IT Infrastructure Engineering Manager

Our IT infrastructure plays a critical role in ensuring smooth operations across both physical stores and online sales channels at Pavers. As we continue to grow, we have a new opportunity for an experienced IT Infrastructure Engineering Manager to take a key role in driving our infrastructure strategy, ensuring reliability, security, and scalability of our systems. This is position as a full-time permanent role, based at our Head Office in York. Some flexible/hybrid working options can be discussed, but you should be expected to be onsite at least 3 days per week., Snap Shot of your duties as our IT Infrastructure Engineering Manager:

· Lead the overall design, implementation, and maintenance of the company's IT infrastructure, including networks, servers, storage, and cloud platforms.

· Develop and execute strategies to ensure scalable, reliable, and secure infrastructure solutions to support retail stores and the ecommerce platform.

· Lead infrastructure architecture reviews, ensuring alignment with business goals and emerging technologies.

· Oversee the management of company-wide networks, including LAN/WAN, VPN, and wireless networks.

· Lead the administration of on-premise and cloud-based server environments (e.g., Azure, AWS, GCP), ensuring uptime and performance

· Ensure the availability, performance, and security of key systems, including point-of-sale (POS) systems, store network connectivity, and ecommerce backend systems.

· Lead and mentor a team of infrastructure engineers, providing guidance, training, and technical expertise to ensure a high level of service delivery

· Manage cloud infrastructure (e.g., Azure, AWS, GCP), ensuring efficient use of cloud resources, cost optimisation, and robust security.

· Lead the implementation and optimisation of virtualisation technologies (e.g., VMware, Hyper-V) to enhance system efficiency and scalability.

· Design and implement disaster recovery and backup strategies to ensure business continuity in case of failures.

· Ensure infrastructure security by implementing best practices and managing security systems (e.g., firewalls, endpoint protection, encryption).

· Maintain compliance with industry standards and regulations, including GDPR, PCI DSS, and internal security policies.

· Conduct regular security audits, vulnerability assessments, and incident response exercises to strengthen the organisation's security posture.

· Lead and manage large-scale infrastructure projects

· Collaborate with stakeholders to define project objectives, timelines, and deliverables, ensuring successful execution within budget and time constraints

· Coordinate with third-party vendors and service providers to deliver technical solutions and support.

· Proactively monitor the performance of IT systems, identifying areas for improvement and implementing solutions to optimise performance.

· Manage network and system capacity, planning for future growth and scaling infrastructure to meet business demands.

· Maintain comprehensive technical documentation for all infrastructure components, systems, and processes, including developing training materials to support

· Extensive experience with cloud platforms (Azure, AWS) and virtualisation technologies (VMware, Hyper-V).

· Proven experience as a Senior IT Infrastructure Engineer, Infrastructure Lead, or similar role, ideally within a retail or ecommerce environment

· Leadership/Management experience

· Strong expertise in managing complex network infrastructures, including LAN/WAN, VPN, firewalls, and wireless technologies.

· Deep understanding of server and storage management, including both Windows and Linux environments.

· Solid knowledge of IT security best practices, including experience with firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and data protection (PCI DSS, GDPR).

· Strong leadership and team management skills, with the ability to mentor and develop junior engineers.

· Excellent project management skills, with a proven track record of delivering large-scale infrastructure projects.

· Familiarity with ITIL processes and service management tools (e.g., ServiceNow, Jira).

· Ideally you'll hold certifications such as CCNP, MCSE, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, or Azure Solutions Architect & ITIL Foundation or higher certification.

· Knowledge of scripting and automation (e.g., PowerShell, Bash) to automate infrastructure tasks.

· Experience using Terraform or Infrastructure as code?would be beneficial

This opportunity comes with a salary up to £65,000 per annum depending on experience.

As the IT Infrastructure Engineering Manager, you will be responsible for overseeing the design, implementation, and management of the company's IT infrastructure across retail stores, corporate offices, and our ecommerce platform. You will lead infrastructure projects, ensure system reliability, optimise network performance, and enhance security, whilst leading/developing a team of engineers. In addition to technical expertise, you will provide strategic direction, collaborating with cross-functional teams and mentoring junior engineers.

Core areas of responsibility will be; Infrastructure Leadership & Strategy, Network & Systems Administration, Team Leadership, Cloud & Virtualisation Management, Security & Compliance, Performance Monitoring & Optimisation and Documentation & Knowledge sharing.

Let's see what else is in it for you:

· Generous Colleague Discount

· Discretionary Annual Bonus scheme

· Free onsite parking at York Head Office

· Death In Service Benefit

· Holiday Entitlement (Increases with service)

· Company Contribution Pension

· Access to?RetailTRUST?(Wellbeing & Financial Support)

· Access to the Pavers Foundation: employee-led grant application and charitable giving scheme

· Access to wider training and development opportunities through Pavers Academy

In 1971 Catherine Paver set up Pavers because she couldn't find comfortable, stylish shoes at a sensible price. Catherine's three sons joined the business a few years later, and one of her sons - Stuart - still runs the business today. Stuart was joined by his son Jason in 2016, and as of 2020, they run the business together as Joint Managing Directors. We are proud of our heritage and the family values of our brand. We are also obsessive about the quality of the footwear we sell, which has been one of the key reasons we have grown to be one of the UK's leading shoe retailers. We also encompass other brands which have been acquired; Jones Bootmaker and Herring Shoes. Each brand focuses in its own unique way on comfort, style, and value. Despite growing over the years, our Head Office and warehouse are still based in York(and they keep getting bigger), where the business was originally founded. In 2021 we were voted one of the Top 10 Retailers in the country to work for (Best Companies), and in 2020 were recognised in the Sunday Times' Top Track 250, and also won Best Footwear Retailer (Multiple) at the Drapers Awards. We are passionate about providing comfort and happiness to our customers, and we make sure to employ people who are as passionate as we are. We always look for happy, confident, upbeat people, and we provide great jobs in a supportive family environment for them. We know that without our colleagues, there is no business, and so the better we look after you the better service you will provide our customers. We always try and do the right thing by our people. We strive for diversity of thinking across the business and believe strongly in supporting our local communities. Since 2018 we have donated over £2.5m to the Pavers Foundation, with the specific purpose of providing grants for causes important to all our colleagues in the areas of health, education, and community. In terms of the environment, we are constantly seeking to reduce our impact. Since 2020 we have been fully carbon neutral, and we also have one of the largest solar arrays in the North-East of England on our warehouse generating clean energy. Because every year we give a percentage of our annual profits to our Foundation, our overarching aim is to be financially successful, but to achieve this in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.