Head of IT

Were looking for a hands-on, commercially minded Head of IT to lead and transform our technology function as we continue to scale as a leading UK womens fashion retailer. This is a senior leadership role for someone who has come up through a strong technical engineering background and can move seamlessly between hands-on technical problem-solving and strategic leadership. Youll lead our IT team, modernise our technology estate and ensure we deliver a secure, scalable and exceptional technology experience across our HQ and growing global retail network. Youll be comfortable troubleshooting complex infrastructure one minute and presenting technology strategy to senior leadership the next., Lead & Develop

• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing IT team.
• Build a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Attract and retain exceptional technical talent.
• Develop a scalable IT structure, succession plans and clear technical career paths.

Technical Leadership

• Own and evolve our hybrid cloud and on-premise infrastructure.
• Oversee our Apple and Windows estate, including JAMF, Intune and Apple Business Manager.
• Lead Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Entra ID, SSO and identity management.
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex infrastructure, networking, security and systems issues.
• Own infrastructure security, patching, disaster recovery and resilience.
• Set high technical and architectural standards across internal teams and suppliers.

Business & Commercial

• Develop and deliver an IT strategy aligned to business growth.
• Build a proactive, high-performing service model across HQ and our retail estate.
• Manage technology partners and suppliers, ensuring strong commercial and operational performance.
• Introduce meaningful KPIs and OKRs focused on business impact, automation and user experience.
• Lead major technology change, migrations and rollouts with minimal business disruption.

Technology Adoption

• Make IT a trusted business partner across the organisation.
• Improve technology adoption through education, self-service and clear communication.
• Ensure technology supports the pace of the business, particularly during critical trading periods.
• Continuously identify opportunities to modernise, automate and improve.

• Senior IT leadership experience within a complex, fast-paced £250m+ business, ideally retail, e-commerce or consumer.
• Strong technical roots, having progressed through engineering roles such as Infrastructure, Network, Systems or Cloud Engineering.
• Experience managing multi-site and/or international technology environments.
• Strong understanding of the demands of retail and customer-facing technology.

Technical

• Cloud & virtualisation
• Microsoft 365, Google Workspace & Entra ID
• JAMF, Intune & Apple Business Manager
• Networking, VPN, SD-WAN, firewalls & Wi-Fi
• Security, disaster recovery & infrastructure resilience
• PowerShell, Bash or Python scripting is a plus.

The Person

• Technically credible you can challenge engineers, consultants and suppliers.
• Commercially pragmatic you know when to push for the best solution and when to move quickly.
• A strong leader you build, motivate and develop great teams.
• A problem solver calm, hands-on and comfortable with complexity.
• A great communicator able to turn technical detail into clear business outcomes.
• Proactive and ambitious always looking for ways to improve, automate and modernise.

Pulled from the full job description

• Referral programme
• Annual leave
• Employee discount
• Life insurance
• Employee assistance programme
• Company pension

• Cycle to work scheme, * 33 days annual leave for full time employees (25 days holiday + 8 bank holidays)

• A day off to celebrate your birthday.

• Pension Scheme

• Group Life Insurance

• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

• Length of Service Award

• Refer a Friend Scheme

• Staff uniform for retail employees

• Generous Staff and Friends and Family Discount

• Annual Volunteer Day

• Cycle to Work Scheme

• Tech Scheme

• Eye Care Vouchers

• Real Living Wage Employer

• Employee led committees

• Social events and biannual parties

• Enhanced maternity and paternity package after 2 years of service.

ME+EM is one of the UKs fastest-growing luxury fashion brands. In addition to a thriving global digital presence, we operate flagship stores in London and Edinburgh, Manchester, Bath & Harrogate and concessions within Harrods and Selfridges, and have recently expanded with new store openings in the U.S.

At ME+EM we are an entrepreneurial, creative, and passionate group of people. We work hard, are enthusiastic to learn and are not afraid to take risks. Everyone contributes to our success at all levels, and that precisely what makes being a member of the team so rewarding.

Our office and stores are always busy and fast paced, but we work just as hard to make sure its fun, with social activities and biannual parties. We pride ourselves on being approachable, supportive, and welcoming and ensure that everyones hard work is rewarded. It takes all these things to build a strong, successful business and our door is always open to new talent ready to contribute to our growth and evolution.