Head of Technology & IT Operations | Dublin | Permanent | Full-Time | €120,000 DOE | Senior Technology Leadership
Key Points
- Salary: €120,000 per annum, depending on experience
- Contract: Permanent, full-time
- Location: Dublin
- Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00am–5:00pm
- Experience: Minimum 7 years’ relevant IT experience
- Leadership: Responsibility for an established technical team
- Core Remit: Technology Strategy, IT Operations, Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, Enterprise Systems & Service Delivery
- Technology: Microsoft 365, Azure, Windows Server, virtualisation and enterprise networking
- Flexibility: Occasional out-of-hours or Saturday work may be required
The Opportunity
Hall Recruitment is seeking an accomplished Head of Technology & IT Operations to lead the technology function of a substantial education organisation in Dublin.
This is a senior leadership position offering responsibility for the systems, infrastructure and security that underpin a large and highly technology-dependent working and learning environment.
Importantly, this isn’t a role for someone who wants to move completely away from technology.
You’ll lead an established technical team and advise senior management on technology strategy, investment and risk, while remaining sufficiently close to day-to-day IT operations to make informed technical decisions.
The position brings together technology leadership, infrastructure, cybersecurity, enterprise applications, supplier management and IT service delivery – making it particularly suited to someone who enjoys combining strategic responsibility with practical technology leadership.
Your Role
Technology Strategy & Senior Leadership
You’ll help shape how technology develops across the organisation, acting as a senior adviser on technology risks, priorities and opportunities.
You’ll:
- Advise the Executive Team on technology strategy, emerging trends and risk
- Identify opportunities to improve systems and technology services
- Translate complex technical issues into clear recommendations
- Prioritise technology investment and improvement programmes
- Lead and develop the internal technical function
- Balance immediate operational requirements with longer-term objectives
- Ensure technology decisions support the organisation’s wider goals
The successful candidate needs to be comfortable operating at both levels – setting direction and ensuring that direction can actually be delivered technically.
IT Operations & Infrastructure
You’ll take ownership of a broad and business-critical technology environment.
Your remit will encompass:
- Network infrastructure and connectivity
- Servers and virtualisation
- Cloud platforms
- Microsoft 365
- Azure / Azure AD
- End-user devices
- Enterprise applications
- Technology-enabled learning environments and AV
- Backup and disaster recovery
- Software licensing
- IT asset management
- Operational resilience
You’ll need enough current technical knowledge to understand problems, challenge recommendations, support your technical team and make informed decisions about infrastructure investment and improvement.
The existing environment includes technologies such as Windows Server, Hyper-V, Azure/Azure AD, Microsoft 365, Moodle, Panopto and Cisco networking. Experience across a comparable enterprise technology stack will therefore be highly relevant.
Cybersecurity, Risk & Data Protection
Cybersecurity is a central part of this position rather than a peripheral responsibility.
You’ll oversee the organisation’s day-to-day cybersecurity framework, ensuring appropriate controls and monitoring are in place while maintaining readiness to respond effectively when issues arise.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Cybersecurity controls and governance
- Security monitoring
- Technology risk identification
- Incident response
- Backup and recovery
- Business continuity considerations
- Data protection
- GDPR compliance
- Supporting security awareness throughout the organisation
The successful candidate will therefore require strong, current cybersecurity knowledge alongside broader infrastructure and operational expertise.
Leading the IT Function
You’ll lead an established technical team while helping create an IT service that is responsive, reliable and focused on its users.
You’ll:
- Lead, mentor and support technical colleagues
- Establish clear priorities across the IT function
- Oversee day-to-day IT service delivery
- Improve IT processes where required
- Ensure operational issues are appropriately prioritised and resolved
- Lead technology projects
- Monitor project timelines and budgets
- Maintain a strong service-focused approach
This requires someone who can provide leadership without becoming disconnected from what is happening operationally.
Enterprise Systems
The organisation depends upon several core business and education platforms.
