Group Information Technology Director

About CheckFire Ltd

Established in 1975, CheckFire Ltd has become a market leader in the fire safety sector, boasting 50 years of industry experience. Renowned for the quality of its products and service reliability, the company places great emphasis on maintaining vast stock levels and personal customer service, earning strong market respect.

Role Overview

The Group IT Director will be accountable for shaping and executing the technology vision of the Group, ensuring IT, cybersecurity, digital transformation, and business systems drive long-term commercial success. This leadership role reports to the Managing Director and directly supervises the NetSuite Specialist and IT Service Desk Engineer.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and implement the Group's IT strategy in alignment with corporate goals.
• Steer digital transformation initiatives and develop the overall technology roadmap.
• Advise the Board on new technologies, risks, and investment decisions.
• Champion continuous advancement, collaboration, and innovation within technology operations.
• Manage IT infrastructure, networks, cloud services, business systems, and cybersecurity to ensure seamless group-wide support.
• Guarantee secure, reliable, and scalable IT services for all Group companies including CheckFire and FireSealsDirect.
• Appropriately assign resources among support, ERP development, and strategic change programs.
• Establish governance frameworks, IT policies, standards, and compliance with GDPR, Cyber Essentials, ISO standards, among others.
• Develop and verify business continuity, disaster recovery, and cyber resilience plans.
• Lead significant IT projects including automation, AI integration, and process improvements.
• Support M&A activities from an IT perspective and advance data governance, business intelligence, and reporting capabilities.
• Manage and nurture the IT team, emphasizing high performance and exceptional customer service.
• Build collaborative relationships across stakeholders and manage external technology partnerships and vendors.
• Oversee the IT budget ensuring wise technology investments.

Experience & Qualifications

• Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Valid full UK driving licence.
• Preferred: Chartered IT Professional (CITP) or equivalent accreditation.
• Preferred: ITIL certification.
• Experience with Cyber Essentials and/or ISO 27001 standards is advantageous.
• Background in manufacturing, distribution, construction products, or fire protection industries is desirable.

Success Indicators

• Successful delivery of the Group IT Strategy aligned with business goals.
• Effective implementation of strategic digital and technological transformation programs.
• Operational efficiency gains through technology innovation and automation.
• Technology investments provide proven commercial benefits.
• Development of a skilled IT team equipped for future expansion.
• Improved integration and IT consistency across group entities.
• Enhanced cybersecurity, resilience, and regulatory compliance.
• Elevated experience for employees and customers driven by technological progress.

Employee Benefits

• Generous holiday allowance including 25 days annual leave plus up to 4 days Christmas shutdown and bank holidays.
• Profit sharing based on company EBITDA results.
• Salary sacrifice pension scheme with Royal London.
• Employee assistance program provided by TELUS Health.
• Access to digital GP consultations and medical professionals.
• Free on-site parking including electric vehicle charging points.
• Modern facilities with complimentary tea, coffee, and fresh fruit.
• Salary sacrifice scheme for electric vehicles.