Role: IT Infrastructure Lead
Reports to: Head of Enterprise Services
Main Function: Information Technology
Location: Livingston – Full Time, Office Based/Hybrid

Documentation & Knowledge Management

• Develop and maintain technical documentation, runbooks, and knowledge base articles.
• Own the escalation process and resolution tracking within the IT Helpdesk system

Education & Certification

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Certifications such as Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate, VMware Certified Professional (VCP), or ITIL Foundation are highly desirable

Project & Process Skills

• Experience leading infrastructure projects such as domain migrations, cloud transitions, and lifecycle upgrades.
• Familiarity with monitoring tools (e.g., SolarWinds), patching cycles, and security audits

Soft Skills

• Organised, disciplined, and detail-oriented.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work under pressure.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement abilities.
• Self-motivated with a high level of integrity and discretion

Other Requirements

• Full UK driving licence.
• Ability to commute daily to Schuh’s Livingston office.
• Flexibility to conduct out of hours requirements and maintenance when needed

ABOUT THE ROLE:

We are seeking a strategic and hands-on IT Infrastructure Lead to join our Enterprise Services team at Schuh. This is a key leadership role responsible for shaping the direction, architecture, and lifecycle of our infrastructure estate. The successful candidate will lead technology transformation initiatives, mentor support teams, and drive operational excellence across the organisation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Leadership & Architecture

• Define and evolve the infrastructure architecture to support Schuh’s business goals.
• Lead infrastructure lifecycle management, ensuring systems are secure, scalable, and future-ready.
• Drive technology transformation initiatives, streamlining processes and modernising platforms.

Team Development & Mentorship

• Serve as a mentor to IT Support Analysts and Engineers, fostering technical growth and operational maturity.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration to ensure alignment between infrastructure and support teams.

Operational Excellence

• Oversee installation, configuration, and maintenance of hardware and software systems.
• Manage Active Directory, Exchange, Office 365, Azure, and VMware environments.
• Ensure high availability and disaster recovery readiness across all infrastructure components.
• Provide 24x7 production support and participate in on-call rotation.

Process & Performance

• Implement capacity planning, performance monitoring, and best practices to optimise infrastructure efficiency.
• Maintain servers and systems in accordance with security and compliance standards.
• Coordinate with vendors and internal stakeholders to resolve issues and deliver solutions.

Documentation & Knowledge Management

• Develop and maintain technical documentation, runbooks, and knowledge base articles.
• Own the escalation process and resolution tracking within the IT Helpdesk system.

Required Qualifications

Education & Certification

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Certifications such as Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate, VMware Certified Professional (VCP), or ITIL Foundation are highly desirable.

Technical Expertise

• Proven experience in infrastructure leadership within a networked enterprise environment.
• Strong knowledge of Windows OS (7/10/11, Server 2016/2019), Office 365, Exchange 2016/365.
• TCP/IP networking protocols, VMware vSphere, Azure, Active Directory.
• DHCP, VPN, and firewall technologies (e.g., Palo Alto, Meraki).

Project & Process Skills

• Experience leading infrastructure projects such as domain migrations, cloud transitions, and lifecycle upgrades.
• Familiarity with monitoring tools (e.g., SolarWinds), patching cycles, and security audits.

Soft Skills

• Organised, disciplined, and detail-oriented.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work under pressure.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement abilities.
• Self-motivated with a high level of integrity and discretion.

Other Requirements

• Full UK driving licence.
• Ability to commute daily to Schuh’s Livingston office.
• Flexibility to conduct out of hours requirements and maintenance when needed.

Previous experience in an IT leadership capacity with a track record of mentoring teams and driving strategic infrastructure initiatives would be desirable, but not essential.

About the perks/benefits

• Up to 40% product discount for you and your loved ones
• Up to 34 days holiday (including bank holidays)
• PLUS your birthday off to celebrate you
• Flexible working hours and hybrid working options
• Perk platform for hundreds of discounts
• Manage, save and access your wages as you earn them to get paid your way
• Employee assistance programme to support your wellbeing through resources, helplines and Virtual GP services
• A pension scheme to help you save for the future
• Development and progression opportunities across stores and Head Office
• A paid volunteering day and opportunities to be a part of our company Purpose Groups

About schuh
At schuh we are the ‘Same but different’.
By embracing diversity and promoting inclusivity, we aim to empower our people to be fiercely and unapologetically themselves.
This means you will support our commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion, and ensure that colleagues and customers from all backgrounds, beliefs and communities are treated fairly.
We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments to support disabilities or health conditions. Please let our talent team know of any adjustments needed during the hiring process.
Our Talent Acquisition Team will work as quickly as possible to review your application. In the meantime, if you have any questions or would like any additional information at all, please contact talent@schuh.co.u