VP/Head of IT - Permanent

VP/Head of ITPermanentOffice based role - West London£Competitive + Bonus + BenefitsWe are seeking a seasoned IT leader to join our Global FMCG Client to drive the strategic direction and operational excellence of our IT function with a regional focus on the EMEA market.This role will be pivotal in ensuring the resilience, scalability, and security of our technology landscape, while aligning regional IT initiatives with global business goals. The ideal candidate will bring deep technical expertise, strong leadership, and a collaborative mindset to lead a distributed team and deliver enterprise-grade infrastructure solutionsYou will be responsible for holistically understanding the functional goals, requirements and objectives over a multi-year period and then assisting in the identification and prioritization of business technology, process and data/analytics projects - ensuring that projects align with the technology that provides maximum return on investment and linking IT strategy in support of the overall functional strategy.Role ResponsibilitiesLead and mentor regional IT teams, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.Drive digital transformation initiatives and infrastructure modernisation.Lead infrastructure operations including servers, virtualisation, data centres, and network architecture.Ensure high availability and performance of infrastructure components including routers, switches, UPSs, and backup systems.Oversee cloud infrastructure (preferably Azure), including IaaS, PaaS, storage, compute, and identity management.Champion ISO 20000 and ISO 27001 standards, ensuring compliance and audit readiness.Collaborate with the Information Security team to implement and maintain robust cybersecurity measures including firewalls, antivirus, and intrusion detection systems.Ensure compliance with UK and EU data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR), and IT risk management frameworks.Design and lead the offshoring strategy for IT infrastructure services, including vendor selection, contract negotiation, and transition planning.Establish governance frameworks to manage offshore delivery centres, ensuring service quality, compliance, and cost-effectiveness.Skills & ExperienceManaged geographically dispersed teams across global and regional hubs, including direct reports and virtual project teams.Built high-performing teams with strong retention and engagement metrics.Infrastructure Technologies: Advanced knowledge of Active Directory, Group Policies, Windows/Linux server environments, and enterprise networking protocols (SSL/IPSec, VLAN, VPN).Virtualisation & Backup: Hands-on experience with VMware, Hyper-V, backup systems (e.g., Veeam, Commvault), and disaster recovery planning.Cloud Platforms: Proficiency in Microsoft Azure (preferred), AWS, or GCP with experience in cloud migration, hybrid environments, and cost optimisation.Led multi-phase offshoring initiatives for infrastructure services, including transition of helpdesk, server management, and network operations.Defined offshore delivery models with clear SLAs, escalation protocols, and performance metrics.Implemented ISO 20000 and ISO 27001 standards across infrastructure operations.Ensured infrastructure compliance with GxP, IT risk management, and financial governance policies.