Head of IT job description.
Thinking of hiring a head of IT or preparing for a senior infrastructure leadership position? This head of IT job description outlines the role’s scope, including operational oversight, long-term planning, cyber and system responsibility, and people leadership. It also includes details on salary expectations and common next steps.
What does a head of IT do?
The head of IT manages all aspects of IT infrastructure, support, and systems, ensuring that the technology function aligns with business needs. They lead teams, oversee operations, and drive improvements in service, security, and scalability.
Responsibilities include setting IT strategy, leading change initiatives, managing budgets, and engaging with senior stakeholders. They often own relationships with vendors and service providers and report on system performance and risks.
In scale-ups, they may lead transformation projects and platform upgrades. In larger businesses, they oversee distributed IT functions and work closely with the CIO or COO.
Key responsibilities of a head of IT.
The head of IT is responsible for ensuring all technology systems support business operations and growth. Typical responsibilities include:
-
Leading the IT function across infrastructure, service delivery, and security
-
Developing IT roadmaps aligned with business objectives
-
Managing IT budgets, staffing, and system architecture decisions
-
Ensuring high availability, performance, and cybersecurity of systems
-
Overseeing helpdesk, system administration, and software management
-
Working with senior leaders on innovation, efficiency, and cost-saving initiatives
-
Managing vendor relationships and contract negotiations
-
Reporting on IT metrics and project progress to executive teams
-
Driving continuous improvement in IT operations and governance
-
Ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations
This role blends senior IT leadership with operational excellence and business alignment.
Skills and requirements for a head of IT.
Heads of IT lead internal technology strategy, operations, and team performance. Employers typically look for:
-
8–12 years of IT experience, including leadership of internal teams
-
Proven track record in managing enterprise systems and operations
-
Experience developing IT roadmaps aligned to company growth
-
Skilled in vendor management, licence renewals, and procurement
-
Ability to oversee data protection, compliance, and security
-
Experience leading change management and system rollouts
-
Comfortable managing IT budgets and performance reporting
-
Strong understanding of infrastructure, endpoints, and support tools
-
Ability to communicate technical priorities to non-technical stakeholders
Most heads of IT report into the COO or CTO and oversee both day-to-day operations and long-term infrastructure planning.
Average salary for a head of IT.
In the UK, the average salary for a head of IT typically ranges from £78,000 to £120,000, based on department size, innovation leadership, and service delivery.
-
Mid-level heads of IT typically earn between £78,000 and £100,000
-
Senior heads responsible for full business alignment or major change programmes may earn between £101,000 and £120,000
-
Strategic input, supplier management, and compliance influence total compensation
Top-paying roles are found in finance, pharma, and high-growth enterprise environments.
Career progression for a head of IT.
A head of IT is responsible for the entire internal technology function — including infrastructure, systems, and service delivery. It’s a senior role leading to executive-level opportunities. A typical progression path includes:
IT support engineer / technician
Provides hands-on support and escalations.
IT manager / infrastructure manager
Leads day-to-day IT operations and team performance.
Head of IT
Owns the tech roadmap, vendor management, budgeting, and team development.
IT director / CIO
Transitions into enterprise-level ownership of tech operations and transformation.
Chief technology officer
May oversee broader functions like security, data, or digital operations.
salary guide
Our UK IT salary guide.
Heads of IT manage internal systems, teams, and budgets while aligning technology with business needs. Salary should reflect cross-department leadership and system ownership.
Our UK IT salary guide provides benchmarks, hiring insights, 2024 comparisons, and 2026 projections for senior IT roles.
FAQS
Head of IT FAQs.
The head of IT oversees all aspects of IT delivery — support, infrastructure, cyber risk, and policy — and ensures they operate in harmony. They often act as a department lead, ensuring uptime, compliance, and digital enablement for all staff.
In smaller or mid-market firms, yes. Many remain involved in architecture decisions or systems reviews. In larger organisations, they delegate more to senior engineers or managers but remain accountable for system performance and investment planning.
The head of IT often acts as the senior-most technical leader without necessarily holding an executive title. They may not sit on the board but will present to execs regularly, especially around budgets, security, or digital transformation priorities.
Most rise through the ranks as infrastructure engineers, SysAdmins, or IT managers. Experience across operations, team leadership, and cross-functional collaboration is key.
Many move into IT director or CIO roles — especially if they’ve overseen business-critical transformation projects or introduced scalable, cloud-based infrastructure.
