IT Manager

The Role

Have you ever wanted to combine a passion for IT with football? QPR are looking for an experienced IT Manager to take full ownership of our technology estate. This is a hands-on leadership role where you'll manage all third-party suppliers, own the IT budget, and drive a modernisation agenda that keeps QPR's infrastructure fit for the future. You'll be supported by an on-site engineer and backed by an MSP.

You will be a genuine practitioner. someone who has the technical depth to make the right calls, the credibility to challenge suppliers, and the communication skills to bring the wider football club with you.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Own and manage all third-party IT supplier relationships; hold the MSP accountable to SLAs and drive value from the contract.
• Manage the IT budget end-to-end: planning, forecasting and procurement.
• Oversee the IT service desk with the MSP, ensuring issues are logged, tracked and resolved to a high standard.
• Own the incident management process, ensuring all issues are triaged, assigned and resolved promptly, with the engineer and MSP accountable for delivery.
• Liaise with Heads of Department to align IT service provision with business needs and long-term strategy.
• Lead the Club's IT modernisation agenda, build and deliver a roadmap to improve systems, processes and infrastructure.
• Work with the Head of Data Operations to plan and deliver technology innovation.
• Own IT infrastructure resilience: networks, backups, failover and security systems.
• Manage the IT asset lifecycle including hardware, software licences and equipment.
• Lead the Club's cyber security strategy, training and incident response.
• Manage and maintain the IT disaster recovery and resilience plan.
• Create and own IT policies and procedures; proactively identify and resolve issues across the estate.
• Cover home Matchday IT operations on a rota basis (~25 fixtures per season, including evening kick-offs).

Technical Knowledge / Skills Required

• Excellent, demonstrable M365 administration knowledge;
• Strong hands-on networking knowledge;
• Practical experience with desktops, laptops, mobile devices and AV equipment;
• Experience managing cybersecurity tools and incident response;
• Experience owning or managing an IT budget;
• Experience managing third-party IT suppliers or MSPs;
• Experience leading IT projects end-to-end;
• Familiarity with ITSM frameworks (e.g. ITIL);
• Knowledge of virtualisation technologies (e.g. VMware, Hyper-V);
• Strong knowledge of data protection law and cyber security obligations;
• Excellent communication skills with non-technical stakeholders;
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.

Desired Technical Knowledge / Skills

Please note that the following skills are not required but would be beneficial:

• Understanding of cloud services (e.g. Azure);
• Basic scripting / automation skills (e.g. Python, PowerShell);
• Experience in a sport, entertainment or events environment;
• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or Information Technology.

Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum 2 years’ experience in an IT Manager or equivalent senior IT role, with ownership of infrastructure, suppliers and/or budget;
• A qualification in IT or a related field is preferred;
• IT certifications (e.g. CompTIA, Microsoft) are advantageous but not required;
• Demonstrable technical curiosity through personal projects, certifications or work experience.

What can we offer you?

·         Private health insurance (once you pass your probation) 

·         Pension Scheme

·         Discounted QPR merchandise 

·         Learning and Development opportunities 

·         An inclusive and collaborative working culture 

·         25 days of annual leave + bank holidays

·         Death in service

 
Safeguarding 

Queens Park Rangers Football Club is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. We are committed to safer recruitment throughout the Club. An enhanced DBS check is a requirement of the role.  

As a small and tight knit team Queens Park Rangers Football Club recognises the need for personal development and team spirit to enable the Club to achieve its objectives. This job description is intended as a guide to the main responsibilities and is not intended to restrict any individual in the performance of other duties as required by the Company.  

This job description is intended as a guide to the main responsibilities and is not intended to restrict any individual in the performance of other duties as required by the Company.