Head of IT

Hybrid working offered, offices Greater London

Salary up to £120k pa

Excellent range of benefits offered: enhanced annual leave, option to purchase additional holiday days, company pension, private health care, life insurance and employee discounts, employee wellbeing days and events.

We are excited to offer a unique opportunity to join a thriving SME. This newly established position requires a candidate with comprehensive product knowledge from an FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) background, preferably within the luxury sector. We seek candidates with a solid understanding of FMCG, distribution systems and interfaces. The role is both strategic and operational, involving system analysis to extract insights and information on products such as cost and selling prices, logistical data, dimensions and weights, as well as compliance details. Therefore, a thorough knowledge of these aspects is crucial.

Responsibilities include:

• Work closely with the Directors on the strategic direction of IT, advising on robust plans to deliver an IT system that are in line with best practice, aligned with business goals and cost effective.
• Build operational IT Plans, both short & long term, covering Software & Infrastructure needs.
• Function as a pivot point with the business on all IT requests, including all decisions on infrastructure.
• Work closely with suppliers on software & infrastructure needs, putting in place clear plans to deliver IT solutions to meet business goals.
• Manage the relationship with third party logistics providers to ensure robust technology solutions are in place to meet the business needs.
• Manage all supplier contracts, including service levels and costs.
• Responsible for project managing all development work following best practice principles.
• For all changes to IT software or infrastructure, ensuring there is a robust change control process in place to support business needs/improvement and minimise risk of business interruption.
• Construct the annual IT budget (linked to business objectives) and track actual costs versus budget.

Person specification / skills:

• Proven previous experience (5 years +) in product, FMCG or luxury goods is essential
• Experience in developing and implementing IT strategies aligned with the companies’ overall objectives.
• A strong understanding of various IT systems, networks, and infrastructure components.
• The ability to lead and inspire a small team of IT professionals.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to convey complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders, facilitate cross-departmental collaboration, and negotiate with vendors.
• A mindset for innovation, continuously exploring new technologies, methodologies, and best practices to enhance IT operations and drive business innovation.
• Commitment to delivering high-quality IT services and support to internal and external customers, with a focus on user experience and satisfaction.
• Proficiency in managing IT projects from inception to completion.
• Experience in selecting and managing third-party vendors, contractors, and service providers.
• Proficiency in identifying, assessing, and mitigating IT-related risks, including cybersecurity threats, data breaches, and system vulnerabilities.
• Knowledge of relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards pertaining to data security, privacy, and IT governance.

Systems Experience

Microsoft Dynamics Navision ERP

EDI Protocols

Business Reporting

Microsoft Office Suite with advanced working knowledge of Excel

Microsoft SQL DBA & SQL queries and stored procedures

Infrastructure architecture, hardware & software

Microsoft Forms

Power Automate

Power BI

SSIS packages

SharePoint