IT Operations Manager

Join METCLOUD - Securing the Future of Sovereign Cloud and AI. METCLOUD is an award-winning Cloud Security Service Provider at the forefront of the UK's rapidly evolving digital landscape, recognised as a key driver of UK data sovereignty. As organisations increasingly adopt cloud, AI, and Generative AI technologies, the need for secure, compliant, and sovereign platforms is growing, and METCLOUD is leading the way. With sovereign cloud, AI, and cybersecurity adoption projected to grow significantly over the next decade, this is a great opportunity to join a company at the intersection of cloud security, artificial intelligence, and national digital resilience. We are not only enabling innovation but also securing it. METCLOUD specialises in sovereign, private, and public cloud security, delivering innovative, tailored services that seamlessly align with our clients' operational, regulatory, and security requirements. We leverage cutting-edge cybersecurity technologies, alongside AI and Generative AI capabilities, to enhance threat detection, automate security operations, and protect sensitive workloads, including AI-driven applications and data pipelines, across complex cloud environments. Headquartered in Birmingham, METCLOUD aims to build a globally recognised brand known for trusted, secure cloud and AI-enabled cybersecurity solutions. Our platforms help organisations safely adopt AI and Generative AI while keeping full control over their data, models, and intellectual property. Our people are central to our success. We foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning, so our teams can work with the latest cloud, security, and AI technologies and make a tangible impact in a fast-growing market. If you are passionate about cloud security, AI, Generative AI, and shaping the future of sovereign digital infrastructure, METCLOUD offers an exciting opportunity to join a company defining the next era of secure cloud services.

The IT Operations Manager will lead the delivery, performance, and continual improvement of IT operational services, ensuring infrastructure, cloud platforms, service desk functions, and support services are delivered effectively and meet agreed service levels. The role bridges technical teams, customers, suppliers, and senior leadership, ensuring operational excellence, service reliability, security compliance, and a positive customer experience.

The post holder will lead operational teams, manage service delivery processes, oversee infrastructure and cloud operations, coordinate major incident response, and ensure operational readiness across all supported services.

Key Responsibilities

People and Operational Leadership

• Lead and manage service desk, infrastructure, and cloud operations teams.
• Allocate resources effectively across incidents, service requests, projects, and maintenance activities.
• Conduct regular one-to-one meetings, performance reviews, and development planning discussions.
• Ensure appropriate operational cover by effectively managing shifts, holidays, and on-call arrangements.
• Establish clear standards for ownership, communication, documentation, and service delivery.
• Develop succession plans and strengthen team capability to reduce reliance on key individuals.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, customer focus, and continuous improvement.

Service Management

• Ensure incidents, service requests, and operational activities are managed within agreed service level agreements (SLAs).
• Chair operational review meetings and monitor day-to-day service performance.
• Act as the operational lead for major incidents, coordinating technical teams and customer communications.
• Drive problem management activities, including root cause analysis and implementation of corrective actions.
• Maintain effective change, asset, configuration, and knowledge management processes.
• Identify recurring service issues and implement long-term solutions to prevent recurrence.
• Promote adherence to ITIL service management principles and best practices.

Customer Experience

• Serve as the senior operational escalation point for customers.
• Ensure customers receive timely, accurate, and professional communications regarding service performance and incidents.
• Support service review meetings through the provision of meaningful operational reporting and improvement plans.
• Collaborate with account management teams to identify service risks, customer concerns, and improvement opportunities.
• Lead recovery activities following service failures or major incidents to restore customer confidence and service quality.

Infrastructure and Cloud Operations

• Oversee the availability, capacity, performance, and resilience of infrastructure and cloud services.
• Ensure patch management, backups, monitoring activities, and routine maintenance schedules are completed effectively.
• Coordinate infrastructure upgrades, migrations, and operational improvement initiatives.
• Work closely with the CTO and technical specialists to support infrastructure planning and technical strategy.
• Ensure operational acceptance criteria are met before new services transition into support.
• Maintain operational documentation and support standards across all managed environments.

Security, Compliance and Resilience

• Ensure operational teams comply with security policies, procedures, and approved working practices.
• Support organisational compliance with ISO 27001, ISO 9001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, and Cyber Essentials Plus requirements.
• Oversee operational security controls including access reviews, vulnerability remediation, patch compliance, and monitoring activities.
• Participate in incident response, disaster recovery, and business continuity exercises.
• Ensure audit evidence, service records, and operational documentation are accurate and maintained.
• Promote a culture where security, compliance, and risk management are embedded within daily operations.

Supplier Management

• Manage relationships with technology vendors, connectivity providers, and outsourced service suppliers.
• Review supplier performance against contractual obligations and service commitments.
• Escalate supplier service failures and ensure corrective actions are implemented.
• Support supplier contract reviews, renewals, and commercial discussions.
• Identify and mitigate supplier-related operational, support, and resilience risks.

Authority and Decision Making

The IT Operations Manager will be empowered to:

• Prioritise operational activities and workloads.
• Reallocate resources across teams to meet service demands.
• Escalate performance, conduct, and capability concerns.
• Approve routine operational changes within delegated authority limits.
• Invoke major incident management procedures when required.
• Challenge supplier performance and technical decisions where appropriate.
• Recommend recruitment, training, tooling, and technology investments.
• Enforce adherence to documented operational processes and standards

Essential Experience

• Approximately 7 to 12 years of IT experience, including a minimum of three years in a leadership or management role.
• Experience managing service desk operations, infrastructure teams, cloud operations, or a combination of these functions.
• Experience working within service-level driven environments.
• Proven experience managing customer escalations, suppliers, operational reporting, and technical teams.
• Experience coordinating major incidents and service restoration activities.

Essential Knowledge

• Strong working knowledge of ITIL service management principles and operational best practices.
• Good understanding of infrastructure, networking, cloud services, operational support, and service management frameworks.
• Knowledge of information security, risk management, and compliance requirements.
• Understanding of operational governance, change management, and business continuity principles.

Essential Skills

• Strong leadership and people management capabilities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic operational environment.
• Strong customer service focus and commercial awareness.
• Ability to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Benefits

• Salary negotiable
• 25 days annual holiday + bank holidays
• Company pension scheme (after the qualifying period)
• Private Health Care (after 1 year of completed service)
• Private Life Insurance
• Great working environment with a young and passionate team
• Part of a company which strives to invest in People (training, wellbeing programs)