You’ll oversee the effective management and development of these systems while ensuring they remain secure, reliable and appropriate for organisational requirements.
The current environment includes platforms such as Microsoft 365, Moodle, Salesforce and iSAMS, alongside the organisation’s wider infrastructure and technology estate.
You don’t necessarily need experience with every individual platform. What matters more is a strong track record managing interconnected enterprise systems and the ability to quickly understand how technology supports different areas of an organisation.
Budget, Suppliers & Technology Partners
An important part of your role will be ensuring that external technology providers deliver the performance and value the organisation requires.
You’ll take responsibility for:
- IT budget management
- Technology procurement
- Supplier and vendor relationships
- Contract and service performance
- Software licensing
- Cost management
- Evaluating value for money
- Challenging suppliers where necessary
- Ensuring external technology partners support internal IT objectives
The organisation operates with an extensive network of technology suppliers, making vendor management and commercial judgement important elements of the position.
Technology & the Future of Learning
Technology plays an important role in both the organisation’s operations and its learning environment.
You’ll work with academic leaders to identify practical ways technology can support teaching and learning, including the development of digital technology and AI literacy.
Previous experience in education would therefore be advantageous, although it isn’t the only background from which someone could succeed.
Candidates coming from other complex, technology-dependent organisations should also be relevant where they can demonstrate the necessary leadership and technical expertise.
What We’re Looking For
We’re looking for an established technology leader who combines technical credibility with strong leadership and commercial judgement.
You should have:
- Minimum 7 years’ relevant IT experience
- Significant IT management or leadership experience
- Strong current enterprise infrastructure knowledge
- Microsoft 365 and Azure experience
- Strong networking knowledge
- Current cybersecurity expertise
- Experience managing enterprise applications and systems
- Knowledge of backup, disaster recovery and operational resilience
- IT project delivery experience
- Supplier and vendor management experience
- Budget management experience
- Experience leading and developing technical professionals
- Excellent stakeholder-management skills
- Strong written and verbal communication
- Ability to explain technology issues and risks clearly to non-technical senior stakeholders
A Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering or a related discipline forms part of the client’s requirements.
Technical Experience
Relevant technology experience may include:
- Microsoft 365
- Azure / Azure AD
- Windows Server
- Hyper-V or comparable virtualisation
- Cisco or equivalent enterprise networking
- Cybersecurity technologies
- Enterprise CRM/business systems
- Learning or content management platforms
- Backup and disaster recovery solutions
Exact experience with every platform isn’t required. We’re more interested in your ability to understand, manage and improve a complex technology environment.
Who Would This Role Suit?
This opportunity may particularly suit someone currently working as a:
- Head of IT
- Head of Technology
- IT Director
- Head of IT Operations
- Senior IT Manager
- Infrastructure & Operations Manager
- Technology Operations Lead
- Senior Technology Manager
You may already hold a Head of IT position and be looking for a broader remit, or you may be an experienced senior IT manager ready to take overall responsibility for a technology function.
Either way, you should still enjoy being close enough to technology to understand the detail.
Salary & Working Arrangements
Salary
€120,000 per annum DOE
The final salary will reflect the successful candidate’s experience and suitability for the scope of the position.
Hours
Monday–Friday, 9:00am–5:00pm
As with many senior technology positions, there will occasionally be a requirement for out-of-hours or Saturday work where projects, critical systems or operational requirements demand it.
Apply Now
If you’re an experienced technology leader who can combine strategic thinking, technical judgement and operational leadership, we’d like to hear from you.
This is an opportunity to take ownership of a significant technology environment, lead an established technical function and influence the future direction of infrastructure, cybersecurity, enterprise systems and technology operations across a complex organisation.
At Hall Recruitment, we’re dedicated to building diverse and authentic workplaces. We also know that excellent candidates rarely match 100% of a job description. If you meet around 70% of the criteria for this role, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
