IT & Security Operations Manager

Competitive salary plus bonus plus other benefits

Drive IT and Security operational outcomes by coordinating managed service partners, internal SMEs, and platform owners. Ensure security and IT controls are implemented, operated, and remediated effectively across the Xalient Group IT estate. This is a hands-on delivery role focused on execution, follow-through, and closure.

You must be based in the UK and have the ability to travel to Leeds at least once a month.

• Patching and vulnerability remediation
• Access management
• Ensure operational issues are identified, prioritised, escalated, and resolved quickly
• Act as the point of escalation during incidents, ensuring clarity, urgency, and resolution.

• Hold the IT operations partner accountable for delivery
• Track actions, challenge missed commitments, and drive issues to closure
• Ensure operational performance meets agreed expectations and SLAs

• Translate ISO
  27001 control intent into practical, working configurations
• Ensure security tooling is correctly implemented and operated, including:
• Microsoft 365
• Identity and Access Management (Okta)
• Secure Web Gateway (Zscaler)
• SEIM and Security Incident Response (Arctic Wolf)
• Identify control gaps and drive remediation through the appropriate teams

Awareness of these specific platforms is useful, however it is IT operational outcomes and associated knowhow which is the important factor for this role.

• Drive outcomes from internal initiatives such as IGA, PAM, and Zero Trust
• Work with internal SMEs to ensure projects land cleanly into operational ownership
• Prevent delivery drift once projects move into BAU
• Direct day-to-day work for:
• IT Operations Engineer
• Security Operations Engineer
• Prioritise workload, ensure quality, and remove blockers
• This role focuses on tasking and delivery rather than formal people management

• Maintain operational evidence to support audits and assurance activities
• Ensure controls are demonstrably operating, not just documented

• Strong background in IT operations and security operations
• Hands-on experience operating security and IT platforms in production, including budgeting and managing spend.
• Experience driving outcomes through third parties and internal teams
• Solid understanding of identity, access management, endpoint, and cloud security controls
• Comfortable working in a cloud-first, Microsoft-centric environment
• Able to read technical detail and challenge delivery confidently
• Ability to travel to Leeds once a month for team meeting.
• Exposure to ISO
  27001and NIST best practice in a practical, operational context
• Experience with IGA, PAM, or Zero Trust initiatives
• Prior senior engineer or technical operations background

Although input into these is expected, the role is:

• Not a policy-writing role
• Not an audit lead role

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy or maternity or age.