IT Operations Manager - Oxford

Microsoft 365 | Infrastructure | Projects

My client, an exciting and rapidly growing technology company based in Oxford, is looking for an experienced IT Operations Manager to play a pivotal role in developing and leading their internal IT function. This is a fantastic opportunity to join a business at a key stage of growth, helping shape the future of IT operations following a major global expansion.

This isn't a traditional IT Manager role. It's an opportunity to become the operational lead for the Oxford IT team, taking ownership of day-to-day IT operations while driving infrastructure projects, improving processes and acting as the key link between the UK business and the global Corporate IT organisation.

Working within a highly collaborative engineering environment, you'll help build a modern, scalable IT function while supporting cutting-edge technology teams.

The Role

You'll work closely with the Head of IT, taking ownership of the day-to-day running of the IT team whilst coordinating a wide range of infrastructure and technology initiatives.

This role combines operational leadership with technical project delivery and would suit someone who has progressed from an Infrastructure background into IT Management or Technical Project Delivery.

You'll be responsible for ensuring priorities are clear, projects move forward efficiently and the team has the structure and support needed to deliver.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the day-to-day operation of the Oxford IT function.
Coordinate workload, priorities and resource planning across the IT team.
Act as the primary liaison between the Oxford office and the Global Corporate IT organisation.
Deliver and coordinate multiple IT infrastructure and technology projects simultaneously.
Drive improvements to operational processes, documentation and service delivery.
Ensure projects are delivered successfully into operational support.
Monitor project risks, dependencies and technical priorities.
Work closely with Infrastructure Engineers, Corporate IT and business stakeholders.
Help define standards, governance and best practices across the IT function.
Provide technical leadership whilst remaining close enough to understand infrastructure discussions.
Support the continued growth and maturity of the IT department.

Current Projects

You'll be involved in a variety of business-critical initiatives including:

Microsoft 365 improvements
Google Workspace integration
Identity & Access Management
Infrastructure upgrades
VMware and storage projects
VDI deployments
HR systems migration
User onboarding automation
Cloud and hybrid infrastructure improvements
Internal technology transformation

About You

We're looking for someone who enjoys bringing structure to busy technical environments.

You'll have excellent organisational skills, be comfortable working with infrastructure engineers and be able to balance operational priorities alongside project delivery.

This role would suit someone currently working as an:

IT Operations Manager
IT Manager
Infrastructure Manager
Infrastructure Team Lead
Technical Project Manager
IT Service Delivery Manager
Senior Infrastructure Engineer looking to move into management

Technical Experience

You'll ideally have experience with a broad range of technologies including:

Microsoft 365
Windows Server
Linux
VMware
Networking
Storage technologies
Cloud Infrastructure (AWS, Azure or Google Cloud)
Identity Management (Entra ID / Active Directory)
Hybrid Infrastructure
Enterprise IT environments

You don't need to be the deepest technical expert, but you should have enough infrastructure knowledge to engage confidently with engineers and make informed operational decisions.

Skills & Experience

Experience leading IT operations, infrastructure teams or technical projects.
Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
Experience managing competing priorities across multiple technical workstreams.
Excellent planning, organisation and problem-solving skills.
Comfortable working across both operational support and project delivery.
Experience working with technical teams in fast-paced environments.
Exposure to project management methodologies such as Agile, PRINCE2 or similar would be beneficial.

The Person

Success in this role is as much about attitude as experience.

We're looking for someone who:

Takes ownership and accountability.
Brings structure and organisation.
Communicates effectively across technical and non-technical teams.
Builds strong working relationships.
Is comfortable working with global colleagues across different time zones.
Enjoys improving processes and helping teams become more effective.
Is collaborative, pragmatic and willing to get involved when required.

What's on Offer

This is an opportunity to join a genuinely exciting technology business at a pivotal stage of growth.

You'll have the chance to:

Help shape the future of a growing IT function.
Work on varied infrastructure and transformation projects.
Collaborate with highly talented engineering teams.
Influence operational processes and delivery standards.
Build relationships with global technology teams.
Join an organisation investing heavily in technology, infrastructure and innovation.

If you're looking for an opportunity where you can combine IT Operations, Infrastructure and Technical Project Delivery while making a genuine impact, we'd love to hear from you.