Head of IT infrastructure job description.
Thinking of hiring a head of IT infrastructure or taking on the role yourself? This head of IT infrastructure job description includes leadership across network, server, and cloud platforms, budgeting responsibilities, and planning for resilience and scalability. It also explains what skills are needed and how salaries compare at this level.
What does a head of IT infrastructure do?
The head of IT infrastructure leads the entire infrastructure function, setting the direction for systems, networks, data centres, and cloud environments. They ensure platforms are stable, secure, and aligned with business requirements.
Key duties include managing senior infrastructure staff, owning budgets and strategy, leading complex migrations or upgrades, and setting policies for service availability and risk management. They report to IT directors or CIOs.
In smaller businesses, they oversee infrastructure hands-on. In enterprise environments, they manage regional or global infrastructure operations and play a critical role in strategic technology decisions.
Key responsibilities of a head of IT infrastructure.
The head of IT infrastructure leads the infrastructure function and ensures enterprise-wide stability and performance. Their responsibilities include:
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Setting the infrastructure strategy across data centres, cloud, and networks
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Managing large-scale teams responsible for systems, networks, and storage
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Overseeing delivery of infrastructure projects and service improvements
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Leading disaster recovery, BCP, and infrastructure governance frameworks
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Managing vendor contracts and infrastructure budgets
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Aligning infrastructure capabilities with business continuity and growth needs
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Ensuring compliance with IT security, audit, and regulatory requirements
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Partnering with CIO, CISO, and department heads to support key initiatives
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Driving automation, standardisation, and infrastructure innovation
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Reporting platform health and project outcomes to executive leadership
This role blends long-term planning with people, budget, and operational leadership.
Skills and requirements for a head of IT infrastructure.
Heads of IT infrastructure lead teams and technical strategy for enterprise systems. Employers typically look for:
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10+ years of experience in IT infrastructure and leadership
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Proven track record in scaling infrastructure in complex environments
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Experience managing systems, cloud, and hybrid network teams
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Skilled in risk management, system resilience, and disaster recovery
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Ability to manage large-scale upgrades, migrations, and technical projects
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Strong vendor and budget management experience
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Confident reporting infrastructure KPIs to senior leadership or boards
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Familiarity with compliance frameworks and regulatory standards
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Strong team development, mentoring, and cross-functional collaboration
Most heads of infrastructure operate at senior levels within IT, ensuring secure and scalable platforms.
Average salary for a head of IT infrastructure.
In the UK, the average salary for a head of IT infrastructure typically ranges from £80,000 to £120,000, depending on systems complexity, resilience planning, and business continuity.
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Mid-level professionals in this role earn between £80,000 and £100,000
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Senior heads managing global networks or hybrid cloud estates can earn between £101,000 and £120,000
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Additional compensation is common in high-availability or risk-sensitive environments
London and major enterprise hubs pay highest, particularly in logistics, healthcare, and enterprise tech.
Career progression for a head of IT infrastructure.
A head of IT infrastructure is responsible for the organisation’s entire technology backbone — ensuring systems are resilient, secure, and fit for growth. This senior leadership role often progresses into broader C-level opportunities. A common career path includes:
Infrastructure engineer / Systems admin
Maintains core systems, supports migrations, and manages monitoring and alerts.
Infrastructure manager / Senior engineer
Leads engineering teams, upgrades legacy systems, and ensures SLAs are met across critical platforms.
Head of IT infrastructure
Shapes strategy and delivery for enterprise infrastructure. Aligns teams and vendors around performance, risk, and scalability.
Director of IT
Leads infrastructure strategy across regions. Oversees budgets, cross-functional planning, and disaster recovery frameworks.
Chief technology officer (CTO)
Transitions into board-level leadership. Owns innovation, security, and digital infrastructure strategy company-wide.
salary guide
Our UK IT salary guide.
Heads of IT infrastructure lead enterprise systems strategy and manage large-scale platforms. Salary should reflect leadership across cloud, networking, and operations.
Use the UK IT salary guide to benchmark senior infrastructure roles, compare 2024 trends, and plan for future offers through 2026.
FAQS
Head of IT infrastructure FAQs.
They oversee the strategy, people, and platforms that make up a business’s core infrastructure — from servers and cloud systems to networking, storage, and disaster recovery. They ensure all systems remain secure, scalable, and aligned to future growth.
This is typically a senior leadership position, often reporting into the CIO or IT director. It’s strategic and team-focused, balancing long-term planning with operational continuity.
Experience scaling IT estates, leading multi-disciplinary teams, and delivering high-stakes projects like cloud migrations or DR implementations. The ability to communicate with execs about cost, resilience, and risk is also vital.
They often serve as the integration point — aligning infrastructure with cloud strategy, supporting DevOps tooling, and ensuring that security controls are applied consistently across platforms.
Budgeting for legacy and future systems simultaneously, reducing technical debt, meeting uptime targets, and planning infrastructure that can support rapid change or compliance updates.
