Head of IT (Care Homes)

Harbour Healthcare

(Hybrid role, with national travel involved, driving License required)

65-75k pa, depending on experience, plus £5,000 car allowance and paid mileage.

Harbour Healthcare is recruiting for a Head of IT to lead and develop our IT Services across our 41 Care Homes.  This is a national role and regular travel is required.

Role Purpose

The Head of IT & Technology is responsible for providing, securing, and governing Harbour Healthcare’s technology environment, ensuring it is reliable, resilient, compliant, and capable of supporting the organisation’s growth.

The role combines hands-on leadership of IT operations with senior accountability for security, infrastructure, resilience, and technology risk, acting as the bridge between day-to-day delivery and long-term assurance.

Key Responsibilities

• Initial Review & Improvement Phase
• Conduct a comprehensive review of the organisation’s existing IT infrastructure, security controls, and operational practices.
• Assess current arrangements covering:
  • Networks, connectivity, and remote access
  • Identity and access management
  • Devices and mobile technology
  • Backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity
  • Third-party suppliers and outsourced IT services
• Identify key risks, gaps, and dependencies, with clear prioritisation based on business and regulatory risk.
• Produce a costed, phased improvement plan, aligned to organisational growth and operational priorities.
• Provide regular, clear updates to the Executive Team on findings, risks, and progress.

Secure IT Operations & Service Delivery

• Lead day-to-day IT operations across care homes and central teams.
• Ensure availability, performance, and security of the core IT environment.
• Act as the escalation point for major incidents and service disruptions.
• Ensure consistent standards for end-user computing, connectivity, and support.

Cyber Security & Technology Risk

• Own the organisation’s cyber security arrangements, ensuring appropriate controls are in place for:
  • Secure remote access
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Device and mobile management
  • Data lss prevention and monitoring
• Identify, manage, and report on technology risks, translating technical issues into clear business impact.
• Work closely with the Data Protection Officer to ensure IT controls support data protection and regulatory requirements.

Infrastructure, Resilience & Business Continuity

• Define and maintain standards for infrastructure, networks, hosting, and connectivity.
• Ensure disaster recovery, backup, and business continuity arrangements are appropriate, documented, and tested.
• Own decisions relating to critical supplier dependencies, escrow arrangements, and resilience planning.
• Ensure the IT environment can scale securely as the organisation grows.

Governance, Standards & Controls

• Establish and enforce governance for:
  • User access and permissions
  • Jiners, movers, and leavers
  • Privileged access
  • Use f third-party and non-approved tools
• Ensure IT policies and controls are embedded and consistently applied across the organisation.
• Maintain a clear IT roadmap that covers security, resilience, and operational improvements.

Financial & Vendor Management

• Own IT budgets and expenditure, ensuring transparency and value for money.
• Lead vendor relationships, contract negotiations, and performance management.
• Identify opportunities for cost efficiency, licence rationalisation, and improved asset utilisation.
• Benchmark IT spend and service maturity against comparable organisations where appropriate.

Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead and develop the IT team and external partners.
• Set clear expectations, priorities, and standards.
• Act as the primary technology advisor to the Executive Team.
• Communicate complex technical issues clearly and non-technically.

Skills & Experience

• Significant experience leading IT operations in a multi-site or regulated environment.
• Strong background in infrastructure, cybersecurity, and operational risk management.
• Experience owning both hands-on delivery and strategic accountability.
• Comfortable operating with executive visibility and accountability.

Please note that all our positions require an Enhanced DBS check in relation to Children and Adults.

Interested? – Go on and click that apply button now!