Head of IT

Reporting directly to the Facilities Management and Infrastructure Director, this role is full time and permanent. We recognise that skills, experience, and potential come in many forms, and we encourage you to apply if you see a strong alignment between your abilities and this opportunity—even if you don’t check every box. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and value different perspectives and backgrounds.

Responsibilities

• Lead Manchester Central's technology strategy, roadmap, and IT operations, ensuring technology services support the organisation's commercial, operational, and strategic objectives.
• Oversee business systems, integrations, automation, and venue technologies, ensuring solutions are secure, effective, and deliver measurable business value.
• Maintain accountability for technology security, resilience, and service performance, including cyber security, business continuity, disaster recovery, and major incident management.
• Provide strategic leadership for event technology services, ensuring reliable delivery of customer-facing connectivity, digital solutions, and revenue-generating technology products.
• Manage key technology suppliers, contracts, and budgets, ensuring value for money, strong service delivery, and effective stakeholder relationships.

Requirements

The Ideal Candidate Will Have:

• Significant senior-level IT leadership experience, with responsibility for technology strategy, infrastructure, business systems, and service delivery.
• A strong understanding of cyber security, risk management, governance, data protection, and business continuity within a complex operational environment.
• Experience delivering business systems, integrations, automation initiatives, and digital transformation programmes that improve organisational performance.
• Proven success managing third-party suppliers, technology contracts, and budgets, with strong commercial awareness and negotiation skills.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and translate technical concepts into business outcomes.

You Must:

• Demonstrate the ability to lead and develop high-performing technical teams while fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Be capable of making informed decisions in high-pressure situations, including managing major incidents and complex technical challenges.
• Have strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to balance operational requirements, risk, and commercial considerations.
• Be committed to maintaining high standards of governance, security, and compliance across all technology services and projects.
• Be flexible in supporting the needs of a live events venue, including participation in out-of-hours escalation and business continuity arrangements where required.