoft 365, Azure) and I T / O T and Cy bersecu rity .