IT Operations Manager

Join Our IT Team at The Compleat Food Group!

Salary: £58,000 – £62,000 + Car allowance

Location: Flexible

Working Hours: Monday to Thursday, 8:30am to 5:00pm, Friday 8:30am-4.00pm.

Experienced IT leader looking for your next challenge and the opportunity to make a real impact?

As our IT Operations Manager, you'll lead the day-to-day management of our 2nd and 3rd Line Support teams, ensuring the delivery of a reliable, efficient and customer-focused IT service across the business. You'll play a key role in maintaining service performance, managing incidents, requests and system availability, while driving continuous improvement across our IT operations.

You'll help shape and develop a growing IT Operations function, setting clear performance standards, monitoring service delivery and empowering your team to deliver exceptional support. Working closely with colleagues across Technology, including projects, platforms, data engineering and data science, you'll support the introduction of new services, improve existing capabilities and contribute to the ongoing development of our wider IT strategy. As our teams are based across multiple locations, the role will also involve occasional travel to sites around the UK.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a motivated IT professional who enjoys leading high-performing teams, driving service excellence and helping to build a mature IT operation within a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Who We Are:

At The Compleat Food Group, we’re proud to be a food business built on purpose and passion. Formed in 2021, we’re on a mission to create Food to Feel Good – great quality, tasty and affordable food that people love to eat.

We’re home to some of the UK’s most exciting and loved food brands, including Wall’s Pastry, Pork Farms, Wrights, The Real Yorkshire Pudding Co., unearthed, Vadasz, Squeaky Bean, Palace Culture, and Harvey & Brockless. Alongside our branded portfolio, we’re a leading supplier of delicious own-label pastry, sweet bakery, party food, olives and antipasti, added-value egg products, continental meats, dips and sauces and plant-based food to the UK’s major retailers, as well as across foodservice.

With over 6,000 talented colleagues across 18 sites, and an annual turnover of £1.3bn, we’re united by a shared ambition to shape the future of food for the better.

Your Duties Will Include:

• Leading and developing the 2nd and 3rd Line IT Support teams, setting clear objectives and driving high levels of service performance. 
• Managing IT operations, including incidents, requests, service levels, infrastructure availability and asset management across the business. 
• Working closely with the Service Desk, Projects, Platforms, Data Engineering and Data Science teams to deliver seamless support and successfully transition new services into live operation. 
• Monitoring performance through KPIs and reporting, ensuring services are aligned to business needs and continuously improved. 
• Building strong relationships with stakeholders across the business, proactively managing priorities, risks and service improvements. 
• Supporting the wider IT strategy by enhancing processes, governance and operational standards while helping to create a scalable, future-focused IT function.

Experience, Skills and Knowledge:

• Proven experience leading and developing IT Operations or Technical Support teams within a fast-paced business environment. 
• Experience building, growing or maturing an IT function, with the ability to set targets, measure performance and drive continuous improvement. 
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to communicate confidently and influence at all levels of the organisation. 
• Experience managing IT service delivery, including incidents, service levels, problem management and operational performance. 
• Previous experience within a manufacturing, FMCG or 24/7 operational environment would be highly advantageous. 
• ITIL qualified.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel between sites as required.

Benefits to Include:

• 33 days holiday (including bank holidays)
• Hybrid working
• 2 Employee Volunteering Days per year
• Online and High-street retailer discount scheme
• Employee well-being and community support groups
• Informal and Formal training opportunities with personalised online LMS platform
• Charity Initiatives and Team events
• 24/7 Access to Grocery Aid (Free Financial, Emotional and Practical Support)
• Physical Wellbeing Benefits – Free on demand exercise hub and various gym discounts.
• Online Wellbeing benefits
• Free Financial wellbeing – mortgage calculators, budget tools, financial aid tools
• Holiday Discounts via Online Retail Discount

Recruitment Agencies:

We have a small, active and trusted Preferred Supplier List to assist us if required. We do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions. We only accept CV submissions for roles released to you directly by our Talent Acquisition team.

What You Should Know About How We Recruit

At The Compleat Food Group, we believe great teams are built on difference. We create an inclusive, respectful environment where everyone feels safe, supported, and are able to be themselves at work.

We’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and are committed to Fairness, Equity, Inclusivity, and Respect. If you need a reasonable adjustment at any stage of our recruitment process, just let us know, we’ll support you — confidentially and with care.

We hire the best people for our roles, not the same people. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, we focus on what you do and the impact you could make in our business. Our recruitment process is fair, accessible, and designed to give everyone an equal chance.

You’ll also find benefits that support people at every life stage, plus active internal networks — including Women @ Compleat, LGBTQIA+, and Neurodiversity