IT Manager -
Southampton (hybrid (50:50) -
~£75,000 p.a + company car or allowance
Role Focus - IT Foundation, Enablement and Change
This role is focused on getting the IT foundations aligned, stabilised, and ready to support a sustained programme of innovation and change across the organisation. It is less about setting strategy and more about making change possible, by ensuring the core technology estate, operating model, and team capability are fit for purpose.
The role acts as an enabler for transformation, working closely with the Head of Innovation to shape how innovation can be delivered in practice. This role plays a critical part in turning strategic intent into something the business can actually execute and absorb.
Responding to the day to day operational needs of a business is an integral part of how the team works, building close, supportive relationships with frontline teams on plants and sites, and approaching challenges collaboratively. The focus is on working together to keep systems safe, secure, and compliant, while making practical, well considered changes that support operational delivery. This naturally includes using safe, controlled IT environments to explore ideas and proof of concepts together, allowing learning, confidence, and trust to develop before changes are introduced into production. The role requires hands on experience across a predominantly Microsoft technology stack, spanning both legacy and modern platforms, within a currently hybrid environment.
Success in this role depends heavily on relationship building across the organisation. The individual must be proactive, visible, and trusted by stakeholders, with a clear interest in understanding how different parts of the business operate and where technology can genuinely remove friction or enable improvement.
From a leadership perspective, the role carries responsibility for supporting and developing the IT team. This includes addressing performance issues, navigating strong personalities, and being prepared to make difficult but necessary leadership decisions in the interests of the wider organisation.
Overall, this is a delivery focused, people centred role that creates the conditions for innovation, by strengthening the foundations, supporting the team, and enabling change to happen at pace and with confidence.
Key Requirements over next 12 Months
Establish a visible and effective Service Desk function
• Build service orientated mindset, trust amongst the team and end users
• Build a service desk function and toolset that is easy to access, friendly to use, and well communicated across the business
• Ensure clear onboarding, training, and ongoing support for users
• Align processes with ITIL principles, focusing on consistency, accountability, and continual improvement
• Create structure, direction, and focus within the IT team
• Provide meaningful service metrics and reporting for the executive team
• Put in place clear feedback loops so user experience directly informs service improvement
Establish a visible and effective Project Management Capability
• Bring a structured, pragmatic approach to delivering IT change in a live operational environment
• Ideally hold a recognised project management qualification (Prince 2)
• Build basic project delivery capability within the IT team, introducing consistent ways of planning, tracking, and delivering change
• Apply project management principles proportionately, focused on clarity, ownership, and delivery rather than process for process sake
• Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing professional development and encourage the same within the team
Support and enable major business change programmes
Actively support delivery across current transformation initiatives, including:
• Cyber Safe and Cyber Essentials programmes
• ERP and financial systems modernisation
• Transport Management and Compliance systems
• Increased and more effective adoption of Microsoft 365 platforms
• Adoption of Azure-based services
Ensure IT foundations remain stable, secure, and scalable while change is delivered
Deliver a modern, cloud based telephony solution:
• Lead the implementation of a new cloud phone system, such as Microsoft Teams Phone or an equivalent platform
• Ensure the solution supports business operations, user adoption, and future flexibility
• Manage transition from legacy telephony with minimal disruption to users
Work closely with operational teams to ensure technology changes are practical, usable, and aligned to real world processes
Strengthen IT foundations and ways of working
• Improve service consistency, resilience, and security across the hybrid Microsoft environment
• Support a collaborative, supportive IT culture that works closely with operational teams
• Create space for safe experimentation where appropriate, including controlled proof of concept environments