Platform Operations Manager

Department

Position Purpose

Main Responsibilities

• Lead the Platform Operations team responsible for compute, virtualisation, storage, backup, network services, operating systems, patch management and core infrastructure platforms.
• Own operational performance, availability, capacity and resilience of infrastructure services across on-premise, co-located and cloud-hosted environments.
• Establish infrastructure standards, operational procedures and engineering practices that promote automation, repeatability and operational excellence.
• Drive adoption of Infrastructure-as-Code, configuration management and infrastructure automation, reducing manual effort and operational risk.
• Manage infrastructure lifecycle, including hardware refresh, vendor supportability, patching and vulnerability remediation.
• Ensure robust backup, recovery, disaster recovery and business continuity capabilities are designed, tested and maintained.
• Own infrastructure operational readiness, monitoring, capacity management and service reporting.
• Lead infrastructure-related major incidents, ensuring rapid recovery and implementation of long-term corrective actions.
• Manage supplier relationships for infrastructure technologies, data centres, connectivity providers and managed service partners.
• Establish cost transparency and optimisation initiatives across infrastructure services without compromising resilience or service quality.
• Collaborate closely with the other IT teams to provide integrated platform services.
• Build and develop a highly capable operational engineering function with a culture of ownership, automation and continuous improvement.
• Develop and maintain resilience, disaster recovery and business continuity capabilities.
• Manage third-party suppliers, contracts, licensing and the Platform Operations budget.
• Build team capability through coaching, knowledge sharing, succession planning and continuous learning.

Experience Required

Technical Requirements

• Knowledge of Windows and Linux server platforms (both physical and virtual), including lifecycle, patching, hardening and operational support considerations.
• Experience with enterprise storage, backup and recovery services, supporting resilience, data protection and disaster recovery objectives.
• Strong network infrastructure capability, including Cisco technologies, secure connectivity, segmentation, routing, switching and monitoring.
• Understanding of Entra ID and identity services, including authentication, access control and hybrid identity integration.
• Advanced Azure knowledge, including hybrid integration with on-premise platforms, identity, networking, resilience and operational management.
• Knowledge of Kubernetes and container platforms used to support scalable and automated application delivery.
• Knowledge of Zscaler or equivalent cloud security platforms supporting secure connectivity, zero trust access and internet protection.
• Good understanding of IT security controls and tooling across vulnerability management, access control, monitoring, endpoint protection and incident response.
• Practical experience with Infrastructure as Code and configuration management, supporting automation, consistency, version control and controlled change.
• Familiarity with Citrix and end-user computing platforms supporting secure access and resilient desktop services.

Person Specification

Hours of Work