Head of IT & DevOps

Overview

Franklin Bates Limited is seeking an experienced Head of IT & DevOps to steer technology operations, cloud transition, and security for an international software firm. Based remotely within the UK with bi-monthly visits to the Glasgow office, this permanent role centers on evolving the company to a cloud-native SaaS platform, enhancing infrastructure, advancing engineering practices, and supporting strategic growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct the migration from legacy on-premises systems to secure, scalable cloud solutions aligning with SaaS transformation.
• Build and refine DevOps and cloud practices, focusing on CI/CD pipelines, automation, platform robustness, and delivery effectiveness.
• Lead IT operations encompassing infrastructure management, service delivery, and business continuity planning.
• Manage cybersecurity strategy, risk, compliance including ISO 27001 certification, and coordinate with external security providers.
• Guide and nurture senior technical managers and their teams, fostering collaboration, responsibility, and continuous progress.
• Oversee technology budget allocations, vendor contracts, and negotiation to align expenditures with business objectives.
• Promote AI integration within technology functions by identifying automation possibilities and enhancing engineering workflows using intelligent tools and agentic AI methodologies.
• Collaborate with Product, Engineering, and executive leadership to ensure technology platforms meet long-term organizational goals.

Candidate Profile

• Demonstrated senior leadership across DevOps, cloud infrastructure, IT operations, and security domains including team management.
• Proven success in large-scale cloud migrations or infrastructure modernization initiatives.
• Deep expertise with Microsoft Azure, cloud-native architectures, continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD), and infrastructure as code.
• Experience managing security governance frameworks and compliance, especially ISO 27001 standards, plus vendor security partnerships.
• Strong commercial acumen managing budgets, vendors, and contracts.
• Hands-on experience deploying AI tools such as Claude, GitHub Copilot, or AI agents to boost productivity, workflow automation, and team efficiency.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills with confidence to drive change in dynamic, evolving tech environments.

Additional Qualifications

Background in shifting traditional software to SaaS, establishing security operation collaborations, or managing international distributed teams is highly advantageous.

Opportunity Benefits

This leadership position offers significant influence over technological transformation within an established global software business. The role grants autonomy, engagement with cutting-edge AI and cloud technologies, a flexible work setup, and a competitive salary ranging from £120,000 to £150,000 per year.