IT Operations Manager

at  Activate Group Limited

Job title: IT Operations Manager
Department: IT
Location: Halifax or Peterborough
Hours: 37.5 hours per week, hybrid working, 3 days per week in the office.
Salary: £40,000 - £50,000 DOE

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Strong experience with enterprise networking including WAN/LAN design, BGP and implementing enterprise firewall platforms
• Expert knowledge in administering and managing Windows, Linux, and container environments, including Kubernetes, Active Directory, and Group Policy
• Proven experience with network automation and scripting using PowerShell, Python, or Ansible
• Advanced understanding of network security architecture and zero-trust principles
• In-depth experience with cloud platforms and hybrid infrastructure management
• Strong knowledge of monitoring solutions and proactive system maintenance
• Proven track record of technical project delivery and major incident management
• Excellent communication skills and ability to lead technical teams
• Solution-oriented approach with strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Flexible and collaborative mindset with ability to manage multiple priorities
• Relevant technical certifications such as CKA, CCNP, Azure, or equivalent experience
• ITIL Foundation v4 certification (desirable)

A BIT ABOUT US

Named by the Sunday Times as one of the UK’s 100 fastest-growing private companies, we employ more than 700 team members nationwide.
We work with some of the UK’s largest fleets and insurance companies, supporting drivers that have been involved in a road incident at our contact centres in Halifax and Peterborough.
We look after every step of the repair process, repairing vehicles at our own Activate Accident Repair body shops, and through a UK-wide network of independent repair partners.
Want to know what it’s like to work with us? Take a look at our purpose and values. They define who we are, and how we work with team members, customers and suppliers:
Purpose: Make someone’s bad day better

ABOUT THE ROLE

The IT Operations Manager role is to manage and optimise the internal network, applications, and IT infrastructure to ensure stability, security, and high performance. This role involves hands-on technical support, Major Incident Management, and system administration. Overseeing projects, such as site builds and system upgrades the IT Operations Manager will mentor IT support staff, ensure compliance with security standards, and proactively identify and resolve issues to maintain seamless operations across the organisation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Network & Infrastructure Management: Design and implement secure network architectures including DHCP/DNS, switches, VLANs, VPNs, and enterprise-grade firewalls. Maintain network segmentation, security zones, and implement zero-trust principles across the infrastructure.
• Advanced Networking: Configure and optimise core networking including BGP routing, OSPF implementations, and SD-WAN solutions. Manage QoS policies, traffic shaping, and high-availability network configurations.
• Security & Network Controls: Implement and maintain network security following NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework and ISO 27001 standards. Design and implement security controls aligned with Cyber Essentials Plus requirements, including network monitoring, IDS/IPS, and access control solutions.
• Container Platform Management: Design and maintain secure Kubernetes environments following UK NCSC cloud security principles. Implement container networking, including CNI solutions, network policies, and service mesh architectures.
• System Administration: Perform advanced system administration tasks, including Linux, Kubernetes and Windows server management, Active Directory, AAD Connect, and user management.
• Incident Management: Diagnose, investigate, and resolve major incidents or service requests promptly, adhering to service level agreements (SLAs).
• Root Cause Analysis: Conduct thorough analysis of recurring issues, proposing long-term solutions to improve reliability and performance.
• Project Leadership & Site Support: Lead IT-related projects (e.g., site builds, upgrades), provide pre- and post-support, and conduct site surveys with accompanying technical documentation.
• Virtualisation & Storage Management: Oversee virtual server environments both cloud and on-premises virtualised and storage networking, handling resource allocation and virtual machine performance.
• Device & Application Management: Manage device configuration through MDM/Intune and oversee O365 applications (Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive).
• Network Automation: Develop and maintain network automation frameworks using modern SDN principles. Implement configuration management and network templating solutions.
• Documentation & Knowledge Sharing: Maintain detailed records of network configurations, security policies, and infrastructure changes for future reference and audit purposes.
• Proactive Monitoring: Implement and maintain comprehensive network and security monitoring solutions to identify and address potential issues before they impact users.